Crossing the Ocean of Delusion
Narada teaches that holy company is the boat by which the devotee crosses the otherwise impassable ocean of worldly delusion.
Maya, the great ocean of worldly delusion, is crossed only by the grace of holy company and devotion to God (Narada Bhakti Sutra 46-49). Narada uses the recurring image of the soul stranded on the near shore of illusion, unable to reach the far shore of liberation by its own effort alone. The saints, having crossed, become the ferry for others; their company and grace carry the devotee over what no private striving could traverse. This teaching instills both humility, since the soul cannot save itself unaided, and hope, since a sure means is provided. The devotee is counseled to hold fast to that ferry. By the grace flowing through the holy, the impossible crossing becomes assured.
Who crosses maya, who crosses it? One who gives up attachment and serves the great souls.
The metaphor of the saint as ferry across the ocean of delusion is shared with Buddhism, where the awakened are likened to those who, having reached the far shore, help others cross the flood of samsara.
Narada Bhakti Sutras
Written about in
- What the Narada Bhakti Sutras say about freedom
Narada's image for the human situation is a person stranded on the near shore. The crossing is made with help, through holy company and devotion, not by swimming.