Originally posted by Bodhi hut:
大悲咒...is in 梵文..the chinese one u see is for people who do not read hanyu pinyin...大悲咒..is the long mantra for om ma ni ped me hum...and it is related to 观音 Kwan yin..or in tibetan buddhism �密 Chenrezig/Avalokitesvara ..it can be consider 观音法门...before you read 大悲咒, there are quite a number of short mantra you need to recite before reciting 大悲咒, that is the correct way...I recite this mantra very very often...大悲咒 has 大悲咒手� too...I have a online video clip on the benefit of reciting 大悲咒...in my forum..i will paste the links on this mantra here...i seen you have joined...you may understand more on this..
There are many mantras around..but you need a master to impart you..meaning you have to go through the 密宗。。�顶..as in 密宗vajrayana, you need a good master to teach you, self learning may go to the wrong way..currently i am learning from a master..密宗vajrayana practise are focusing on three elements..身,�,�。。。and the top practise is 瑜�三修法。。 i hava a very good article on buddhism..if you want to read..PM me your email address i send to you...it covers many aspect..but in chinese 28pages..
大悲咒
http://bodhihut.17.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=22
大悲咒手� The Great Compassion mudra
http://bodhihut.17.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=779
大悲咒修�法与功德利益
http://bodhihut.17.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?p=1913#1913
大悲咒功德利益 Video Clip - 海涛法师
http://bodhihut.17.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=829
Not all mantras require initiations, i.e. those from the sutras requires no initiation. Those from the tantras may require initiation.
Originally posted by sEphIrOth:what is tantra or vajrayana if i may ask?
Vajrayana is a school emphasizing on esoteric methods of practice and heavily emphasizes the use of mantras and visualization.
The only sutra I'm skilled at is Kama Sutra
Found this from another forum.
Whether walking, standing,
sitting, or lying down,
it flexes & stretches:
this is the body's movement.
Joined together with tendons & bones,
plastered over with muscle & skin,
hidden by complexion,
the body isn't seen
for what it is:
filled with intestines, filled with stomach,
with the lump of the liver,
bladder, lungs, heart,
kidneys, spleen,
mucus, sweat, saliva, fat,
blood, synovial fluid, bile, & oil.
On top of that,
in nine streams,
filth is always flowing from it:
from the eyes : eye secretions,
from the ears : ear secretions,
from the nose : mucus,
from the mouth : now vomit,
now phlegm,
now bile.
from the body : beads of sweat.
And on top of that,
its hollow head is filled with brains.
The fool, beset by ignorance,
thinks it beautiful.
But when it lies dead,
swollen, livid,
cast away in a charnel ground,
even relatives don't care for it.
Dogs feed on it,
jackals, wolves, & worms.
Crows & vultures feed on it,
along with any other animals there.
Having heard the Awakened One's words,
the discerning monk
comprehends, for he sees it
for what it is:
"As this is, so is that.
As that, so this."
Within & without,
he should let desire for the body
fade away.
With desire & passion faded away,
the discerning monk arrives here:
at the deathless,
the calm,
the undying state
of Unbinding.
This two-footed, filthy, evil-smelling,
filled-with-various-carcasses,
oozing-out-here-&-there body:
Whoever would think,
on the basis of a body like this,
to exalt himself or disparage another:
What is that
if not blindness?
The fact is that Buddha did not have a problem with sex, he saw it for what it is.
Originally posted by An Eternal Now:Not all mantras require initiations, i.e. those from the sutras requires no initiation. Those from the tantras may require initiation.
if you are practising �密..it is strongly advice to get a Guru Master to teach you...As 密宗 have �密 and China 密宗..and Japanese 密宗..
The use of mantra can be very powerful..but i felt that..the experience of reciting the mantra will be very different when one under go �顶...
As my Shifu told me that 密宗 is call 密宗 because it is 秘密..so must be imparted..so those mantra can recite..but if you add 手� then better dun anyhow do..
Originally posted by Bodhi hut:
if you are practising �密..it is strongly advice to get a Guru Master to teach you...As 密宗 have �密 and China 密宗..and Japanese 密宗..The use of mantra can be very powerful..but i felt that..the experience of reciting the mantra will be very different when one under go �顶...
As my Shifu told me that 密宗 is call 密宗 because it is 秘密..so must be imparted..so those mantra can recite..but if you add 手� then better dun anyhow do..
Yes, so those from tantras often need initiations. Tantras are from the 密宗 you mentioned.
Sutras however are not specific to 密宗, they are found in Chinese Mahayana as well. Mantras like Da Bei Zhou and many others are not peculiar to tantras but are found commonly in Chinese Mahayana as well. There are many such sutric mantras. Heart Sutra also has its own mantra.
Originally posted by sEphIrOth:what is tantra or vajrayana if i may ask?
There are two main schools of Buddhism which are known as Theravada and Mahayana. Thailand, Burma, Laos and Sri Lanka are examples of countries that practise mainly Theravada tradition. While China, Korea, Japan and the tibetan practise the Mahayana tradition. Under the Mahayana tradition, there is a great variety of school. Vajrayana is one of them and It is closely associated with Tibetan Buddhism.
You can read about the history here: http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhistworld/schools2.htm
Mantra, "Man" stands for the mind and "tra" stands for protection. Mantra is a form of mind protection from the afflictive emotion. In Tibetan Buddhism, Chenrezig is used to refer to Avalokitesvara.
There are differents mantra.There are the six syllable mantra known as Om mani Padme Hung.The Great compassion Mantra is an 82 syllable mantra spoken by Avalokitesvara to the assembly of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and extolling the merits of chanting mantra.
http://online.sfsu.edu/~rone/Buddhism/BTTStexts/Guanyin.html: Something about Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva.
The Meaning of the Mantra Excerpted from Chenrezig Lord of Love by Bokar Rinpoche (Chapter One, The Nature of the Deity)
Mantras are a sound manifestation coming from emptiness. They are the authentic sound of emptiness.
From the point of view of the absolute truth and of emptiness itself, the mantra does not have any existence. There is neither sound nor mantra. Sounds and mantras, as with all other forms of manifestation, are located in the relative realm that arises from emptiness. In the relative realm, sounds, although devoid of their own entity, have the power to designate, name, and act on the mind. When, for instance, someone tells us "You are a fine person" or "You are very disagreeable," the words "fine" or "disagreeable" are not "things." They are only sounds that are not either "fine" or "disagreeable" in themselves, but simply evoke the thoughts of "fine" and "disagreeable" and produce an effect on the mind. Similarly, in the relative domain mantras are endowed with an infallible power of action.
Mantras are very often the names of Buddhas, bodhisattvas, or deities. For instance, OM MANI PADME HUNG is a way of naming Chenrezig. From an absolute point of view, Chenrezig does not have a name, but he is designated by names in the domain of the relative or literal meaning. These names are the vector of his compassion, grace, and the strength of the wishes he makes for the benefit of beings. In this way the recitation of his name transmits these qualities of his mind. Herein lies the explanation for the beneficial power of his mantra, which is also his name. As we assimilate ourselves to our own name and are at one with it, in the same way, on the relative level, the mantra is identical with the deity. They form a single reality. When one recites the mantra, one receives the grace of the deity; by visualizing the deity, one receives the same grace without any difference.
The mantra OM MANI PADME HUNG sometimes gives rise to fanciful or mysterious translations. As we have just said, however, this is simply one name of Chenrezig placed between two sacred and traditional syllables, OM and HUNG.
-OM represents the body of all Buddhas; it is also the beginning of all mantras;
-MANI means 'jewel' in Sanskrit;
-PADME, the Sanskrit pronunciation, or PEME in Tibetan, means "lotus";
-HUNG represents the mind of all Buddhas and often ends mantras;
-MANI refers to the jewel that Chenrezig holds in his two central hands and PADME to the lotus he holds in his second left hand. Saying MANI PADME names Chenrezig through his attributes: "the one who holds the jewel and the lotus." "Chenrezig" or "Jewel Lotus" are two names for the same deity.
When we recite this mantra we are in fact continually repeating the name of Chenrezig. In itself this exercise may look strange. Let us suppose there is a person named Sonam Tsering and that we ceaselessly repeat his name in the manner of a mantra. Sonam Tsering, Sonam Tsering, Sonam Tsering, and so on. This will seem very odd and will certainly be useless. If, on the other hand, the recitation of the mantra OM MANI PADME HUNG has a meaning, it is because this mantra is invested by the grace and power of the mind of Chenrezig who himself gathers the grace and compassion of all the Buddhas and bodhisattvas. In this view, the mantra is endowed with the capacity to purify our mind from the veils that obscure it. The mantra opens the mind to love and compassion and leads it toward awakening.
to be continued...
Originally posted by Bodhi hut:
if you are practising �密..it is strongly advice to get a Guru Master to teach you...As 密宗 have �密 and China 密宗..and Japanese 密宗..The use of mantra can be very powerful..but i felt that..the experience of reciting the mantra will be very different when one under go �顶...
As my Shifu told me that 密宗 is call 密宗 because it is 秘密..so must be imparted..so those mantra can recite..but if you add 手� then better dun anyhow do..
密宗 is definitely a secret ,seems that before buddha dies,he tell his discples this is a short cut to enlightenment,the 密宗 in japan is called 东密.Some of the mizong content are not exposed to public, the real practice in tibet are only be know when you practice it .And some of them r a bit extreme,unacceptable to mainstream buddhism.
But anyhow tibet are redeemed as the holy place for buddhism .Many ppl want to go there and visit
i remember a verse in æ�’河大手å�° explained by 元音è€�äººï¼Œåœ£äººçš†å› æ— ä¸ºè€Œå�„有所得。it's a bit similar to taoism doctrine ,æ— ä¸ºã€‚no action
You can read this �河大手� in bodhi hut ...it is Mi Zong highest practise..
mizong it's a bit complex ,a lot of things like 仪轨,�顶。But seems to me that ,if u believe it ,it works ,but if u don't believe it ,it makes no sense.And mizong practice are a bit confidential ,the pratitioner are not allow to tell anyone else who is not in the group .So that make it more mystirious.
ah very interesting indeed. seems like why we grief is cuz we are emotionally attached to something that doesnt belong to us, anger cuz of nothingness, and we feel happy cuz we are attached to our own body...
if only we can let go of all these, truely isnt an easy job.
Originally posted by sEphIrOth:ah very interesting indeed. seems like why we grief is cuz we are emotionally attached to something that doesnt belong to us, anger cuz of nothingness, and we feel happy cuz we are attached to our own body...
if only we can let go of all these, truely isnt an easy job.
It becomes very easy, effortless and sustainable once we realise a different mode of knowing emptied of self and all attachments. That is, one has dropped everything, and experience the immense bliss of complete letting go of 'self'. There are also many varying levels of bliss correlated to various levels of states and insights derived from practice.
Our moderator Thusness:
To
drop the bondage/deep conditionings, the mind MUST realise that another
way of 'knowing' is possible; an effortless, total sensing and
experience of wholeness. Next the experiences of the joy, bliss and
clarity of wholeness. Without the insight into the possiblity and the
experience of the positive factors, the mind will not release itself
from holding.
Even open
pure and innocent inquiry is a deep conditioning. Makes the mind
chatters incessantly. Every what, when, where and why by itself is a
distancing from start. Freeing itself from such mode of inquiry aka
'knowing', the mind rests. The joy of this resting must be experienced
for the 'willingness' to arise. :)
BTW, we all let go of everything everyday. Even if you are extremely sad or angry, you all have the capability to completely let go everything. So it is not true that it is difficult to let go, it just appears to be so because we do not know a different mode of knowing.
We do that every night when we sleep. When we sleep, we let go everything gradually until the mind completely shuts off and enters into the dream and dreamless state.
No insight has been derived because this letting go comes with the loss of awareness. To develope insights there must be both awareness and letting go.
how to let go of something without occupying myself with other things?
it seems hard cuz i dont know the other mode of thoughts when i keep thinking of the bad things constantly...sigh
Originally posted by sEphIrOth:how to let go of something without occupying myself with other things?
it seems hard cuz i dont know the other mode of thoughts when i keep thinking of the bad things constantly...sigh
The other mode is not of thought, it is no-thought, no-mind, no attachment. Just drop everything and maintain a spacious, thoughtless awareness. You can read http://www.jenchen.org.sg/cultivat.htm
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| In
cultivation, at what state of the mind does one awaken? What is the state of awakening
like? |
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The correct concept of cultivation |
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What is cultivation? Where do we practise cultivation? Let me tell you a story: More than twenty years ago, I took four years to cultivate as I travelled across the country. Step by step, I covered Taiwan by walking. Once when I was in Hua-Lian, an elderly Buddhist asked me, "Master! A monk should reside in the temple to meditate, pray and chant sutras, but when you travel about what are you cultivating? I replied, "That’s right! I am cultivating. Sakyamuni Buddha teaches us to cultivate our conduct. He does not encourage us to cultivate sitting down! In the past few years I had been practising sitting meditation, now I wish to travel about. While walking and also amidst all my other activities, I do not commit evil deeds, I chant the names of the Buddhas, I praise and commend others, I tell people about the Dharma, I avoid the places of vice, this is the way I cultivate." Thus, to cultivate means cultivating in the midst of our activities. This is a point that many people do not understand. They think that cultivation will result in a society that is pessimistic and low-spirited. This is a mistake. Jen Chen Buddhism advocates cultivating in the midst of our daily activities. Many retired old folks have no need to attend to household chores anymore, thus they can afford to spend their time to chant the names of the Buddhas and to cultivate in the midst of their leisure. However, there are many housewives who need to tend to their children, household chores and many other matters. How do you expect them to cultivate in their leisure? Thus, the need to cultivate in the midst of their activities; while cooking they could chant the names of the Buddhas and the Bodhisattvas. No matter what activities they are engaged in, it is always possible to cultivate. Instead of gossipping about our neighbours and friends or engaging in other frivolous talks, why not refrain from all these. This is cultivation. Therefore, only when we cultivate in the midst of our activities do we understand the meaning of cultivation. To cultivate in our leisure may cause others a lot of frustrations. For example, a husband may be upset because his wife neglects the household by spending too much time chanting or running from temple to temple. For her to introduce Buddhism to her husband, thus, would not be an easy task. If she understands the principle of cultivating in the midst of her activities, it would be acceptable to the husband. Should he be invited to places of vice, he would know how to turn them down because his wife is a diligent cultivator. Both husband and wife are then cultivating at the same time. There will be progress in our society when we understand the principle of cultivation. Otherwise, society will backslide. Over the last few decades, I have come to realize that we need to cultivate wherever we are. When we possess the correct concept of cultivation, any time is an appropriate time for cultivation, any place can be the place for us to seek enlightenment. If each and everyone of us conduct ourselves in this way, then the world will become a pure land. If we think that we can only cultivate in the temples, or that we cannot cultivate when we are working, then it is very possible that we commit evils deeds without even knowing. When we are with Buddha every moment, and cultivate constantly, then we are truly practitioners of Buddhism. As to when in the cultivation process does one awaken and what it is like to be awakened, only when you follow the guidance of the Dharma and put it into practice, will you know you have awakened: when you drink the water, only you know how warm or cold it is. |
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How do we practise Buddhism when we are so busy with our careers and constantly facing a shortage of time? |
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Cultivating amid our activities |
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| Many of us think that learning and
practising Buddhism means utilising Sundays, our rest days or daily, to pray or meditate
in temples. This perception is neither right nor wrong. We may be busy with our work and
other activities, but, Buddhism is best practised amid these activities. Should one be
totally inactive or free, what else is there to practise?
It is common to see people working and singing at the same time; machinists talking while working the machines; housewives working on their chores and exhorting their children at the same time; others work with their minds preoccupied with all sorts of other problems not related to their work. In short, they may be occupied physically, but mentally, their minds are not free or empty. As such, does learning and practising Buddhism really pose a problem to our heavy schedules? This is definitely not so. A verse from the "Seven Buddhas" reads: "Avoid all evils; do all that are good; purify one’s mind. These are the teachings of all Buddhas".
A commuter, when travelling in a train for example, may emulate the mental purity of the Buddha, and listen to the rumbling of the wheels and at the same time rythmically chant the name of the Buddha or Bodhisattva so that the mind does not wander. Naturally the mind will become pure and calm. Learning Buddhism means emulating the mental purity of the Buddha. Buddha is one who has already attained perfect enlightenment, sublime wisdom and blessings. On the other hand the commoner has lesser blessings and wisdom. Still, he would have made tremendous advancements if he merely practises Buddhism amid his daily activities to the extent that he attains purity in his bodily actions, speech and thoughts. Thus, no matter what we do, where we are or how busy we may be, we can still practise Buddhism. As long as we put this into practise, our wisdom will develop and our blessings will gradually grow. For this reason, Jen Chen Buddhism advocates practising amid the activities of our daily lives; practising without attaching to the notion of practice; maintaining awareness without attaching to the notion of awareness; and attaining without attaching to the notion of attainment. When we understand this principle and have no more confusions, we can be considered great practitioners of Buddhism. |
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How should we cultivate as we learn Buddhism? |
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Non-origination and non-cessation |
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| Cultivation is the
most important practice for a Buddhist. We need to cultivate our conduct. Having resolved
to learn from the Buddha, we ought to follow the Buddha’s methods of cultivation and
practice.
Our each and every action is manifested physically, but these physical actions are initiated by our mind. Hence, "Cultivating our moral conduct is better than cultivating our actions. Cultivating our mind is better than cultivating our moral conduct. Maintaining non-origination of the mind is better than cultivating it." Cultivation means examining our conduct and eradicating conduct which are undesirable, for example, those that inflict suffering on ourselves or on others. When our conduct is moral and ethical, then our actions are naturally beneficial to ourselves and others. Thus, cultivating our moral conduct is better than cultivating our actions. Unethical or immoral actions, originate from an impure mind. Once these undesirable actions arecommitted, it is too late for cultivation. Thus, it is better to cultivate the mind. To cultivate the mind after the arising of impure thoughts is also too late. Thus, cultivating the mind is still not the ultimate, it is better to spontaneously cease the arising of such thoughts all together. Since there is no arising, then there is no cessation. The verse "Non-origination and non-cessation" as described in the Heart Sutra is really a simple matter!
Now, I neither raise nor put my hand down. When the mind does not give birth, there is no death. This is no-birth and no-death, or non-origination and non-cessation. The Buddhas exist in this world for the sake of liberating sentient beings from this process of birth and death. In this way we all know that non-origination and non-cessation refers to our mind and hence maintaining the mind as such is the proper way to cultivate. We should begin to cultivate from here. From cultivation, we acquire liberation, unfold our wisdom and widely follow the practices of all Bodhisattvas through aeons of countless births. In this way, we keep alive our hope of attaining the Supreme Enlightenment or Buddhahood. This is indeed so simple! Yet, so simple that you may not know, you may not believe and you doubt if you can actually do it. Whatever we are doing, be it walking, standing, sitting or sleeping, we only need to cultivate in this manner and maintain an unmoving keenness of our awareness. You may think that this is so simple and feel that you know all these very well. But, human beings are indeed intelligent and it is not easy for others to fool them. Yet, in a whole life time they are constantly deceived by themselves without ever knowing. In this world we speak of "nip in the bud" to eradicate a problem. Thus, to catch a thief, arrest his leader. In Buddhism, to cultivate our actions, first cultivate our mind. When we have our mind in control, we follow up by keeping it still. We know that "our mind is not moving", see that "our mind is not moving". The "know" and "see" mentioned here refer to our awareness. It is in this way that we maintain our awareness. I hope we all will practise and cultivate following this method. I have described the essence of the Dharma using simplest words, and when we practise as such we are with Buddha. At every moment, irrespective of our activities, be with Buddha. Jen Chen Buddhism advocates cultivating and being with Buddha amid all our activities, including walking, standing, sitting and sleeping. |
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How to purify the human mind? |
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Observe the mind to purify it |
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| We are all human
beings and we all have a mind. We are frequently ‘deceived’ by our minds. For an
entire lifetime we are ‘deceived’ and ‘misled’ by our minds without
ever realizing it! If the mind is good, then of course, it is all very well. Such a mind
creates a good person; one can ascend to the heavens or one can perform a lot of virtuous
deeds. What happens if the mind is evil and becomes defiled? It can drag us to become
animals, ghosts and deities, or descend to hell. This is because our mind is not pure, and
therefore the world becomes a sea of suffering. This suffering world of ours is called the
"Saha World". It means having to endure and is also called the "World of
enduring sufferings".
If we all purify our minds, then the world becomes a heaven. Everybody is very happy and there is no suffering. In learning and practising Buddhism, the most important thing is to purify our minds. When we can purify our minds, then naturally there will be happiness in our world. To do that we have to observe the non-arising of the mind. This is called ‘contemplation of the mind’. When the mind is polluted, then we cleanse it with the dew of the Buddha. And when our minds have been purified, then they are the same as those of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. In this way, we will progress very quickly in our cultivation. Observing the mind is very simple. It is like watching out for the mouse. Everybody dislike mice because they steal our food or they damage our clothings. An idiom describes this sentiment with the phrase, ‘When the mouse crosses the street everybody goes after it.’ Obviously mice are not welcomed and they have to be dealt with. One method of dealing with it, is the cat. At the sight of a mouse, the cat puts his paws firmly on the ground and fixes its steely eyes on the mouse. On seeing the cat, the mouse trembles with fear, not daring to make even the slightest movement. Treat your mind as if it were a mouse and your awareness as the cat. At every moment observe your mind, in the same way as the cat watching the mouse. The mouse wants to live and hardly has time to think of its own safety, let alone of stealing food. If we can observe our minds, then we will hardly have time enough to treasure our wisdom life, let alone think of committing evil deeds. Therefore when we are learning and practising Buddhism, we need to learn to "contemplate the mind". In this way, we will very quickly be able to avoid all evils and do all that are good. "Avoid all evils; do all that are good; purify one’s mind. These are the teachings of all Buddhas". Besides avoiding all evils and doing all that are good, we need to purify our thoughts. When our thoughts have been purified, then the mind is pure. The purpose of learning and practising Buddhism is to purify the human mind. If the minds of everyone in the family is pure, then our home is pure; if the minds of everyone in this society is pure, then our society is pure; if the minds of everyone in the country is pure, then our land is pure; if the entire human race in the world is pure, then our world is as happy as the Western Pure Land. Our mind is like the stealthy mouse, ever watchful of a chance to creep out to commit evil deeds, and we are not even aware of that. I hope all of us will keep a cat to watch our minds, so that we can become Buddha quickly. |
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Why do we need to purify our thoughts? |
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When the thoughts are pure all Karma are pure |
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| There are numerous types of karma, but generally they can be classified under three main types, namely, action of the body, speech and thought. However, our actions and speeches originate from our thoughts, that is, the thought preceeds the action or speech. Therefore, the first step to cultivation is to purify the thoughts. When our thoughts are pure, all our actions and speeches will be pure. When our actions, speeches and thoughts are pure, then all our karma are pure. Therefore, when we are learning and practising Buddhism, we should always be pure in our actions, speeches and thoughts. | ||||
How do we follow the Bodhisattva path? |
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Bodhisattva Path is Enlightenment Path |
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The Bodhisattva Path
is the Enlightenment Path. To follow the Bodhisattva Path, one first has to aspire for
enlightenment for oneself and for all sentient beings.
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religion is about understand yourself in great deal.So relax ,don't let other ppl drive you to do sth ,adhere to your own feelings.
顺其自然。顺 means 顺应。自然,means natural.
than together it means follow your inner feeling.Without other interference.