Golden Week Lecture Series— Four Masterpieces of Japanese Painting: A Symposium
Yukiko Shirahara, John A. McCone Foundation Curator of Asian Art, Seattle Art Museum

To start off my talk, I would like to read a short Buddhist narrative that was written in ancient China. Imagine what this story would look like if illustrated.

There was a man on a journey, headed west. Suddenly he saw two rivers in the distance. To the south was a river of fire, and to the north a river of cold water. The width of both rivers was just a hundred footsteps, but both rivers were bottomless and ran in either direction endlessly. Right in the middle of these two rivers was a white path. It was only four-five inches wide, a hundred steps long and it connected the eastern and western banks. Water from the north river was washing over the narrow path, and at the same time, fire from the south river relentlessly burned the path. With no one else around, bandits and vicious beasts started chasing the man and were competing to catch and kill him. Consequently, the man ran forward to the west and suddenly these two rivers came into sight. He could not see the end of either river, only the white path in the middle that would take him to the opposite bank. It was extremely narrow and dangerous. If he went back to the east, the bandits would kill him. If he ran to the north or south along the bank, the vicious beasts and poisonous vermin would catch him. Standing still or going in any direction along this side of the bank meant certain death. If he wanted to escape this desperate situation, he had to go west by crossing the white path. Upon realizing this, he suddenly heard a voice coming from the eastern bank. It said, “If you are wise, you only have to decide to go this way, and you will be saved from death. However, if you stop on the path, you will die.” From the western bank another voice shouted, “You only have to believe and come this way. If you do so, I will protect you as you cross to this side. Do not be afraid if you fall into the river of fire or the river of water.” Hearing these voices, the man made up his mind and started walking on the white path without any doubts or thoughts of turning around. Ten steps, twenty steps he went forward, and the bandit on the eastern bank cried out behind him, “Come back! This path is too treacherous to pass. We are sure you will die. Even though we have been chasing you, we mean you no harm.” Even as this voice reached the man he never looked back, he was intent on crossing the path. Upon reaching the western bank he was immediately free from any troubles and he spent a pleasurable and comfortable life with his virtuous friend for eternity.

This story was written by the Buddhist master Shan-dao (å–„å°Ž 613-681), active in China in the seventh century. Shan-dao was the most prolific educator of Pure Land Buddhism and is regarded as the third great master of this sect. His texts were also extremely influential upon Japanese Buddhism.

As you are probably already aware, this story is a Buddhist parable.
“Going on a journey toward the west” means, going toward the Western Pure Land. The Western Pure Land is a Buddhist paradise where the Buddha of Infinite Light Amitabha in Sanskrit, (Amida Buddha in Japanese) resides. If people can make it there at the end of this life, they will obtain eternal relief from the suffering in this world. Otherwise, they will be unable to escape the perpetual cycle of reincarnation, in which they will be reborn in one of six realms; as a being living in heaven, a human being, a warrior in an endless battle, beasts, a miserable hungry ghost or living a horrible life in hell. People can even be reborn as divinities. The realm into which one is reincarnated depends on the good or bad things they have done in this life.

“The river of fire” represents a world of anger and hatred found in human relations. “The river of water” symbolizes the evil passion of greed and the endless desire in humans. “The bandits and vicious beasts” are evil spirits, and also represent heresies outside Buddhist teachings. “The voice from the eastern bank” represents the teachings of the Historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, who is believed to have lived in this world. “The voice from the western bank” is the sermon of the Amida Buddha, coming from the Western Paradise. So it was possible that this man could reach the Pure Land by believing in the voices of both Buddhas and by being met by “the good friend,” Amida Buddha. As a result, the man escaped the cycle of reincarnation, and was able to obtain eternal relief from suffering.

“The white path between two rivers” represents the minute possibility of awakening faith out of various evil passions and troubles in this world. This story encourages people to actively and enthusiastically believe in Pure Land Buddhist teachings in order to acquire piece of mind and reach the Western Paradise after this life.

This text by Shan-Dao was included in his writing Commentary on the Contemplation Sutra, and it is the work he is best known for. It is generally said that this parable was popular in China during his lifetime. Visual images of this parable are not found in China. There are, however, extant examples from thirteenth century Japan.

In Japan, it is generally thought that Japanese Buddhist masters Hōnen (法然 1133-1212) and Shinran (親鸞 1173-1262) quoted this parable in their own writings, and beginning in the thirteenth century it became a direct source for the visual representation. Hōnen established the Jōdo-shū, or Pure Land School, and Shinran founded Jōdo-shinshū, or True Pure Land School, in Japan. Therefore, it is natural to think that this parable was well known among Japanese Pure Land School believers since that time.