|
Excerpts from the Sutra of the Collection of the Six Perfections (六度集經, Liùdù Jí Jīng)
Once upon a time, a bodhisattva
manifested as a macaque. Not only was it exceptionally strong―stronger than all
other macaques―but its intelligence and wisdom also exceeded that of humans. Moreover,
it possessed loving-kindness and compassion, constantly wishing to
universally save and assist sentient beings. The macaque lived deep
in the mountains. One day, while climbing a tree to gather wild fruits, it
saw a man who had fallen to the bottom of a valley. The man was crying
out in sorrow: “Help me!” Hearing the man’s cries, the macaque shed tears of
sadness, thinking, “Have I not made a vow to achieve the Path to Buddhahood precisely
to save suffering sentient beings? If I do not rescue this man today, he will
surely exhaust his strength and die. I must find a way to get down to the
valley floor and carry him up.” The macaque descended
into the valley, carried the man on its back, and then, grasping the weeds on
the cliff face, slowly climbed upward. When it reached the top, it placed the
man on flat ground, pointed out the exit path, and told him, “Return to your
dwelling place, and do not commit evil deeds.” Having exerted all its
strength to save the man from distress, the macaque was utterly exhausted and
lay on the ground to rest. The man thought to himself, “When I was trapped in
the valley, I almost starved to death. Now, if I don’t eat anything, I will starve
to death. What is the difference between this and being trapped at the bottom
of the valley?” Thus, an evil thought arose in his mind: “I should kill and
eat this macaque to save my life. There’s nothing wrong with that!” So he
picked up a stone and violently struck the macaque’s head. It was immediately
bruised and bled profusely, staining the ground red with fresh blood.
Startled by the sudden attack, the macaque stood up, but feeling dizzy and
unable to stand steadily, it fell back against a large tree. Not a trace of
anger arose in its heart; instead, it felt compassion for the man for harboring
evil thoughts. The macaque thought, “This man is not one whom I can guide to
liberation. I hope that in his future lives, he will frequently encounter
various Buddhas, believe, accept, and adhere to their teachings, and thus be
liberated, never again harboring evil thoughts throughout his countless lives as he has done in this present
life.” |
|
The macaque in the
story above was Buddha Śākyamuni on the causal ground, and the person trapped
in the valley was Devadatta. The Buddha taught that the bodhisattva’s perfection
(pāramitā) of forbearance is beyond comprehension, and this is how one
ought to practice forbearance! (Part 1) Even as betrayal bled into the mountain soil, the Bodhisattva macaque responded to a lethal strike with unwavering compassion. This timeless encounter between Buddha Śākyamuni and Devadatta illuminates the profound practice of forbearance. But as the shadows of malice deepen, what will the macaque do next? #Buddha #paramita #bodhisattva #Buddhiststory #karma #compassion #forberance #dharma #Buddhistteaching |
No comments:
Post a Comment