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"Crossing to the Other Shore: The Power of Loving Kindness and Understanding"
There are six or ten Paramitas, but the essence is to practice every day in order to “cross to the other shore” right in the present moment. For example, when anger arises (the “anger” shore), we use a method—a boat—to cross over to the shore of “non-anger.” The first of the Four Great Vows is “sentient beings are numberless, I vow to help them all,” which means we vow to help countless beings cross to the shore of enlightenment, not that we ourselves carry everyone across. Helping others and helping ourselves is a cyclical process: the ferryman must first cross to the other shore before returning to carry others.
In the Plum Village teachings, the substance of holiness is mindfulness, present in every breath, every step, every word, every act of deep listening. Practicing the Fourth Mindfulness Training—deep listening and loving speech—is to master our ears and our mouth as a king masters his throne; every mindful action is a step of Paramita. When we chant the Heart Sutra, if we do not realize that “all dharmas are empty,” then there is only music without liberation. The practice of calling on our mother (“Mother, I am here”) or calling the name of someone who has caused us suffering is a simple method to help us touch deeply the holiness in our heart, bringing peace and transforming each moment into the other shore.