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Koan: Becoming a Bodhisattva [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-03-02
The Bodhisattva vows, many of them, are well known in Theravada Buddhism, and foundational in Mahayana Buddhism. The basic idea grew up that becoming an Arhat was a selfish course of action, leaving everybody else behind, and that one should reject it in favor of staying in the world to save all sentient beings. Thus we have, in particular
Kanzeon/Avalokiteshvara, Bodhisattva of Compassion
Fugen/Samantabhadra Bodhisattva of Practical Love
Monju/Manjushri, Bodhisattva of Wisdom
Jizo/Kshitigarbha, who vowed not to Awaken fully until all of the Hells were empty, among other things
Miroku/Maitreya, the next Buddha
Becoming Bodhisattvas: Compassionate Action, by Pema Chödrön
A Guidebook for The Way of the Bodhisattva has long been treasured as
an indispensable guide to enlightened living, offering a
window into the greatest potential within us all. Written
in the eighth century by the scholar and saint
Shantideva, it presents a comprehensive view of the
Mahayana Buddhist tradition’s highest ideal—to commit
oneself to the life of a bodhisattva warrior, a person who
is wholeheartedly dedicated to the freedom and common
good of all beings. In this comprehensive commentary,
Pema Chödrön invites you to journey more deeply into
this liberating way of life, presenting Shantideva’s text
verse by verse and offering both illuminating stories and
practical exercises to enrich the text and bring its
timeless teachings to life in our world today.
It is impossible to do justice to these ideas in a DK post. You can get an outline of some of them at the Wikipedia links above, including the various sutras and other scriptures mentioned there.
Let us just consider a few points from Pema Chödrön today.
THE WAY OF THE BODHISATTVA was composed in India over twelve centuries ago, yet it remains remarkably relevant for our times. This classic text, written by the Indian sage Shantideva, gives surprisingly up-to-date instructions for people like you and me to live sanely and openheartedly, even in a very troubled world. It is the essential guidebook for fledgling bodhisattvas, those spiritual warriors who long to alleviate suffering, their own and that of others. he Way of the Bodhisattva is divided into ten chapters.
Patrul Rinpoche organized them into three main sections
based on the following verse by the great Buddhist
master Nagarjuna: May bodhichitta, precious and sublime,
Arise where it has not yet come to be;
And where it has arisen may it not decline,
But grow and flourish ever more and more.
We have looked briefly at Bodhicitta/The Mind that Seeks the Way in a previous post here. Much of the text then takes up the six paramitas, the Perfections, and then the text concludes with a passionate dedication of the benefit of these teachings to all suffering beings, whoever and wherever they may be.
And now as long as space endures,
As long as there are beings to be found,
May I continue likewise to remain
To drive away the sorrows of the world.
Thus we arrive at a familiar endpoint, the discarding of self and the full awakening of compassion, love, and wisdom, with the patience to wait for the Hells to empty, and to hold on until it is time for a future Buddha.
As the Zen masters often say,
Study in detail.
Shantideva presents the paramita of patience as the most effective way possible to work with anger. In verses 1 through 12, he presents his case against this powerful klesha.
Good works gathered in a thousand ages,
Such as deeds of generosity,
Or offerings to the blissful ones—
A single flash of anger shatters them.
How much more destructive is anger that is made a fixture of life, that is made the definition of one’s identity, like so many in our world today, who live only to define others as the enemy, to put them down, and to attempt to crush them.
There are various ways you can deal with this situation. The first thing you can do is get in touch with how anger feels in your body. We don’t usually pay attention to the physical anguish anger causes. Sensitizing yourself to that pain can motivate you to
work more eagerly with aggression. Another practice I recommend is done during meditation. If you’ve been angry, you can intentionally replay the whole story. Pay attention to your feelings and thoughts. Are they obsessive and repetitive? Do they fuel your grudges or judgments? Then, while gently breathing in and out, take the feeling of anger as the focus of your meditation. Give it your full attention, without moving away from it by repressing or acting it out. Try to experience the anger nonverbally by getting to know its qualities. What color is it? What temperature? How does it smell or taste? This practice puts us in touch with emotions very directly and lessens the sense of struggle. Another instruction that I’ve found helpful is to stay with your soft spot. Below the anger is enormous tenderness, which most of us quickly cover over with the hardness of rage. Learning to touch that vulnerability isn’t easy, but it can keep you from exploding and destroying everything in sight
And in the end,
WITH VERSE 90 of chapter 8, we enter one of the most famous sections of The Way of the Bodhisattva. Here Shantideva talks about the equality of self and other, and gives us specific practices for standing in another person’s shoes. These instructions are antidotes for the narrow, confused perspective of “me” and “mine.” Strive at first to meditate
Upon the sameness of yourself and others.
In joy and sorrow all are equal.
Thus be guardian of all, as of yourself. We begin by contemplating the sameness of ourselves and others. Philosophically, we might discuss the insubstantiality and false security of a separate “self.” But, when it comes to actually dissolving the illusory barrier between this self and others, we work on a practical level and keep it real.
This must be a matter of real and continuing experience, deepening steadily forever.
To reinforce no-self, we give away all of the merit of our training. Shantideva says
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