Finally, the retreat has ended. There are things that aren’t my concern and I should not be thinking about it. I think everyone has to help clean up after the retreat but I prefer to stay in the room.
Ajahn Brahm said that Mahayana tradition practise putting their enlightenment on hold until all sentient beings are liberated from Samsara. He said the Buddha didn’t do that. The Buddha passed his teachings to us and as long as the teachers train his disciples correctly, the teacher has to leave. I wouldn’t disagree with him.
Ajahn Brahm quoted an example. He asked if we are to look for a surgeon to perform a heart surgery for us, would we ask for a surgeon who is a training surgeon bodhisattva or an experienced senior surgeon? Everyone wanted a senior surgeon. In my personal opinion, if someone is looking to practise as a theravadin, I think the example that Ajahn Brahm quoted would be an appropriate one. But if someone is threading the bodhisattva path, I would put it the other way round, the patient will be a bodhisattva instead of the training surgeon. The patient who is a bodhisattva is likely to allow the young surgeon to perform the surgery because the young surgeon needs a hands-on experience to understand and familiarise the complications a heart surgery may bring. With the familiarity and experience gained, the young surgeon will become skilful one day and thus be able to benefit those who require a heart surgery.
In the theravada tradition, their goal is to enter nirvana and in the mahayana tradition, the Buddha field is the goal. If you are aiming to be an arhat or entering nirvana, the jhana meditation is a compulsory practice and if you would like to be a bodhisattva or to enter the Buddha field like the Pureland, the practice of vast virtues, that would require you to be generous with your time, money, space and a heart filled with empathy and compassion will be a necessity plus the belief, faith, inspiration, Amituofo chanting and vows to be born in the Pureland is also a necessary requirement!
So what do I miss in this retreat? The meditation cushion in the meditation hall and in the room.
Saddhu! Saddhu! Saddhuuu!
Cats who teach me to fly... 