37 Practices of a Bodhisattva Part 8

(24)
All suffering is like the death of your child in a dream.
To take such delusive appearances as true, how exhausting!
Therefore, whenever you encounter unpleasant circumstances,
To see them as delusions is the practice of a bodhisattva.

(25)
If those who aspire to enlightenment willingly give up their bodies,
What need is there to mention external objects?
Therefore with no hope of reward or benefit,
To give with generosity is the practice of a Bodhisattva.

(26)
If lack of discipline prevents you from benefiting yourself,
Then your wish to benefit others is just a joke.
Therefore, to guard discipline
With no longing for worldly existence
Is the practice of a Bodhisattva.

(27)
For a Bodhisattva who seeks a wealth of virtue
Every harm is like a precious treasure.
Therefore, without getting irritated by anything at all,
To cultivate patience is the practice of a Bodhisattva.


Practice 24 is difficult. Seeing circumstances as having no inherent reality and similar to the dream state is something that my commentary mentions will come after practicing deep analysis for a while. That way, when difficult circumstances arise, we will be prepared to see them as illusory. At first, I thought, well, if someone is in agony in front of me, if I see their suffering as an illusion, then why should I have compassion for them? Perhaps the answer is that although the suffering is an illusion, the person who is suffering doesn't see that, and therefore out of ignorance they experience the agony. (It sounds pretty cold to say it that way.) Thus I can have compassion on beings who suffer because of their ignorance, and I would say that I should definitely not use this perspective as an excuse to look down on other beings, since we all have the same inherent nature.

Another thing that occurs to me about practice 24 is the idea that if someone is suffering, it seems callous to declare their suffering to be illusory, and to not suffer ourselves in sympathy. I don't think that suffering in sympathy with another's suffering is morally obligatory, although I'm not sure it can be stopped. Perhaps the best thing to say is that when we suffer in sympathy, we shouldn't get attached to that suffering, or feel that it is something that we must do. Still, the basic premise of practice 24 needs to be directly realized through practice, so that someone who hasn't practiced it for awhile, such as myself, may not be able to comment very well on it. Suffice it to say that I have some reservations about it.

Practice 25 concerns the first paramita: generosity. I see no complex issues here. Give unto others, but don't be attached to outcomes of that giving. I recall one time I wrote several encouraging notes to various people, and I was not unattached to outcomes. I couldn't wait to see what they wrote back in terms of their thanks. This is not the truest generosity since I really wanted something for myself in return. I find true generosity difficult, although not impossible.

Practice 26 concerns the second paramita: guarding discipline. This is an important one for me. It's too easy for me to start to be lax in my meditations or in my meeting attendance, and soon I'm sliding back into my old obnoxious ways. It's very good to have my eyes open to guard against this.

Practice 27 concerns the third paramita: patience. To me this seems like good, solid, uncomplicated advice. Cultivate patience, and use obstacles as teachers. We could not advance without challenges.

Well that about wraps up this installment.

May you have happiness and the causes of happiness.
May you be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.