The bodhisattva in the mortal world: ~teaching by Venerable Master Sheng Yen What is bodhisattva? And what is its meaning? Venerable master Sheng Yen told us the bodhisattva is not the statue of icon for people to worship, but the sentient beings who make the bodhisattva vow and relieve the needy or poor and the distressed in different identities and appearances. They appear in front of the needy sentient beings in the appearances according to their needs. Bodhisattva is not a statue of icon, which is only a dharma instrument for the cultivation of Buddhists. Although it symbolizes the solemn appearance of Buddha and bodhisattva, it is not Buddha and bodhisattva itself. The statue is for us to worship and prostrate to collect our minds and express the devoted sincerity for the strength of our faith. Bodhisattva is not deity or spirit. Those can manifest supernatural powers within limited time and smaller scale are spirits; and those can manifest supernatural powers within longer time and large scale are spirits with more blessings and strengths, or we call them deities. Ordinary people cannot distinguish the differences between Buddha and bodhisattva and deities and have no idea about it. Buddha and bodhisattva will not expect peoples worship and reward but relieve the needy or poor and the distressed sentient beings unconditionally. On the other hand, the spirits and deities will crave for peoples reward and worship with offering of bloody foods to manifest their power and honor. Bodhisattva salvages sentient beings in different appearances, mostly as a human being. Therefore, bodhisattva is different from the immortals either. They seek to be born to the Heaven and become immortal, that is so called to ascend and to become an immortal. Bodhisattva is also different from arhats, who seek the their own emancipation from birth and death with the purpose to be freed from further sufferings of the vexations of birth and death in the mortal world. On the other hand, bodhisattva considers the vexations of the sentient beings because of His own vexations, and in the end He wants to salvage sentient beings wholeheartedly to the degree that He forgets His own vexations and takes the suffering in salvaging sentient beings as granted. Most bodhisattvas manifest in the appearances of laypersons and they look very solemn. However, not all people with the appearances of layperson are bodhisattvas. The one making a true bodhisattva vow has to make a resolution of relinquishment which can correspond to the bodhisattva vow; that means to relinquish the reality without escaping from it, to enter the mortal world to salvage sentient beings without clinging to the five desires in the world. They are laypersons with their own businesses and family and dependents. They make money for propagating dharma and they have dependents for salvaging the sentient beings. Many people think that they become bodhisattvas after making the bodhisattva vow; in fact, the vow is just a form which symbolizes that you will follow the bodhisattva path thereafter. Without acting according to the spirit of bodhisattva vow and equipping with bodhisattva mind ground, it will be only a title of bodhisattva without true entity. Everyone can become Buddha, and one has to practice the bodhisattva path before accomplishing Buddha hood, and whoever practices the bodhisattva path with bodhisattva mind ground is a true bodhisattva. Bodhisattva is not necessarily sitting in the temples to receive offerings. Those receiving offerings in the temples are the sacred statues of bodhisattva, whereas the spirit of bodhisattva and the activities of bodhisattva path are in fact among the public of the society. If you do bodhisattvas deed with a bodhisattvas mind, then you are exactly the manifestation of bodhisattva. The loving-kindness and compassion in buddhism is exactly the purified love and limitless sympathy without any additional conditions, that is bodhisattvas mind ground. However, the promotion of the practice of bodhisattva path should prioritize according to the degree of intimacy and closeness of the affinities with us. So dont forget to keep bodhisattva mind to practice bodhisattva path, firstly towards your country, parents, teachers, siblings, children and then towards the public in the society and all sentient beings. In addition, there is the dharma gate of bodhisattva in adverse situations. Those attack you, oppress you, provoke you, bully and insult you are all possible bodhisattvas in adverse situations. Dont take those attack you and oppress you as your foes and enemies. We have to go through the mills to discipline ourselves to cultivate strong will. Our fitness, wisdom, mentality and perseverance have all to be forged through the experiences of hardships. Therefore, dont feel frustrated and dejected for the setbacks in adverse situations. The truth that Devadatta had been Buddhas enemy for lives exemplifies the bodhisattva in adverse situations. Therefore, after of Gautama Buddha accomplished Buddha hood, the Buddha makes a noteworthy statement in the Lotus Sūtra that Devadatta will in time become a Buddha. In the Sutra of Buddha Repaying Kindness through Great Expediency, vol. 4, it is said: Tagathata feels sorrow and pity constantly out of great strength of loving-kindness and compassion; and I accomplish Buddha hood soon because of Devadatta. Therefore, I take compassionate pity on him constantly out of remembrance of his kindness. Therefore, bodhisattva always takes all their foes and enemies as living Buddhas and bodhisattvas. No matter you believe in Buddha and bodhisattva or not, you will smile in adversities and be alert in prosperities if you truly accept what I talk about today. If you can face the reality and be willing to accept the tests of both the adversities and prosperities, then there will be a brilliant future waiting for you.
Posted on: Wed, 01 Oct 2014 04:23:24 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015