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| Poster: A Buddhist Reply Post Message Date: Fri May 24 14:23:25 2002 |
| Subject: Is wanting to reach enlightment a realistic goal? |
| Post No: 887 Reply to: 883 |
You said ‘I keep on hearing people said that "...chung sinh la` pha^t se~ tha`nh". Is that realistic? We have a better odd of becoming a doctor, rocket scientist, or president, but no one can confidently proclaim that we will all be doctors or presidents…’ You also said ‘Would it be more honest to say that everyone has potential to become Buddha but most will not with the live that we are living?’ Let me answer your questions: 1) Statistically it is not realistic (for the time being only) for “Chu’ng sinh la` Pha^.t se~ tha`nh” 2) It is no need to say that everyone has potential to become Buddha but most will not with the live that we are living. If something is true then there is no need to say so. You know that we live in a world that is changing all the time. What seemed to be impossible in the past is possible today. Look at things around us: advanced technology in computer, space exploration, medicines that prolong life, animal and human cloning,…What unrealistic today can be realistic tomorrow or vice versa. Supposed a Buddhist monk were to be asked the question 2500+ years ago “Is it easier to become an Arhat or go to the moon?” then what you think his answer would be. He probably said “It’s easier to become an Arhat” because he looked around and saw Shariputra and Maudgalyana. “Chu’ng sinh la` Pha^.t se~ tha`nh” can become a reality. Attain enlightenment is a goal everyone should aim for whether it’s realistic or not because on the way toward the goal we already accomplish something. As a Buddhist we don’t look at the result, we only look at the process or actions that lead to the result because we believe in “cause and effect.” We don’t worry about how enlightenment is like, we only pay attention to what we need to do to achieve it: do good for others, cultivate boddhicitta, make bodhisattva vows, purify our mind, pray to Buddhas,…Once we fulfill the tasks, enlightenment is attained automatically; we can’t even stop it. Since we don’t pay attention to whether enlightenment is realistic or not, we do not feel like wasting our time or being a failure, and that helps us become whoever we want to be. Our mind makes Nirvana realistic. Examine the following Bodhisattva vows: Sentient beings are innumerable; I vow to save them all. … On the surface, it seems contradictory because how do you save the “innumerable.” Remember Bodhisattvas only save, they don’t count because they have patience (one of 6 paramitas.) It’s realistic if we don’t count (because no such thing is innumerable if we don’t count.) |