Universal Vantage

Yutang Lin

 

Buddhist practitioners are used to develop their aspirations from personal point of views, and hence the Bodhi Vows they formulate are often within the category of wishes such as ″I″ wish to escape from transmigration in Samsara, ″I″ wish to gain rebirth in Pureland, and ″I″ wish to attain Full Enlightenment so as to be able to enlighten all sentient beings. However, the fundamental teaching in Buddhism is that all are without ″self″; then, aren′t those ordinary Bodhi Vows deviated from the correct path?

Usually, people aspire to walk on the Bodhi path only after they have realized that there is much suffering in the world, and hence they seek to find a path toward liberation. Thus, it is inevitable that one′s aspirations stem from personal escape from suffering and personal attainment of happiness. Nevertheless, Dharma teachings have their sources in observation on phenomena of all sentient beings′ transmigration in Samsara, and thereby point out the orders and sequences of causal connections of universal entanglements or disentanglements. Therefore, Dharma teachings are universal truths that apply to all sentient beings, and their vantage is beyond any partial and limited views.

Once we comprehended this fundamental character of Dharma teachings, when we develop our Bodhi Vows, we had better have them cover and reach all sentient beings. However, the vantage that is beyond any partial and limited views cannot be attained by merely grasping the idea in theory; only through wholehearted devotion in Dharma practices will its attainment be gradually realized. Nevertheless, during the course of our Dharma practices, we may constantly remind ourselves, not to be confined and limited by our own views and comprehension but to observe from the vantage that is reaching all sentient beings. Thus, it will become hopeful that we may sooner emerge from the bondage of views and comprehensions.

 

Written in Chinese and translated into English on November 3, 2018
El Cerrito, California