As a final follow up to Higan Week, I offer Chinese Master Hsuan Hua’s discussion of Bodhisattva practice from his commentary on the Lotus Sutra.

Śākyamuni Buddha continued, “Medicine King, there are many people who, whether at home – upāsakās and upāsikās – or having renounced the home life – bhikṣus and bhikṣunīs – practice the Bodhisattva Path.” Both laypeople and monastics can practice the Bodhisattva Path.

What is the Bodhisattva Path? Benefiting others is practicing the Bodhisattva Path. What is the Bodhisattva Path? Benefiting not only oneself but also others is practicing the Bodhisattva Path. What is the Bodhisattva Path? Putting yourself aside to help others is practicing the Bodhisattva Path. It’s also giving advantage to others and taking disadvantage upon yourself. A person who practices the Bodhisattva Path is like water, which benefits all but never brags about its merit. All living creatures, whether they are born from wombs, eggs, moisture, or via metamorphosis, depend upon water for the sustenance of their lives. Without water, they can’t survive. But water itself doesn’t brag about its merit, saying, “I’ve helped you all so much. My merit is great indeed.” It doesn’t harbor this kind of thought. Those who practice the Bodhisattva Path should be the same way. Don’t think, “I’ve benefited living beings, so I have merit.” Lao Zi said,

The highest goodness is like water. Water benefits all yet does not contend. It goes to places people despise, and so it is close to the Path.

Water flows right into lowly places, places where nobody wants to live. To be like that is to practice the Bodhisattva Path.

When you practice the Bodhisattva Path, you must give credit to others and take the blame upon yourself. “But then I won’t get any credit,” you object. The more you give credit to others, the greater your merit becomes. On the surface you’re giving the credit away, but underneath, in the essence of things as they really are, the credit remains yours. People who don’t understand how to cultivate are always struggling to grab the spotlight, to be number one, and to make sure everyone knows who they are. People who have true understanding don’t seek recognition. It’s said that:

The deeds that are done for others to see are not truly good.
The deeds that are done fearing others will know are truly evil.

Bodhisattvas don’t want people to know about their good deeds. Conversely, if they make mistakes, they don’t care if people find out. Practicing the Bodhisattva Path is benefiting oneself and others. As you benefit yourself, you should benefit others more, even when it’s at your own expense.

Practicing the Bodhisattva Path is practicing the six pāramitās and the myriad practices. The six pāramitās are giving, upholding precepts, patience, vigor, dhyāna, and wisdom (prajña). To practice giving is to give to others without asking them to give to you. You shouldn’t complain, “I’m one of the Three Jewels. Why doesn’t anybody make offerings to me?” Being a member of the Three Jewels, you’re supposed to give. Upholding precepts means that you hold them yourself; it doesn’t mean that you go around telling other people to hold them. Patience means that you are patient, not that you tell others to be patient. Vigor means the same: that you’re the one who is vigorous, not that you tell others to be vigorous while remaining lazy yourself. You shouldn’t think, “I’ve already become a Bodhisattva, so I don’t need to be vigorous. I’m a senior Bodhisattva and don’t need to be vigorous; I’ll just tell the junior Bodhisattvas to be vigorous.”

As for dhyāna, you must cultivate it yourself. You can’t pester people by saying, “Hey! Why can’t you achieve dhyāna?” Finally, you yourself must have prajña. You can’t tell others to cultivate it while failing to do so yourself.

The six pāramitās are not to be practiced for just one day. You must practice them every single day and never take a breather for even a second. Practicing the Bodhisattva Path means that you’re busy working all the time. Busy doing what? Teaching and transforming living beings. Living beings are drowning in the sea of suffering. Unless you push yourself a little, how are you ever going to be able to save them all? There’s no time for naps; there’s no time for false thinking. Both monastics and laypeople should practice the Bodhisattva Path.