On April 02, 2022, Dr. Rebecca Li, a sociology professor at The College of New Jersey, delivered a talk about benefiting living beings at the Vancouver Chan Meditation Centre. At the beginning of the talk, Professor Li pointed out that as a Buddhist practitioner on the path to enlightenment, one must use compassion to liberate sentient beings from suffering and one must use wisdom to dissolve oneself. During this process, one would experience no-self and in turn benefit others as well as oneself.
How do we practice Buddhadharma in daily life? In this talk, Professor Li focused on three methods from a chapter in The Bodhisattva Path to Unsurpassed Enlightenment written by Asanga.
First of all, Professor Li explained and clarified the true meaning of complying with the needs of all sentient beings. Many practitioners practice Chan by sitting on futons isolating themselves from the outside world in order to keep their mind calm. This is false understanding. The proper method is to practice through interacting with others.
During these interactions, we listen to others and understand their needs. Through these conversations, we also get to know ourselves better. Often, we forget that all interactions are the results of causes and conditions. While interacting with others, we become aware of attachments and conceptions of ourselves. To practice Chan and attain enlightenment, we must first recognize these thoughts and vexations, and then use methods to practice persistently replacing vexations with wisdom.
Secondly, we can assist others to see their true selves by providing guidance and encouragement. Self-doubt and self-criticism often mislead us and create false images of ourselves. We must help others remove self-doubt and objectively identify their true selves.
Thirdly, when others make mistakes, we must promptly and gently correct them to prevent them from making irreversible mistakes in the future. We do so with great compassion, not with hatred, or else we are re-enforcing self-centeredness.
From this talk, I recognized as a Buddhist practitioner it is critical to have the correct understanding of Buddhism. On a daily basis, we should observe and practice the Three Dharma Seals: Impermanence, Non-self, and Emptiness. When one’s understanding does not comply with the Three Dharma Seals, one should correct the misconceptions and course correct. Only by raising the awareness of our mind and thoughts in every single moment will we understand everything we see is the result of cause and effect and causes and conditions. It is not real and it has no self and no nature. In order to attain enlightenment, we must continue practicing diligently to know ourselves, affirm ourselves, mature ourselves, and ultimately dissolve ourselves.
Text/Photo：Vancouver Chan Meditation Centre 20220402
Translated by Christine Tseng
20220410