Bodhisattva

Two aspects of the Bodhisattva path that I want to dig into: care; in the thick of it.

(Also: the three uhds applied to “in the thick of it”?)

Care

Move towards suffering. Roll your sleeves, dive in and help.
Be tactful, sensitive, flexible.
- Do what will have the most positive effect.
- That might be listening, not acting on or with.
Be generous, give generously.
Mercy, compassion, respect for all beings.
- Realise self and other are one.
Practice charity for its own sake.
- Service without expectation of reward.

Outward
- Have a strong back and a soft front.
- Aim for compassion and care, no matter what. Make every act an act of love.
- Work with what you find in the chaos of the world.
Inward
- Bring some kindness and forgiveness to yourself.
- Treat difficulties as teachers. Rejoice in seeing where you’re stuck.
- Use whatever happens as an opportunity to wake up, to soften.
The work is worth doing, whatever the results.

The six perfections: giving; moral discipline; patience; effort; mental stabilisation; wisdom.
Be tactful and sensitive. Have a flexible mind and flexible behaviour when helping others. Offer help that’s relevant, in the right way, and that helps them feel at ease. Act in the way that will have the most positive effect.
Be generous. With help, with relief, with praise.
The kindness you express to each being in your life.
Realise self and other are one.
Give generously.
Actualise good for others.
If what the other person is saying is difficult to hear, you may have an urge to stop and correct them because it’s painful to hear and touches your own suffering. But we do our best to refrain from interrupting them. It’s not important whether what they are saying is right or wrong. What is important is to give them a chance to unburden themselves. Listening with compassion for their suffering is the only way to help.
A Bodhisattva always behaves respectfully and loves all creatures without disdain.
Develop an attitude of mercy and compassion toward all beings.
Bodhisattvas practice charity to inwardly destroy stinginess while outwardly benefiting all beings.
Bodhisattvas should not dwell on anything as they practice charity. That means practicing charity without dwelling on forms, practicing charity without dwelling on sounds, scents, flavors, feelings, or phenomena.
A bodhisattva moves toward suffering with her sleeves rolled up, ready to dive in and help.

Everyday kindness is the expression of spiritual awakening.
It’s part of our intrinsic nature to awaken to greater belonging.
The grounds of compassion. See vulnerability.
“We need a strong back and a soft front.”
Set the compass of your heart towards compassion and care, no matter what.
The secret is not to be attached to the results. The value, the rightness, the truth of the work itself.
Serve the moments that pass before you with full presence.
Treat your difficulties as teachers.
Bring some kindness and forgiveness to yourself.
Use whatever happens as an opportunity to wake up, to soften.
Work with what you find. Don’t try and escape the chaos of the world.
Rejoice in seeing where you’re stuck.
This is the way of the bodhisattva. No separation here—no stories, no choices, no should. Nothing conceptual about the object, the subject, or the circumstances. No boundaries, hence nothing to hinder or obstruct oneness.
This awakening comes from our complete allowing of anything to be “just as it is” without any binding concepts, stories, or descriptions.
Our practice is to live our daily life in such a way that every act becomes an act of love.
Service without expectation of reward is one of the keynotes of the boddhisattva path.

Added 2024-11-26.