Lighting up the world.

The other day I was reflecting on one candle lighting another candle. A single candle can light dozens of other candles and nothing is lost in the process. The candle doesn't become weary and doesn't concern itself with the results of lighting other candles. It just lights up the world that it interacts with. That reminded me of this verse by Shantideva:

May I be a guard for those who are protectorless, 

A guide for those who journey on the road.

For those who wish to cross the water, 

May I be a boat, a raft, a bridge.

May I be an isle for those who yearn for land, 

A lamp for those who long for light;

For all who need a resting place, a bed;

For those who need a servant, may I be their slave.

May I be the wishing jewel, the vase of wealth,

A word of power and supreme healing,

May I be the tree of miracles,

For every being the abundant cow.

Just like the earth and space itself,

And all the mighty elements,

For boundless multitudes of beings

May I always be the ground of life, the source of varied sustenance.

Thus for everything that lives,

As far as the limits of the sky,

May I be constantly their source of livelihood

Until they pass beyond all sorrow.

A bodhisattva is someone who has made a commitment to waking up in the world in order to better serve and benefit others. The bodhisattva relies on a set of principles that are focused on elevating our individual and collective dignity. Part of the bodhisattvas commitment is making a daily choice to be of benefit to others, not simply ourselves. That daily commitment can take many forms, both in intention and action. A simple way to set your intention for the day is to recite this verse of Shantideva's aspiration prayer for the bodhisattva vow.

The result of your practice is the consummation of your character, your willingness to be the reservoir of presence and dignity in a world that desperately needs more thoughtful, compassionate and caring people. Be the candle, the bridge, the guide. Dedicate the time and energy to learning how to do that so you don't wear yourself thin, but that you can commit to making it a daily practice for the rest of your life. 

The work of a bodhisattva.

The bodhisattva ideal is often compared to a warrior. We live in a time in which it takes great courage and determination to be more present in the world. Our culture is encouraging us all to fit in and comply, lulling us back to sleep with entertainment and distraction. Trying to wake up in that world is no easy task, and yet it presents an opportunity worth fighting for.

We cannot truly be deeply present in the world or contribute in meaningful ways until we can get past our own hesitation, fear and uncertainty. Our narrow conception of who we are and what we are capable of limits our experience of the world and what we have to give.

Doing the inner work of uncovering our natural buddha heart requires a lifelong journey of self-discovery. Our most meaningful work is to awaken in such a way that the gifts we have to share are seen as irreplaceable. That is work worth investing in and showing up for. That is work that we can spend our entire life doing, and work that will genuinely make a difference in creating a better world.

To be successful in our work does not require accomplishing some outer goal. Rather, it is to reconnect with our own nature in such a way that we reveal own our buddha heart and have the courage to bring it out into the world for the benefit of others.

Say yes.

What do a barista, a stranger on the bus, a teacher, a lawyer and a designer all have in common?

They can all be practicing virtue.

They can be patient, generous, compassionate and kind. They can act fairly, justly, without bias or discrimination. They can share insight and experience, share tidbits of wisdom and joy.

When we interact with those whose path is one of all-embracing virtue, we encounter a certain honesty and truthfulness. It feels right, genuine.

They often have a freedom and joy about them. They exhibit a natural grace and ease, a sense of lightheartedness.

As they move through the world, every encounter is one of mutual sharing and exchange. There is a directness free from the baggage of strong emotions, projections or bias. They interact with others in a way that the chains of confusion are broken and the cycle of anger is interrupted, even if only for a moment.

So how do we carry that virtue into our lives?

Say yes to whatever is coming up.

You could be faced with a problem that you would rather not deal with. Opportunities could present themselves, do you take them or not? A stranger might ask you something, or maybe a friend. You will have to interact with someone you really don't like that much.

Don't push it away. Don't get overly excited and enraptured by it. Say yes, acknowledge it, and see where it leads.

Be willing to interact with things as they are.

Some things play themselves out, unravel and wither away. Some evolve and open up into something else altogether.

The play of interdependence is beyond the mind. We can't say for certain what will happen. Our own decisions, connections and propensities create a world that is uniquely our own. It can be challenging to carry that experience into the world around us to effect change, make a difference or to benefit others.

Simply engaging in the formless practice of all-embracing virtue,
we can meet with the world and our experience as it is,
and bring about benefit in ways that we could have never imagined.

That is how all-embracing virtue creates inconceivable benefit. 

Getting dirty in the fields.

Your boots will get muddy.  Your socks wet.  You are going to stain your jeans.  There will be dirt underneath your finger nails and you might suffer some scratches.  

Working in the fields means getting dirty. 

Your work will be the same. 

The bodhisattva knows that their time on this earth is very short.  They know that the road ahead will be long.  Knowing the truth of suffering they plunge into the fields.  Knowing liberation upon arising, they do not fear getting covered in mud.  At the end of the day, they dedicate their work for the benefit of others.  Tomorrow, they rise again. 

That is how you practice on the path. 

Unless.

Unless someone like you

cares a whole awful lot,

nothing is going to get better.

It's not.  

Dr. Seuss | THE LORAX

You show up because you care, but caring is not enough.  What you are fighting for isn't going to happen right now.  What you are protecting is going to continue to be attacked and broken apart.  What you stand for isn't going to be accepted. 

That thing you are doing, it's not going to work this time. 

Or the next.

And probably not the next time either.

But caring means you keep showing up.  You continue to stand your ground.  You continue to fall, then get back up.  You continue to fail, and fail, and fail.  Birth and death playing themselves out for eons. 

Unless someone like you cares a whole lot and relentlessly shows up, nothing is going to get better.  It's not. 

Concealed.

You are a baker.
An accountant.
A nurse or a barista.
You're a neighbor.  A friend.
You're the girl down the street. The guy with the hat.

The ordinariness of your appearance conceals your practice.

But inside, you train your mind.
You practice compassion.
You cut through bias and judgement.
You are patient, generous, and kind.
You care for others.

Your lived practice is extraordinary.

No one will ever know the impact of your practice on the lives of others.  Maybe not even you.
Yet you forge ahead for their benefit.

Our world needs more people like you.  

Willing to go.

There are dark places out there. 
Places you don't want to see,
you don't even want to hear about them. 
You don't want to experience that pain,
that suffering and defeat. 
There are stories you don't want to relive,
memories that you don't want to remember.

There are a lot of places that we wouldn't choose to go. 

Compassion makes us willing to go.

She is willing to go there with you. 
Willing to listen, to hear your story. 
She will let you cry,
let you scream in pain,
let you suffer guilt and regret. 
She will be present and hold that space.

"I'll be here with you." 
Those are powerful words,
when you are surrounded by the fires of hell
with no hope on the horizon. 

So much more work to do.

We have made great strides. 

We have overcome a lot of strong negative emotions, disrupted bad habits and eliminated mistaken bias and perception.  We have started to act with patience and generosity, applied ourselves joyfully to virtuous actions and our practice of meditation.  Our wisdom and insight has begun to blossom and we can appreciate and see the connections we have with our communities and environment. 

Our life has been impacted by our practice.  This is important work, and we have so much more work to do. 

As we continue to develop our intention to benefit all beings, the aim of our meditation is to cut through layer after layer of fixation and grasping. 

Layer after layer we eliminate our self-cherishing behavior. 
Layer after layer we shed neurosis and confusion. 
Layer after layer we become more open and vulnerable, opening our hearts and minds. 

Bodhisattvas on the path to pure and total presence progress through ten bhumis or stages in their training. 

First is Great Joy.  Having eliminated the coarse layers of self-grasping, they generously dedicate their life and energy to benefit others without suffering from regret or dissatisfaction. 

Second is Stainless, where the bodhisattva never falls back or gives up.  Their intention is stainless.   

Third is Luminous, where bodhisattvas perfect the practice of patience, willing to work for countless eons to bring benefit to others. 

Fourth is Radiant.  Having cut through layer after layer of self-grasping and fixation on negative emotions and outer circumstances, the bodhisattva works joyfully even in the worst hell realms for the benefit of others.  

All progress is made by cutting through self-grasping and fixation on whatever is coming up in our experience.

Fifth is Difficult to Conquer, which is our own mind.  Our own bias and distorted perception.  Our own wandering and confused mind is difficult to conquer. 

Sixth is Manifest.  Wisdom and insight arise naturally.  We see truly, connections are seen and insight is shared for the benefit of others.

Seventh is Gone Afar.  The bodhisattva has gone far in developing their qualities and realization, and they tirelessly work to benefit others through skillful means.  They are adaptive and teach according to the needs of beings.

Eighth is Immovable.  All negative emotions and afflictions have been purified and one is able to effortlessly and spontaneously act for the welfare of beings. 

Ninth is Perfect Intellect.  Clear, concise, direct knowing and the ability to connect and teach others in whatever way is necessary for their benefit.

Tenth is Dharma Cloud.  Taking on any form in any direction, they continually act for the welfare of all beings. 

All of this stems from the intention to benefit others.  All of this grows and progresses from cutting through our own fixation and grasping. 

Strengthen your intent.
Clarify your practice. 
Accomplish your own aims and the aims of others simultaneously. 

Throw back the fish.

The fruit of bodhicitta is the practice itself.

You must be willing to practice with no hope for signs or success.  Nothing to gain, nothing to elevate your status or ego.  No sense of accomplishing or finishing, nothing to hang onto whatsoever.

You must be willing to practice your whole day with no sense of achievement.

Then, if you do catch a fish, you must throw it back.

Dedicate whatever comes your way.  Share the fruit of your practice with others.

Blessings are not used up when shared. 

A complete practice.

As a practitioner, we all struggle to integrate our practice with our daily life.  We struggle to carry our daily practice off the cushion and into the world.  We struggle with trying to figure out how to act in the world after we no longer buy into the rat race of money, status and power.

These are problems that we try to solve as practitioners.

In order to relieve the tension we often feel between our practice and our daily life, we need to develop a complete practice.  A complete practice isn't just what you do on the cushion.  It starts with how you see the world, includes your meditation, your activity in the world and the result of your practice.

View.  Meditation. Conduct. Result.

View.  How do you see the world?  Is it possible to transform your vision?  What is your outlook and your intention?  Is your view informed by wisdom or by biased perception?  Your view can be like standing on the top of a mountain in which you can see everything below very clearly.  It can be like a vast expanse of space without border or limit.

Meditation.  Your view leads to meditation.  If you see how all things are dependently arisen, you will see subtle connections in meditation.  If you appreciate the impermanence of all phenomena you won't fixate on meditation experiences.  Meditation deepens your appreciation of the view and cuts through conceptual constraints.  Meditation is a vehicle.  It elicits your buddhanature in all its fullness- originally pure and naturally present.  As we gain confidence with this unique state, we awaken to timeless freedom and great compassion.

Conduct.  How do you carry your view and meditation into your daily life?  What does that look like?  What do you do with the freedom that you have gained?  We engage in the conduct of the bodhisattvas- we share generously, know how to work with our emotions, have patience to work through resistance and problems, and joyously persevere with a focused mind.  We carry wisdom into our homes, communities, work, life. 

Result.  Your life is your spiritual practice, the result is the path.  Every step you take.  

Never finished, yet never bound; such is the complete practice of the bodhisattvas. 

Absence of denial.

Some turn off the news,
lock their door.
Some look down at their phone,
pretend like they didn't hear.
Some busy themselves with important things,
"I'd like to but I don't have time."
Some shift the blame,
believe a conspiracy or claim no control.
Some are paralyzed by fear,
others by indifference.

A few, the rare ones, have the courage to witness, to listen, to hold the space.

The courage to be vulnerable, to be open to pain and suffering.  To stand for a moment with uncertainty and fear.  To sit with discord and irritation.  To wait, when its easier to run and hide.

Terrible things happen everyday.  There is no end to the pain and struggle.  It takes courage to hold that sadness in your hands, to feel it course through your life, and to keep practicing anyways.

As long as space remains, 

as long as sentient beings remain, 

May I too remain, 

to dispel the misery of the world.

Shantideva

Time to care.

Do you ever find yourself in a situation where you are just too busy to care.  Maybe you are dealing with a different problem and it is not convenient right now.  Maybe this is something that you should care about, but right now it is too hard.  Screw it, toss in the towel, ruin it, who gives a damn.  Right?

Do you only care when it fits your schedule, when you've had time to prepare, when it is on your terms?  Is that really caring at all?

What about when people aren't part of your tribe, your group, your religion or party?

Caring means you put aside your trip and your agenda for this person in front of you.  Caring means you are here, when you could easily be somewhere else.  Caring means you showed up.  Caring means you put in the effort, you gave something, you actually listened.

Caring is never easy, it is emotional heavy labor.  You need to muster patience, fortitude, perseverance and grit.  You need to know how to work with your own anger and aversion.  You need to be comfortable being open and receptive.

If you are looking for signs of accomplishment in your practice, look at what happens the next time you are in a situation where it is too intense to care. 

Bodhisattva.

བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས་དཔའ་
Tibetan: Jangchub Sempa
English: Bodhisattva

The Tibetan byang chub (pronounced Jangchub) means enlightened or awakened.
byang means to clear away, purify or awaken (notice the action to as opposed to the Tibetan sangs).
chub means totally or perfectly.

The Tibetan sems means mind, dpa' means heroic, courageous, or warrior.

Sempa is a courageous mind.  Courageous because it seeks enlightenment.  It seeks to purify, clear away and awaken.  Heroic because she is willing to bear the hardship of pushing through resistance, breaking through fear and doubt, and persevering amidst uncertainty.

Why?

Because they have something to share and they are sick of holding back, sick of consuming.  They are tired of hiding.  Disillusioned with indulging themselves with the mundane affairs of this world.

So they commit.  They decide.  They act.  They do it for themselves, and they do it for others.  They do it for themselves so that they can actually do it for others.

When their practice is perfected, they become Buddhas, fulfilling their own aims and benefiting others simultaneously.

When information is not enough.

We live in an age of information.  It is right at the tip of our fingers, but what do we do with it?

How do we apply it to our situation?  When do we know if it is working?

There is a certain comfort that comes with knowing where to go to get the right answer, but how do you apply that knowledge in a new context?  How does it apply to your context?  How do the facts actually benefit you? 

Information was once held by the powerful to establish hierarchy and maintain the status quo.  Now information is freely available and yet we often still feel powerless.  Why?

Knowledge and experience are two different things.  It is like reading and planning for a trip to a distant city versus actually going there.  You need to make the journey to make the knowledge real, to make it your own.  Having never stepped a foot in the direction of that which you read about, how can you proclaim to know the subtlety of its experience.

You must walk the path. 

An assignment: Emanations.

How many roles do you play in your life?

Father, mother, sister, brother, spouse.
Student, teacher, mentor, apprentice.
Leader, counselor, manager, employee.
Friend, enemy, stranger.
You in an empty house, you in a room of strangers, you at a party with friends.

Which one is you?

Could you be each aspect of you with generosity, love and kindness?
Could each aspect of you be patient, insightful and understanding?
Which aspect of you cannot be helpful?
Which aspect of you can allow forgiveness?
Which aspect of you gives rise to anger and jealousy?

Now the real question:
Can each aspect of you act for the benefit of others?
Could each emanation fulfill your own aims and the aims of others?

Skip the regalia.

Skip the romance.
Skip the awards and honors.
Skip the pretentiousness.
Skip being right and thinking your done.

Your practice is about showing up,
its about what you do when faced with problems and adversity,
and how you deal with opportunity available to you. 

Inconceivable virtue.

Practice patience in such a way that you never give up the practice of helping others.

This is not easy.

You will be tired.  You will hit a wall.  You will be frustrated and drawn out.  You will be skinned and quartered.  You will give your eyes and ears, your blood and tears.  You will give your heart.  

And you will persist.  Your practice will carry you forward free from harm.  Such a practice is inconceivable.

And it is possible. 

A world of difference.

The person seeking there own freedom and happiness is constantly at odds with the world around them.  Karma and dependent origination serve as a burden, a constant reminder of entrapment in this unceasing wheel of life.  Fear exists at every corner, constant threats are always presenting themselves and our own well being is always in a precarious position.

For the person seeking the freedom and happiness of others, everything in the world around them is an opportunity.  Karma and dependent origination reveal a deep connection with the world and all beings.  This connection allows for responsiveness- impact and growth.  There is a natural freedom and ease, because this thing that is happening, this struggle, this problem, this seeming end- it's not permanent nor lasting. 

Yes, karma and dependent origination reveal a wheel that just keeps going. 

But so do we. 

The way of the bodhisattva.

Alert.
Attentive.
Calm and composed.
Generous.
Insightful.
Responsive.
Patient.
Undaunted, persisting amidst fatigue.
Empathetic and compassionate, they think about the needs of others and strive diligently to bring them happiness and joy.  

Free from the attachment of holding some close and others distant, they wholeheartedly wish to establish all beings in health, happiness and well being.

They are like a father and mother for the world. 

Repaying our mother's kindness.

Our own mother,
fed us, clothed us, nurtured us.
She treated our ailments, soothed our wounds.
She gave to us consummate with our needs,
and gave even more consummate with our wants.
She tirelessly worked for our benefit,
even when she was not around,
she was still working for our benefit.
Our mothers have shown us incredible kindness,
a kindness that often never received a 'thank you'.
As children this may have been acceptable,
but as adults we must recognize our own mother's suffering.
We must witness her struggles, her pain and her worries.
She is often tired and alone, age slowly wearing down her strength.
Our love for our mother should fill our heart,
giving birth to a strong intention to relieve her suffering
and to bring happiness and joy to her life.
We should assist her in her health, help her with her wounds.
With a wholehearted resolve, we should generate the intention to repay her kindness.
And we should act on that intention.

Our own Mother Earth,
fed us, clothed us, nurtured us.
She has been the source of all,
giving to us consummate with our needs,
and giving even more consummate with our wants.
She has tirelessly given for our own benefit,
even when we do not recognize her influence,
still she has been there, blessing us with her bounty.
Mother Earth has shown us incredible kindness,
a kindness that often never received a 'thank you'.
As children, this may have been acceptable,
but as adults we must recognize Mother Earth's own suffering.
We must witness her breaking down, her exhaustion.
She is often neglected and abused, worn thin by our greed.
Our love for Mother Earth should fill our hearts,
giving birth to a strong intention to relieve her suffering
and to bring her a state of peace and well being.
We should assist her in her health, help heal her wounds.
With a wholehearted resolve, we should generate the intention to repay her kindness.
And we should act on that intention.

Our own herds of cattle and oceans of fish,
fed us, clothed us, nurtured us.
They have been the source of so much for our benefit,
giving to us consummate with our needs,
and giving even more consummate with our wants.
They have tirelessly given for our benefit,
even when we do not recognize their influence,
still they are there working for our benefit.
All these cattle and fish have shown us incredible kindness,
a kindness that often never received a 'thank you'.
As children, this may have been acceptable,
but as adults we must recognize animals own suffering.
We must witness them breaking down in exhaustion.
They are often neglected and abused, overly fed by our greed.
Love for these animals should fill our hearts,
giving birth to a strong intention to relieve their suffering
and bring them to a state of peace and well being.
We should assist them in achieving a state of health,
help to heal the wounds of the system.
With a wholehearted resolve, we should generate the intention to repay their kindness.
And we should act on that intention.

Our own communities,
fed us, clothed us, nurtured us.
They have been the source of all our benefit,
giving to us consummate with our needs,
and giving even more consummate with our wants.
They have tireless given for our benefit,
even when we do not recognize their influence,
still they are there working for our benefit.
These communities have shown us incredible kindness,
a kindness that often never received a 'thank you'.
As children, this may have been acceptable,
but as adults we must recognize the communities own suffering.
We must witness it breaking down and being abused.
It is often neglected and spread thin by our selfish greed.
Love for our communities should fill our hearts,
giving birth to a strong intention to relieve its suffering
and bringing it to a state of peace and well being.
We should assist in bringing it to a state of health,
helping to heal its wounds and increasing its bounty.
With a wholehearted resolve, we should generate the intention to repay its kindness.
And we should act on that intention.

We, as a society, have acted like children for far too long.  We have taken all that we have wanted and never felt compelled to give back.  Now is the time to recognize the gifts that we have been given, to respect those who have been the source of these gifts, and to start repaying their kindness with our own gifts.  Now is the time to act. 

Time to get to work.