..续本文上一页of obtaining Bodhi

　　But understanding faith in the three previous sections, does not guarantee one”s path towards Buddhahood. Some may say "I am too dumb or too busy". If we do not have confidence in ourselves, how can we find the determination to follow the Buddha

　　 Therefore we must do our best to strengthen our confidence and believe that everyone possesses Buddha-nature and be determined to attain enlightenment. We should do our best and use all the strength we have in the endeavour. If we fail today, we still have tomorrow. If we cannot be successful in this life, we still have the next life. With unflinching determination, faith, and continuous effort, enlightenment will be achieved one day.

　　3.5 The expedient path

　　All sentient beings are endowed with Buddha-nature and all may become Buddhas. But Buddhahood is secured through practice. If we practise according to the teachings, we will eventually become a Buddha. Such teachings are called expedients to Enlightenment.

　　To use an analogy; it is not enough for us to believe that there is water under the ground. We must know how to dig down to the water level and how to bring the water up. If we do not do this, we will remain thirsty despite the proximity of the water. Likewise, Buddhahood has to be achieved by certain methods and thus, there is neither a naturally born Maitreya Buddha nor a naturally existing Sakyamuni Buddha.

　　3.6 The sacred teachings of Tathagata

　　None of us are Buddhas, so how do we know the path leading to Buddhahood

　　 After Sakyamuni became a Buddha out of his compassion towards the sentient beings, he taught the methods for Enlightenment. These were later recorded in the Tripitaka (the "Three Basket"). Therefore, we should believe in the teachings that are recorded in the sutras, vinayas and abhidharma and try to understand them. Our faith in these teachings will strengthen our endeavours to follow the Buddha”s path. Those who can read should read, and those who cannot read should listen, as in these "Three Baskets", there are helpful methods that can lead us to Buddhahood.

　　4. Begin as a Bodhisattva of Ten Meritorious Deeds

　　After we have acquired sufficient faith and understanding of the Buddha, we should start to practice the Ten Meritorious Deeds like a Bodhisattva. Many people do not understand the term "Bodhisattva". There is a lot of misunderstanding about it. "Bodhisattva" is an Indian word which is made from the two words; bodhi and sattva. Bodhi means enlightened mind and sattva means a sentient being. Therefore, a Bodhisattva is a sentient being who seeks an enlightened mind.

　　There are different levels of Bodhisattvas, some are higher in their practice and some are lower. To an ordinary mind, the term Bodhisattva usually reminds one of great Bodhisattvas such as Manjushri, Samantabhadra, Avalokitesvara and Ksitigarbha. In fact, any person who has made up his mind to be a Buddha is a Bodhisattva. The difference between a Buddha and a Bodhisattva is that the Buddha represents supreme perfection, the summum bonum. He is like a person who has completed all processes of learning, while a Bodhisattva is a student who is still in school. The students can be in kindergarten, primary school. secondary school, university or even post-graduate school. They are all students, with the only difference being the degree of learning while the process of study is the same for all. Similarly, there are also Bodhisattvas who have just started on their path. They are not much different from the common people except that they have made the decision to seek enlightenment and to become a Buddha. If they continue to learn and practise the various acts of a Bodhisattva, they will eventually attain the standards of the great Bodhisattva such as Manjushri Bodhisattva and …

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