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Bodhicitta Is the Mind of Love
The Nhat Binh robe is not just a type of robe but a symbol of the aspiration and state of mind of a monastic. This is the unsurpassed robe, the most beautiful robe because it represents the ideal and liberation. When wearing this robe and shaving their head, the monastic becomes a symbol of the Three Jewels. When a lay friend bows deeply, they do not bow to the ego of the monastic but to the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha through that form. The monastic needs to practice sitting majestically, following their breathing, and looking deeply so that the ego does not inflate in the face of reverence, avoiding falling into arrogance which ruins the path of practice. Thay recalls the story of the four flamboyant trees in Key West to emphasize that the robe and the shaved head are daily reminders of the monastic ideal.
Bodhicitta (the mind of awakening) is the fundamental energy, the mass of fire in the heart that helps the monastic overcome difficulties and to transform craving, anger, and ignorance. As long as there is a powerful bodhicitta, the monastic is worthy of wearing the unsurpassed robe of the field of merit. In the Avatamsaka Sutra, bodhicitta is compared to six images:
- A seed that brings forth all wholesome dharmas.
- The great earth, solid and deep, with the capacity to contain and protect.
- Pure water that washes away defilements and afflictions.
- A great wind that shatters stagnation, creating circulation in the mind and in human relationships.
- A fierce fire that burns away attachments to views, prejudices, and wrong views.
- The sun that shines brightly, bringing warmth and a source of joy.
Love in the spiritual path is made of the substance of bodhicitta, understanding, and the ideal, different from love made of the substance of sensual desire. The monastic needs to be nourished by the love between teacher and student, brotherhood and sisterhood, and the complete acceptance of the precepts and fine manners. The practice of fine manners, such as knocking on the door or bowing even when no one is present, helps build faith in the tradition and binds the love among fellow practitioners. When receiving the robe, the monastic recites: “How beautiful is the robe of liberation, the miraculous robe of the field of merit; I bow my head to receive it, vowing to wear it lifetime after lifetime.” Bodhicitta is the very source of milk that nourishes the monastic to grow up in happiness and freedom throughout their life.