[Buddha-l] The arrow: its removal and examination

[Richard Hayes]

On Sunday 24 June 2007 18:25, curt wrote:

> The parable of the arrow needs to be totally abandoned in my opinion.

That advice ranks up there with the advice to amputate the leg to get rid of a 
hangnail on the toe. The parable of the arrow does not need to be abandoned 
as much as it needs to be used properly. If one reads the parable with some 
care (by, for example, poring over it), one finds that it is NOT saying that 
one should ask no questions at all. Rather, it is saying to ask the right 
kind of questions, that is, questions that are relevant to the task at hand.

The parable of the arrow is abused almost as often as the parable of the raft 
and the parable of the finger pointing to the moon. I have heard fully grown 
and passably intelligent human beings aver that the parable of the raft means 
that we need no dharma teachings at all, since they are just encumbrances. 
And I've heard even more people say that the parable of the finger pointing 
at the moon shows that all language is an obstacle to understanding. (When a 
students makes such a claim about the inherent inadequacy of language---a 
claim I can count on at least one student to make in every class I teach---I 
usually say "I'm sorry, but I have no idea what you're trying to tell me. 
Please draw a picture or slurp some noodles so I can understand.")

-- 
Richard Hayes
Department of Philosophy
University of New Mexico