The Second Ground Bodhisattva must steadfastly pursue Buddhahood. They should take the Buddha’s path as their guiding principle, bringing forth the compassionate vow to awaken and liberate all beings. Essentially, seek Buddhahood above while guiding and awakening living beings below, continuing to benefit both themselves and others through the ten wholesome kinds of actions. I urge you to revisit and earnestly study these ten wholesome kinds of actions. To follow in the footsteps of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, one must first master these ten wholesome kinds of actions (in body, speech and mind).
Utilise your inherently pure and luminous mind, endowed with integrity, gentleness, pure kindness, and clarity, to resolve and subdue the karmic obstacles within your mind. Everyone has karmic obstacles, and it’s up to us to tame and reconcile them. For example, if you’re fined today, think: “It’s my own fault. I’ve been fined several times for illegal parking. It’s no surprise that the police caught me this time. From now on, I must be more careful and avoid illegal parking” – that’s reconciliation. Subdue the anger within; is there not resentment when you’re fined? Subduing your mind means reconciling your mind, relieving it of anger, managing the stress within yourself.
The Second Ground Bodhisattva embodies subjugation, gentleness, integrity, and tranquility. Tranquility means being calm in every situation. Only by achieving tranquility can you qualify as a Bodhisattva. Without finding peace in all circumstances, one cannot be a Bodhisattva. Additionally, being magnanimous is essential. Once tranquility is achieved, your heart should become expansive and limitless, embracing everything like the ocean. This is encapsulated in the saying, “The ocean accepts all rivers.” In this way, even the most polluted river becomes purified upon merging with the ocean, as reflected in the adage, “All rivers flow into the sea.” Reflect on this, those who are present: do you recognise your faults? As your Master, if I refrain from sternly correcting your errors, I too am at fault. In sternly correcting you, I am effectively purifying you, enabling you to embody the ocean that welcomes all rivers – this ocean being the sea of the Buddha.
You must be deeply aware of the ten unwholesome kinds of actions (I have spoken of the ten wholesome and unwholesome kinds of actions before). The ten unwholesome kinds of actions can lead sentient beings to fall into the three lower realms: animals, hungry ghosts, and Hell. Falling into these realms is tragic and hard to escape, entailing endless suffering. Those in the three lower realms are also known as the beings in the sea of suffering of Saṃsāra. We must have sympathy, feeling compassion for them. I am also showing compassion for them now, teaching you to elevate your deceased relatives to higher realms, to Heaven, to the Asura Realm, or back to the Human Realm. Is this not rescuing sentient beings? We must save not only humans but also ghosts, who are pitiable. They create disturbances and beg from you, all in hopes of ascending. Do not fear; there’s nothing to be afraid of. Save and assist them properly. In reality, as soon as a person leaves the physical body, they become a ghost. Only your spirit can ascend. Above the Human Realm is the Asura Realm, and above that, the Realm of Heavenly Beings, yet they are still within the cycle of the six realms of existence.
The Second Ground Bodhisattva must bring forth a mind of benefit, a mind of joy, a mind of compassion, a mind of sympathy, a mind of acceptance, a mind guardianship, and a mind of edification. These are the qualities that a Second Ground Bodhisattva must embody. Strictly demand of yourself to benefit sentient beings, do good for all in every action – this is the mind of benefit. A mind of joy entails making every action beneficial and joyful for both yourself and others. Compassion involves feeling empathy for everyone you encounter. Sympathy and compassion have distinct nuances; sympathy is about feeling pity for someone in a specific situation, cultivating a sympathetic heart. Yet, compassion is more encompassing, including within it the essence of sympathy. A mind of acceptance means concentrating your mind to endure pressure. The mind of guardianship is about protecting this path, this Dharma Door. Since you have learned this Dharma Door, this path, from me, you must guard it. A mind of edification means educating and transforming sentient beings. “With every thought and intention, I aspire to become a practitioner dedicated to educating sentient beings. My heart and thoughts are entirely focused on helping others, educating them to become Bodhisattvas.” In this way, you can become a Bodhisattva yourself. This is akin to a teacher in a teacher training school hoping to nurture every student into becoming a teacher.
Educate sentient beings to engage genuinely in good deeds. Earnestly benefit sentient beings, meaning to help and benefit them sincerely and urgently. For instance, as your Master, I sincerely help you, my disciples. Even if I offend you, I have no regrets because I am accountable to Guan Yin Bodhisattva. Even if you leave me or ignore me, I will still correct you. Failing to point out your faults would mean I am not fulfilling my role as a true teacher. Always remember, even when I point out your faults, it is to help you recognise and change your past bad habits and eliminate karmic obstacles. Otherwise, what’s the point of learning Buddhism with me? Use the purest and cleanest mind to nurture, fortify, and broaden your great vow to transform sentient beings. You must guide and transform sentient beings, rescuing them, for without doing so, you cannot reach the realm of Bodhisattvas.
The most pitiable thing in the world is a lack of understanding of compassion. Those who are unable to show compassion to sentient beings are, indeed, the most pitiable in the world. Recognise that troubles stem from unreasonable desires. Unreasonable desires inevitably lead to difficulties; persisting in the impossible only invites more trouble. And isn’t pursuing someone who has no affection for you merely adding to your own troubles?
Consequently, all phenomena in this world are our prisons. The phenomena you perceive are essentially the chains that bind you, your self-made prisons. When you become attached to something you see, you are essentially entering a prison of your own making. For example, if you start smoking after seeing others do it, you’ll find it hard to quit once you become addicted. Similarly, if you go to a casino and win a few hundred dollars, you enter its prison, becoming its slave; once in, it’s hard to escape.
Being born human and then engaging in evil acts is akin to a clean jewel immersed in filth, emerging as foul and unbearable. The Buddha says, “A human life is hard to attain.” Being human is not easy; after becoming human and then engaging in evil acts, you are the most foolish person in the world.
I will conclude today’s teachings here. Next time, I will continue with the discussion of the Dharma powers and functions (energies) of the Second Ground Bodhisattva.