|
Hi,
Where I live is the centre of Europe - beautiful country where everything is magnificent. You can imagine wonderful chocolate, bear and well-known statue of the Manneken Pis. Of course you know that it is called Belgium.
I am reading one book called The Bodhi Tree. It is nice, because it talks about Buddha's compassion which is like a tree. It is not any kind of tree, but it is medicinal and wish-fulfilling tree. Whoever comes across this tree, impartially receives a lot of benefit. It is medicinal tree which can cure all illnesses of dualistic conceptual turmoil.
The conceptual turmoil is totally self-oriented. It is always concerned about one's ego, pride, rivalry, jealousy, hatred and improper conceptual wondering. In such case our minds become partial and are related to the activities of wacky entertainments, which are endless and meaningless.
If we carry these two: dualistic thought and wacky activities, they become more or less the cause of life in turmoil. How can we have successful and happy life in such situation? We can have it only through the impartial, compassionate mind of the Buddhas, which is the Bodhi Tree.
This mind of the bodhi tree always produces medicinal branches of compassion, leaves of understanding, flowers of loving kindness and fruit of realization, which understands the truth. Whoever of transmigrating beings applies them, all their problems become pacified, such those of unkindness, lack of satisfaction, lack of understanding of others conditions and ignorance about the advantages of precious human existence, which all come from turmoil of improper thoughts and activity.
Besides that, if we have the mind of bodhi tree, which is impartial compassion, then through impartially we are able to deal with our lives within that turmoil. We are able to make our lives successful and happy. We are able to do so, because from the perspective of impartial compassion, this turmoil is the great supporter to our happiness. This turmoil situation is our condition, our base, source and cause of everything. There is no need to abandon turmoil, because turmoil is not turmoil. Turmoil becomes the manual of the Bodhi Tree. It gives great condition and chance for mind of the bodhi tree to develop.
In the Bodhi Tree it is said:
The mind that wants its own happiness makes samsara's cycle.
The mind that wants others' happiness causes nirvana.
This supreme mind bodhi-tree mind
is the natural state that exchanges happiness for suffering.
When we see such disaster and suffering in this world, by cultivating the mind of bodhi tree we lose the ideas of self-importance and compassionate love to others awakens in us naturally.
Anyway, if we realize the true nature of phenomena, then all differentiations of samsara and nirvana, good and bad, suffering and happiness - all become the quintessential equanimity. In these situations there is no need to fear for such sufferings. What is the difference between happiness and suffering from the perspective of the natural state of bodhi tree mind? There is absolutely no difference, because both of them: happiness and suffering are the manifestation or movement of natural state.
If someone understands the natural state of bodhi tree, he becomes himself completely free from fear of the suffering, because the nature of suffering is the nature of the bodhi tree.
Buddha said:
Once you understand true nature of reality,
then the great equanimity of samsara and nirvana
becomes of one taste.
Oh, truth!
The true nature and reality!
Something is spontaneously present, which is awaken.
Inherent treasure which is the mind of primordial wisdom.
Non-born and deathless.
Non-arising and ceaseless.
How wonderful when you understands that.
You are the great realizer of truth, you are enlightened one.
You do not need to strive for happiness
and you do not need to abandon suffering,
because both are great qualities or ornaments of the natural state.
Through our realization, we want to give our inexhaustible happiness
to those tormented by suffering.
With this experience born in your mind
you become the great hero, the giver of happiness to others,
and not the killer of others.
Oh, the mind of awakening enhanced with my mind!
My mind full of joy - how can I lose it?
Limitless aspirations
that want others to be happy,
which is wonderful mind.
May I never be separated from this wonderful mind
through all my lifetimes.
Anyway, the teaching of Bodhi Tree is inconceivable.
When I read it, how can I stop it?
Are you reading this kind of book?
Really?
All the best
from Patrul Rinpoche
|
