Question asked by Ping
Hello Pastors,
In the lotus sutra, one of the chapter mentioned that as a bodhisattva that want to preach the sutra without any difficulties, he should not be close with kings and ministers, women, even hinayana monks, and people who believe in an outer creator god. I am a bit confused about this teaching to incorporate into our lives. I thought we should be friends with anyone we like regardless of their religion, status, sex, etc. Can you explain this?
Dear Ping,
Thank you for your question. I am unsure of which chapter in the Lotus Sutra you are referring and as such cannot give a definitive answer. However when we first begin on the path of the Bodhisattva is may be difficult for us to control our minds and avoid thoughts that can create negative karma. Being around such people may be a hindrance on the path if one’s mind is not firm.
Traditionally practitioners would have engaged in retreats in order to the see the faults of samsara for long periods of time. But that cannot always be possible for the modern day practitioner due to family responsibilities, etc. However it is very beneficial for practitioners to engage in short retreat from time to time. Together with learning the Dharma this will have a beneficial impact on the mind.
In essence, yes Bodhisattvas are supposed to be friends with everyone regardless of who these people are, but we must remember that in order to be their friends without agenda or motive, we must first be able to tame our own mind sufficiently so that our own Dharma practice is strong. Then we can of course be their friend and help them as best we can, which is after all what a Bodhisattva is supposed to do. Bodhisattvas are supposed to help people but this can only be achieved at its greatest potentials when we have studied the Dharma and have firm conviction in our practice. That is why it says that Bodhisattva should not associate with these people, because at the beginning they may lead us away from the Dharma and cause us to create negative karma. I hope this helps.
Thank you.