In what ways have Buddhists responded to the apparent impossibility of saving all sentient beings?
Upvote:1
The short answer?
You actually save all the beings in your heart. The hell within. Your demons within of anger, craving, delusion. When they are saved you are left with enlightenment.
Upvote:2
From the Mahayana viewpoint, the mind of enlightenment is the wish to achieve buddhahood in order to benefit all sentient beings. It is true we also often say "to set them in enlightenment" as well.
The omniscient mind of a buddha gives birth to the teachings of the buddha in that it causes him to teach us the Dharma. We say that the teachings of the buddha emanate from his omniscient mind (the wisdom truth body part of the dharmakaya). In a way, he teaches all of us but some do not have the ears to listen to him. This is merely an analogy. The meaning is that not all sentient beings have the karma to listen to the Buddha dharma but his enlightened deeds (in particular his teachings) pervade all sentient beings, just like the rays of the sun illuminate indiscriminately. However, the deeds of a buddha do not engage with all sentient beings, they are capable of doing so.
In his Commentary to Maitreya/Asanga's Great Vehicle Treatise on the Sublime Continuum (mahayanottaratantra-ratnagotravibhanga) Gyaltsab Je says:
These three can be illustrated: meditating on the path of utilizing the basic element results in the attainment of the dharmakaya of a perfect buddha whose enlightened deeds emanate and pervade to all sentient beings. These enlightened deeds of the dharmakaya are capable of engaging with sentient beings and exist exclusively for the mind streams of sentient beings. Because of this it is said that all sentient beings possess tathagata essence. This is similar in meaning to the Abhisamayalamkara when it says, "Because enlightened deeds are vast, it said that the buddha is all pervasive."
And
Illustrating the teachings of conventional and ultimate truth with similes gives further explanation of the term "emanate" in the line, "The perfect buddha body emanates. " This is because "dharmakaya emanates" means "dharmakaya pervades," which in turn refers to being pervaded by enlightened deeds, and enlightened deeds engage with all sentient beings by way of the speech of the tathagatas teaching the dharma to various disciples. The capability of the enlightened deeds to engage with sentient beings is always present and this is the meaning of "pervaded by the dharmakaya.
Additionally, according to Mahayana tenets, the continuum of a buddha is not severed. His enlightened deeds will not stop as long as one being remains in samsara.
Upvote:2
This is Hui Neng's (the Sixth Zen Patriarch) interpretation of the first of the Bodhisatta's Four Vows:
Learned Audience, all of us have now declared that we vow to deliver an infinite number of sentient beings; but what does that mean? It does not mean that I, Hui Neng, am going to deliver them. And who are these sentient beings within our mind? They are the delusive mind, the deceitful mind, the evil mind, and such like minds-all these are sentient beings.
From 'The Platform Sutra': http://zen.thetao.info/read/platform.htm
More post
- π Is a straight spine/spinal posture during seated meditation critical?
- π Meditation - how to breathe naturally?
- π How do I practise Vipassana and Samatha through Anapanasati?
- π Meditation on floor vs bed
- π Does Dhp 256-257 condone judging others?
- π Can a lay person become an Arahant according to the Suttas?
- π Earth covered with water in the beginning?
- π What is the, "Counterfeit Law" as referenced in Lotus Sutra
- π How to practice βIn the seen will be merely what is seenβ
- π When we do any moral act on the basis of greed, we get merit or sin
- π What is the "sensual desire" fetter?
- π Why should one not address a venerable as friend?
- π The One With the Brahmin Heckler
- π Possible to intentionally kill without "intention"?
- π Passion or Meditation
- π Is it wrong-view to think there might be more than 5 aggregates?
- π What does Buddhism say about success?
- π How to deal with suffering and losing faith?
- π "Marks of Existence" and "Gates To Enlightenment", are they Same?
- π Buddha dealing with pain
- π "The Blessed One", is it bad translation?
- π Contradictions from Monks regarding Precepts vs Commandments and punishment
- π What is papaΓ±ca?
- π How can I change my perception to overcome reification?
- π How are the importance of sutras determined?
- π Why do I experience a second, floating body when body scanning?
- π What must be done before rebirth in the hell realms becomes inevitable?
- π How to make sense of the Heart Sutra
- π Are Samskara in PratΔ«tyasamutpΔda a cohesive collection of memories or imprints?
- π How to talk to a friend about "lack of control" in what happens to her son?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- π In what ways have Buddhists responded to the apparent impossibility of saving all sentient beings?
- π What are the ways to be conscious in all situations?
- π how many meditations have the word 'sati' in there? what are all the practices that are "great fruit, great benefit"?
- π Have any Buddhist thinkers responded to the critique of the Brahma Sutras?
- π What do buddhists do in a situation of war where all able-bodied men must become soldiers?
- π What would Buddhists do to get rid of the feeling of insecurity in relationships?
- π What are any and all of the exceptions to eating after noon if you've taken 8 precepts?
- π Have all human beings got the capacity for compassion?
- π Who are the Buddhas Yet to Come and what Information do we have about them as per Theravada standpoint?
- π What are all the bhawana (meditation) methods in Buddhism?
- π What are the most common ways to enable keyboards to type Pali characters in 2021?
- π What was the 1st attempt to have a Theravada monastery in the West?
- π What do Buddhists religious texts say about the environment?
- π What is the attitude of Buddhists to "repulsive animals"?
- π For what reason did the Dali Lama's traditional daily schedule have washing before meditation?
- π What interaction did the Buddha have with his family after leaving?
- π What is the meaning of "Nothing new will be said here, nor have I any skill in composition. Therefore I do not imagine that I can benefit others."
- π What Changes have Happened to the Pali Canon?
- π In what ways you advance on the path ?
- π In what ways are the Advaita concept of 'Nirguna Brahman' and the Buddhist concept of Buddha Nature similar and different?
- π Are monks allowed to have prescriptions? What did the Buddha say of medicine?
- π What are some of the ways to practice confidence/ self-confidence?
- π Buddha saying he doesn't have to follow all the rules?
- π What are the different ways of protecting one's practice?
- π What do ethical conduct (sila) and compassion have to do with the cessation of dukkha?
- π In what ways the Way removes the craving?
- π What is meant by the impossibility "A Buddha can not help someone not related to him"?
- π What is the common understanding of all enlightened people?
- π What is the last reward in AN 6:103 ("The Teacher will have been served with goodwill.")?
- π What would you say about being overly optimistic or overly pessimistic about the ways of approaching the path?