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The Bodhisattva Engages in the World
In the Vimalakirti Sutra, the lay friend Vimalakirti says, “Because all beings are sick, I am also sick; only when all beings are healed can I be healed.” Manjushri is the only Bodhisattva who dares to visit the sick and accept the “illness” of sentient beings, thanks to great compassion and great wisdom.
The meaning of this statement is that a Bodhisattva:
- has great compassion, so they engage deeply in the world, sharing in the suffering of the world, and thus are easily “afflicted” by the collective suffering of others,
- has great wisdom, so they see clearly the interbeing between themselves and all beings: when beings are sick, they are sick; when beings are healed, they are healed.
Practicing as a Bodhisattva in daily life includes healing one’s own body and mind in order to be free from “illness” through ease (lightness, peace) by means of three kinds of meditation:
- mindfulness of breathing—each in-breath and out-breath is healing,
- walking meditation—each step is relaxation, happiness, and healing,
- mindfulness in daily activities (washing vegetables, setting the table…) to bring ease into daily life and help the world to be healed.
