‧Written by Sheng-yen Lu‧
A US Daden Culture Publication
I have great admiration for the Catholic nun the Blessed Mother Teresa of India.
Her dedication and perseverance to serving the poor really touches my heart.
“I see God in every human being” is a famous quote of hers.
I have heard that:
She brought the sick and homeless to her congregation.
She bathed them.
Personally fed them.
Cleansed their sores with medicinal washes.
Attended to them as if they were her own parents.
In fact, Mother Teresa served all people as if they were God.
(The Vatican has beatified her, bestowing her the title “Blessed.”)
In Buddhism –
Older women are viewed as mothers.
Younger women as sisters.
This is to arrest “licentiousness.”
During Vajrayana practice:
We visualize paternal relatives on our right side. Maternal relatives on our left side.
Behind us benefactors, teachers, and elders.
In front of us all beings in the six realms of transmigration.
(We practice Vajrayana sadhanas with all beings encircled around us so we can all attain Buddhahood together.)
Furthermore:
I see Buddha in every living being.
In this way, I am carrying the words of Shakyamuni Buddha to action.
The Buddha has said:
“All sentient beings without exception have Buddha-essence.”
Some Buddhists regard all sentient beings as their fathers and mothers from past lives.
We have parents in this life, and we also have parents from countless past lives. These countless rebirths owe their existence to the infinite kindness of our parents. When we recognize this, we should remember to repay their kindness and treat everyone kindly and with equanimity.
The most important point is this:
All sentient beings have Buddha-essence.
As long as all obstacles are removed, revealing the Buddha-essence, all living beings are one hundred percent buddhas.
I said to myself:
“People in the world can be so repulsive. Yet it takes all kinds of people to make this world. Some are like rotten wood that cannot be carved, some are ignoble and have no sense of shame, some are rebellious, some are victimizers, some are murderers and arsonists, some are ferocious brutes, some are criminals, some are robbers and thieves, and some are the devil incarnate. Can you really see buddha in all these people?”
“I can!”
“What if you try to save them and end up being killed instead?”
I replied:
“The Buddha had in a previous life sacrificed his own life to feed a tiger!”
“What if they still do not show any understanding and sympathy?”
I replied:
“I have no qualms about sacrificing life for the dharma!”
“What if people still ridicule you after your sacrifice?”
I replied:
“I will come again in the next life!”
“What if you are victimized again in the next life?”
“I will come again in the next next life!”
“What kind of ideas are these of yours?”
I replied:
“Immeasurable benevolence, immeasurable compassion, immeasurable joy, and immeasurable equanimity. Impartiality and Mirror-like Awareness.”
“Why are you so?”
I replied:
“I am awakened!”
