From “Bodhisattva and Volunteer” by Ven. Xing Yun

The following is excerpted from Bodhisattva and Volunteer the keynote speech given by Ven. Xing Yun to the 12th BLIA General Conference, at fFo Guang Shan in Taiwan on Oct 2-4, 2008, translated by Ven. Miao Guang, and revised by Ven. Miao Zhe, pp. 14-15.:

…The so-called bodhisattva vow refers to a willingness to bear the suffering and hardship experienced by sentient beings, and a promise to never desert these beings. This is like a dutiful son’s love and respect for his parents. In order to benefit sentient beings, bodhisattras do not give rise to any single thought directed solely at their own benefits. A bodhisattva does not desire worldly enjoyments but choose to experience all types of suffering in this world. Since they are pursuing the supreme buddhahood and practicing ways to benefit others simultaneously, the time they need to complete their practice becomes a period of endless kalpas.

Since these bodhisattvas have experienced very long periods of cultivation in practicing the most difficult practices, and enduring the harshest hardships, they are albe to remain patient and never become angry when confronted by adversecircumstances and humiliations. Take the heavenly being by the name of Patience Under Insult as mentioned in the Diamond Sjutra for example; when king of Kalinga cut his flesh from every limb, he had no perception of anger or hatred at all. Sadaparibhyuta Bodhisattva Bodhisattva Never-Disparaging) as mentioned in the Lotus Sutra never got angry when people bullied, hurt, humiliated or insulted him. Instead, he would respond respectfully, “I dare not disparage you, ofr you will all become buddhas.”

As bodhisattvas deliver sentient beings without ever expecting rewards and without regrets or resentments, repay every kindness bestowed upon them and never held grudges, regard people as buddhas and treat family and foe with equality, and see oneness between themselves and others and help beings selflessly, they are able to remain diligent and persistent and thus enter the stage of non-retrogression.

Non-retrogression is the “sharp weapon” used by bodhisattvas to guide the confused and lastr out of illusion and into the ocean of wisdom, and ferrt sebntient beings across to the opposite shore of enlightenment. It is also an essential source of motivation fofr beings who are pursuing buddhahood. On this long journey toward buddhahood, vows can be difficult to make, but difficult to persist with. Some may vow to learn the Buddha’s way enthusiastically, but fail tro withstand the tests and retreat of become discouraged easily when confronted with setbacks. This is why the following saying has become well-known in Buddhism, “As one starts learning Buddhism for the first year, the Buddha is right in fron of your eyes, but three years later, the Buddha becomes far away in the west.” This tells us that on this very long path, the attainment of buddhahood will become impossible without persistence and determination. therefore, other than the making of great vows, one also needs to be persistent, just like how bodhisattvas vow to ‘always be a ferry in the ocean of suffering. …

This translation is a step above anything else I’ve seen out of Fo Guang Shan, and the material itself is the best discussion of the life of the Bodhisattva since Shantideva, i.e., in well over a millineum. The whole thing is well worth reading, and of course, nobody does that online. Please get a complimentary copy from Fo Guang Shan.

I’d like to personalize this passage a little bit. Like the Buddha, who was out of the warrior clan that ruled Nepal, I have military birth karma, and I’ve spent the first six decades of my life dealing with the anger and pride inherent in that kind of karma. If you insist on being Mahayana Buddhist, and NOTHING but Mahayana Buddhist, as I have done, you inevitably come to the point where this kind of birth karma just fails to work anymore. Nothing is accomplished by it. Anger doesn’t overcome enemies any more. It leads to stupidity, and that leads to more anger. Pride doesn’t protect your nation anymore, it just makes you into a disconnected whatever.

Can we convert anger to patience, and pride to even vision and even handedness (the last is the implication of my Refuge name), and enact the life of the Bodhisattva that Ven. Xing Yun is talking about here? We can. I’ve just spent three years being screamed at by an idiot, and refusing to react in kind, and that has gotten rid of my anger. I know it’s gone because some other idiots tried it again this morning, with the same result. I think pride is more of a long-term project for me, and that’s how I got this name. But I know that will go as well.

I cast an astrological chart for the day on which I became a member of Fo Guang Shan, and what it showed was the death of a warrior, and the birth of an iron-fist-in-velvet-glove diplomat. That’s a lot to live up to, but I don’t think it’s worse than what is generally true for people that involve themselves with this lineage.

Oh, and hey, as good as this translation is, there’s still a bone I have to pick about some of the implications of some English terminology here, but I think I’ll grow more velvet on my gloves before I pick it.

Namu Amida Butsu
Xing Ping