THE POWER OF VOWS STEMS FROM A HEART OF COMPASSION
Caller: Hi Master, is the power of vows central to one’s Buddhist practice? Is it correct to say that one who leverages their power of vows to perform recitation and mind cultivation can eliminate their karmic obstacles, making it easy to be awakened to the truth? Where does the power of vows originate? How do we enhance our power of vows?
Master Jun Hong Lu: First and foremost, the answer to your first question is yes. It goes without saying that the power of vows is of utmost importance when it comes to practising the dharma. A strong power of vows can overcome an infinite amount of karmic obstacles, including those that stem from the mind. A vow is actually a type of powerful energy.
Are you asking where the power of vows originates? It stems from compassion. When a person is immensely compassionate towards sentient beings and understands the importance of living with a compassionate heart in society, he will begin to derive the power from his vows.
When you sympathise with others, you will feel the urge to help them in a more meaningful way. When you perceive the suffering of all mothers in the world, a strong aspiration emerges from within that goes along the lines of: “I must make a good living to take care of my mum. She is broke and pitiful, having to go through so much hardship in life and yet she is always there for us”. With such power of vows, you will tell yourself, “I must take good care of mum so that she gets to enjoy life and taste happiness in life”. Is this not the power of vows?
How does the power of vows of a Bodhisattva arise? The Bodhisattvas see the pain and suffering in this mortal world through each person who comes to Them for guidance, crying and begging; Bodhisattvas’ power of vows arises from the sadness and compassion They feel for sentient beings.
Source: Wenda20141212 06:02, Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program
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