The 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva

(Rgyal-sras lag-len so-bdun-ma)
By Thogme Zangpo

I pay heartfelt homage to you, Lokesvara; You have true compassion extending to all. To those who in every coming and going have seen that each thing is inherently void, and thus can devote both their time and their efforts with one aim in mind - "Let me benefit all!"

To such foremost Gurus and you, Lokesvara, All- seeing protector, with utmost respect I bow down before you in constant obeisance, and turn to your service my thoughts, words and deeds.

The Fully Enlightened Victorious Buddhas, from whom all true pleasure and benefits derive, have reached their attainment by following Dharma and leading their lives through this noblest of paths. To live by the Dharma depends on full knowledge of how we must practise and what we must do, thus I´ll attempt now a brief explanation of what is the practise of all Buddhas` Sons.

(1)
This sound human body endowed with full leisure and excellent vessel is rare to be found. Since now we have obtained one in no way deficient, let`s work night and day without veering off course to take a cross the ocean and free from samsara not only ourselves but all others as well. First listen, think hard, then do much meditation - the Sons of the Buddhas all practise this way.

(2)
Remaining too long in one place our attraction to loved ones upsets us, we are tossed in its wake. The flames of our anger towards thus who annoy us consume what good merit we have gained in the past. The darkness of closed-minded thought dims our outlook, we loose vivid sight of what is right and what is wrong. We must give up our home and set forth from our country - the Sons of the Buddhas all practise this way.

(3)
Withdrawing completely from things that excite us, our mental disturbances slowly decline. And ridding our mind of directionless wandering, attention on virtue will surely increase. As wisdom shines clearer, the world comes in focus, our confidence grows in the Dharma we have learned. Live all alone far away in seclusion - the Sons of the Buddhas all practise this way.

Compassion

As Kalu Rinpoche (d. 1989) said in Luminous Mind:

Compassion, Kindness, and Love together form the essential Mahayana attitude. Their foundation is a non self-cherishing frame of mind oriented towards others, aspiring to the well-being and happiness of all other beings, whether human or non-human, friends or enemies.

There are 3 kinds of compassion:

·         1. Compassion with reference to beings.

It arises when we perceive the suffering of others. It is the first kind of compassion to arise, and causes us to strive deeply to do everything we can to help all those who suffer. It emerges when we perceive the pain and sufferings or others.

This form of compassion is marked by our no longer being able to remain unmoved by the suffering of beings and by aspiring to do everything possible to help alleviate their suffering.

·         2. Compassion with reference to reality. 

It arises when we have a genuine experience of the power of ignorance; when we actually perceive how beings create their own suffering. This compassion occurs when we really see how others strive to be happy and avoid suffering but how, not understanding the causes of happiness nor the means of avoiding suffering, they produce more causes of suffering and have no idea how to cultivate the causes of happiness. They are blinded by their ignorance, their motivations and actions contradict one another.

Through understanding the illusory nature of reality, genuine perception of this situation beings forth this 2nd type of compassion, which is more intense and profound than the1st kind.

·         3. Compassion without reference.

It retains no notion of subject, object, or intention.  It is the ultimate form of a Buddha's or great Bodhisattva's compassion and depends upon the realization of emptiness. There is no longer any reference to a 'me' or 'other'.

This compassion opens naturally and spontaneous.

It is important to be familiar with these 3 types of compassion; to understand their order, and to being to work at the first level, which is the most accessible to us.

Clear understanding extends our radiance towards all, without distraction, while incomplete understanding limits us to those touched by misery. In fact, we easily have compassion for the poor, but we think the rich, the powerful and those who appear happy need not be objects of compassion.

Right Compassion is directed toward all beings, including the rich and powerful.

Like all beings, they have been our mothers and fathers in past lives; each has his or her suffering. Their present situation, their wealth or power, results from previous positive karma, but they are no less marked by a strong sense of ego and by many afflictions.

It has been said by Buddha Shakyamuni,  "Desire is wealth's companion. Harmful actions are the companions of the powerful."

Desire and Harmful actions lead them to lower realms and consequent suffering, so these people should be special objects of our compassion.

At first, we try through meditation to engender compassion and cultivate the wish to help a person toward whom it is easy to feel this way.  Afterward, we expand this attitude of love-kindness to others, to everyone we meet in out daily life, then little by little, to all humans and nonhumans, and finally, even toward those for whom it is most difficult, our enemies and those who hate us, without exception.