Bodhisattva

In Bodhisattva word, there are two parts Bodhi and Sattva. Bodhi  means “awake.” Sattva means “living being.” A bodhisattva is an awakened being who helps other beings wake up.

Bodhisattvas are compassionate people whose intention is to relieve their own suffering and the suffering of their fellow beings. Just like a oversea Vietnamese who always makes the effort to succeed so that he can take care of his parents and siblings who are still in Vietnam, the bodhisattvas practice not only for themselves, but for their families, communities, and the entire society. In the mind and heart of the bodhisattva there exists a great energy called bodhicitta. Cittta means mind.

When we learn and practice the teaching of the Buddha, we always want being a Bodhisattvas. So we have to look deeply and ask: are we happier every day? Are we more in harmony with ourselves and with the others around us every day, the unlovable people as well as the lovable people? We need to take care of ourselves and try our best to really help people. When our true mind can see there is no difference between self and other, then we’re a bodhisattva, a fully awakened person.

We have the tendency to blame the other person. But if we look deeply, we can see the many elements in him that are not him. Then we can see why he behaves as he does, and we can accept him more easily and start to find a way to undo the difficulties and make peace.

When we look into ourselves and into the other person, we see the nonself elements in ourselves and in the other person. You should know, a bodhisattva is an awakened being who helps other beings wake up. In mind of a bodhisattva there are no difference between self and other.

Ngày 23-  Nhâm Ngọ, Tháng Giêng – Canh Dần, Năm Bính Thân – 2016.

Hoàng Phước Đại – Đồng An.