AWAKENING TO THE MIND OF THE BODHISATTVA
When one awakens to True Wisdom, it means that one is willing to save all living
things be- fore one has actually saved oneself: whether a being is a layman,
priest, god or man, enjoy- ing pleasure or suffering pain, he should awaken
this desire as quickly as possible. However humble a person may appear to be,
if this desire has been awakened, he is already the teacher of all mankind:
a little girl of seven even may be the teacher of the four classes of Buddhists
and the mother of True Compassion to all living things. One of the greatest
teachings of Buddhism is its insistence upon the complete equality of the sexes.
However much one may drift in the six worlds and the four existences,
even they become a means for realizing the desire for Buddhahood once it has
been awakened: however much time we may have wasted up to now, there is still
time to awaken this desire. Although our own merit for Buddhahood may be full
ripe, it is our bounden duty to use all this merit for the purpose of Enlightening
every living thing: at all times, there have been those who put their own Buddhahood
second to the necessity of working for the good of all other living things.
The Four Wisdoms - charity, tenderness, benevolence and sympathy, are the means
we have of helping others and represent the Bodhisattva's aspirations. Charity
is the opposite of covetousness; we make offerings although we ourselves get
nothing whatsoever. There is no need to be concerned about how small the gift
may be so long as it brings True results, for even if it is only a single phrase
or verse of teaching, it may be a seed to bring forth good fruit both now and
hereafter. Similarly, the offering of only one coin or a blade of grass can
cause the arising of good, for the teaching itself is the True Treasure and
the True Treasure is the very teaching: we must never desire any re- ward and
we must always share everything we have with others. It is an act of charity
to build a ferry or a bridge and all forms of industry are charity if they benefit
others. To behold all beings with the eye of compassion, and to speak kindly
to them, is the meaning of tenderness. If one would understand tenderness, one
must speak to others whilst thinking that one loves all living things as if
they were one's own children. By praising those who exhibit virtue, and feeling
sorry for those who do not, our enemies become our friends and they who are
our who are our friends have their friendship strengthened: this is all through
the power of tenderness. Whenever one speaks kindly to another, his face brightens
and his heart is warmed; if a kind word be spoken in his absence, the impression
will be a deep one: tenderness can have a revolutionary impact upon the mind
of man. If one creates wise ways of helping beings, whether they be in high
places or lowly stations, one exhibits benevolence: no reward was sought by
those who rescued the helpless tortoise and the sick sparrow, these acts being
utterly benevolent. The stupid believe that they will lose something if they
give help to others, but this is completely untrue, for benevolence helps everyone,
including oneself, being a law of the universe. If one can identify oneself
with that which is not oneself, one can understand the true meaning of sympathy:
take, for example, the fact that the Buddha appeared in the human world in the
form of a human being; sympathy does not distinguish between one- self and others.
There are times when the self is infinite and times when this is true of others:
sympathy is as the sea in that it never refuses water from whatsoever source
it may come; all waters may gather and form only one sea.
Oh you seekers of Enlightenment, meditate deeply upon these teachings and do
not make light of them: give respect and reverence to their merit which brings
blessings to all living things; help all beings to cross over to the other shore.