Blog » Sweet Dews Of Dharma Talks » 2011 » Repaying Bodhisattva’s Kindness

Repaying Bodhisattva’s Kindness2013-01-10

 

By DM  Heng Rung at CTTB      

English Translation By Huali Yuan

Since we are learning Buddhadharma, we understand how to live our life in the future. If we learn all kinds of Bodhisattva practices, we can change our life entirely. Then how should pay our gratitude to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas?

 

I think, the very first we must start from being filial. The basic principle of being a human is to be filial; Only after you understand how to be filial, you are able to pay gratitude to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Being filial sounds very easy, but putting it into practice is difficult, then where should we start? From parents at home- that is our own Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Especially for people nowadays, since we don’t have such concept when we are little, we do not know how to respect elders and honor people with virtue, neither we know how to be broad-minded and generous, or how to be patient.

 

Usually what we do everyday is based on selfishness-whatever benefits us, we go for it right away! Whatever is not beneficial and sounds a loss to us, we refuse to do it.  I remember someone told me before: “I can take any dishes except the one of ‘taking loss’”. I guess it is the first time for many people to hear such comment. For me, I was shocked when I first heard this.

 

One the path of life, there are many things that go against our conscience. Such things have retributions since the principle of cause and effects do exist.  Whatever you do, if you plant a wholesome cause, you will get a wholesome retribution; as the same token, if you plant a harmful cause, the harmful retribution will soon be ripen.

 

Therefore after we have the concept of cause and effect, we will be cautious with our actions. At least, we should be filial to our own parents and teachers at home, then extend such mind to everyone, to treat those around us with a mellow and soft mind; if we practice like this, we won’t go through life in vain. It is because we have planted the cause and conditions of blessings, we are able to study the Bubbha’s teachings; as follows, we should deeply enter the sutra treasury, then we are able to have wisdom like the sea; with wisdom, we won’t make mistakes and fall into the cycle of cause and effect.

 

Therefore, although things are minor, we must put them into practice, by dong this, we are truly gaining benefits. However, we should not forget to be considerate to other people, and extend the wholesomeness to everyone, by doing so, we will not spend time for nothing in studying Buddhism, and yet not know what we are doing.