Letting Go - 7 - Becoming a Bodhisattva starts with Forgiveness

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It seemed ironic.  On Monday, I returned to the book we have been discussing entitled, Letting Go of the Person you Used to Be, by Lama Surya Das, and I realized that I had skipped chapter 7.  It is entitled “Being Heroic in the Face of Loss”, and after the tragedies this last week in Boston, it seemed the perfect topic for us to reflect upon today.  It is understandable to become scared or angry in the face of what appears to be random violence.  “Why me?” might be the question asked by those innocent bystanders hurt, “Why him?” might be asked by the family of that young MIT police officer who was killed, or “Why them?” might be asked by the parents and family of the suspected bombers.  It would be understandable that fear and anger and grief and sadness would arise from the mere attempt to understand these senseless acts.

So, what can we do about it?  We can’t change the past, we can’t re-attach healthy limbs that were blown away. We can’t bring back to lives of those killed.   What can WE do about it?

In certain traditions in Buddhism, there arose a teaching about what we can do about it ALL, how we can be a spiritual hero to ourselves and to the world. Practicing Buddhism is a clarion call to find that innate courage and strength that exists within every single one of us to rise above fear and anger, and find a higher purpose, a greater calling, a more skillful response.  We are called upon, each one of us, to be a Bodhisattva,

A Bodhisattva is translated in Sanskrit as heroic one, or in Pali, wisdom being, one who, motivated by great compassion, has a spontaneous wish to become a Buddha for the benefit of all sentient beings, and who becomes dedicated to their ultimate welfare. This compassionate intention is called bodhicitta, or awakened heart-mind.

The term Bodhisattva was written down in the Pāli Canon, which were the original writings of what the Buddha said, where is it is said that he referred to himself as a Bodhisattva, both in his previous lives and as a young man in his current life, prior to his enlightenment, when he was working towards awakening.   He is said to have recounted his experiences as a young aspirant, using the phrase "When I was an unenlightened Bodhisattva..." The term describes a person whose aim is to become fully enlightened, fully awake in each moment.  AND, there is an additional component of being a Bodhisattva—not only do we commit to working diligently for our own awakening, but we support, encourage and motivate ALL sentient beings to become awakened.  In fact, we agree to return to this earthly plane again and again in order to help others. 

Lama Surya Das emphasizes that a Bodhisattva flies on the wings of compassion and wisdom—these two virtues that go hand in hand.  And we can commit to helping others, without regard for reward.   A Bodhisattva brings out the best in everyone!

In the Buddhist tradition, once a person has taken their Refuge Vows, which is the first step on this specific spiritual path, one then reflects on going further, deeper, to taking the Bodhisattva vows. These vows recognize the seeming futility of helping all people, but nonetheless encourages us to strive on, to at least try, to be encouraged, to consider how we might achieve this lofty goal.

The Bodhisattva vows are written and said in several different ways but here is one version:

Sentient beings are numberless—I vow to liberate them.

Delusions are inexhaustible—I vow to transcend them.

Dharma teachings are boundless—I vow to master them.

The Buddha’s enlightened way is unsurpassable—I vow to embody it.

These are the vows, the commitments, that we can wake up each morning and recommit to.  These vows can be a beacon for us, shining the light on compassionate and wise action. 

Each of us can aspire to be a spiritual hero.  You too can be a Bodhisattva!  Most of us, we may never be the kind of hero who is a “first responder” (unless you want to be or have been, or are one already!  Thanks to Angela and Ray for their courage!) But, each of us does have the power to be courageous in the face of whatever tragedies strike our lives or the lives of those around us, or even the lives of others in the world whom we might endeavor to help in some way.

You might be thinking, “I have enough troubles in my own life without trying to help somebody else!”  There are very tragic things that can happen in any person’s life:  we get sick, those that we love get sick and die, our relationships fall apart, people we love disappoint us or drain us, or we sometimes disappoint ourselves.  There are a myriad of tragedies that happen every day.  Regardless, WE ALWAYS HAVE A CHOICE HOW TO RESPOND.  If you’re taking care of someone who has a long-term or terminal illness, your Bodhisattva vows may be tested every day.  You yourself may have some chronic illness that wears you down—I can’t even imagine the challenges that would present.  Or, in the future, many of us may have a chronic illness that will test our resolve.  And yet, we can still all aspire to this lofty aim.  “May I respond always in ways that are compassionate and wise, in ways that lift myself and others up to a higher spiritual level, without regard to reward.”

Start wherever you are. If you are despondent and scared or angry and resentful, start here now.  If you are sad or grieving or anxious or suffering, start here now.  If those that you love are suffering, start here now.

Regardless of what life throws at us, these vows can lift us up, encourage us and guide us through the difficult times as well as help us lift others up and guide others.

I also think that forgiveness is a key component of being a Bodhisattva.  Sometimes forgiveness is where we must start in order to see ourselves and the situation more clearly.  We may need to forgive ourselves and others, and perhaps we need to ask for forgiveness, in order to reclaim our power to begin again. 

Jack Kornfield, a brilliant Vipassana teacher says, "Forgiveness is not concerned with changing past events, it’s about changing you so that the future will be transformed"   Mother Theresa encouraged us to not worry about the number of people that we are helping, but rather to simply start with the people nearest to us—perhaps that might even be yourself.  Just like they say before the airplane takes off, sometimes you need to put the air mask on yourself before attempting to help another who might need help.

We all can be a Bodhisattva, a peace-making warrior,  and Future Buddha of America!  We’ll create a heartfelt group, the FBA!