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Learning the Mahayana Precepts, Living with Compassion
In the upcoming Winter Retreat, with 10 days remaining, we will begin to study the fifth-century work “The Summary of the Great Vehicle” (20 pages in Chinese characters, Sutra number 1594, Xuanzang’s version) in bilingual Chinese–Vietnamese, while also translating into English–French–Vietnamese. The author, Asanga, elder brother of Vasubandhu, gathered the entire Mahayana teaching into “The Summary of the Great Vehicle.” Those who have not read Chinese will join in reading the Chinese–Vietnamese transliteration and take bilingual notes from the teacher for easier following.
Continuing from the two aspects of practice just learned:
- Every moment of the day—eating, drinking, walking, working—can become a source of insight and joy for body and mind.
- When suffering or irritation arises, know how to embrace and transform it, crossing over to the “shore of nirvana” (cessation of suffering) in just a few minutes with the Dharma and the Sangha.
The “compassionate approach” method is based on the Three Powers:
• Right Thinking: understanding that all suffering comes from delusion, craving, and anger, then directing the mind toward loving kindness.
• Right Speech: using words of comfort, gentleness, without reproach, perhaps wrapping a gift or writing a compassionate letter to “change the peg” and water the seeds of peace.
• Right Action: concrete actions to care for and share with those who suffer, creating warmth and immediate liberation.
