Living according to the Bodhisattva Vow, to awaken for the benefit of all beings, is an endlessly demanding and mysterious undertaking. We may understand the meaning of this vow in such a way that it seems out of proportion with our small, immediate life. When there is so much suffering worldwide, how can we but wonder about how any individual efforts of our own can possibly bring comfort and ease into the wide world?
But it is only here in our individual efforts that we harness the wisdom of the non-dual nature of all of life to every action that we take. Understanding that the more fully we intend to function with care and skill, the more we are able to uphold the wisdom way. Whatever we manifest in our individual practice dives deeply into the wide open present moment, which has universal effect. Our actions and the state of mind that underlie our actions are our first responsibility.
We are urged to approach the Bodhisattva Vow without evaluating and judging our contribution, and to do whatever comes to mind, whatever we can do to help out. Whether it’s helping with the vaccination effort, contributing to the food bank, providing respite for an overwhelmed parent that you know, serving on the local school board, helping a child learn to read, or challenging hate speech — all are possible ways to bring the heart of compassion into our shared life. Every day, you and I are faced with how to bring the freedom and wisdom we realize in our practice beyond ourselves, into the world.
Mushin