..续本文上一页Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva.

　　We should not think that it is impossible for us to become like them. When we go to school. We start with the kindergarten and gradually progress to postgraduate school As with a Bodhisattva, the great Bodhisattvas too had to start from the novice level. Now, lets talk about the Bodhisattva who have just started their journey as they are closer to the common people mentally and their example is therefore much easier to follow.

　　A newly initiated Bodhisattva should lay his emphasis on the following points:

　　4.1 Start with a mind of great compassion

　　When one makes a decision to become a Bodhisattva, one needs to cultivate one”s faith, dedication, and wisdom. However, the emphasis should be on compassion. Those who start out with a feeling of compassion for all sentient beings and are determined to acquire Buddhahood with the intention of saving sentient beings are the Bodhisattvas. Without compassion, Buddhahood cannot be achieved. Even when a person has thoroughly envisaged the Truth, if he has no compassion, he will become a selfish practitioner. Therefore, the most important thing about a Bodhisattva is his compassion. He sees and shares the sufferings of sentient beings. He thinks of methods to relieve them from their sufferings. This is the mind of a Bodhisattva, and the seed to Buddhahood. To take an initial step towards Bodhisattva is to be compassionate, to set great vows and be determined not to forget them. Once the mind has decided, we should make a firm stand and never turn back.

　　There are many ways of cultivating compassion, one of the best methods described in the scriptures is that of "putting yourself in the other person”s shoes". We should think what it is like to stand in the other person”s position. When we do this, our compassion will naturally grow. If a question is asked: "What are the things that you love most

　　" All of us will almost certainly answer, parents, spouse, friends, country, nation. But in actual fact, as the Buddha said, "One loves no more than oneself". One can, of course love one”s parents, and others, as long as they do not hurt one”s own interests. Otherwise we will love no one.

　　Almost everyone loves others with the selfish mind of loving themselves. If a person can think of other people”s sufferings as his own sufferings, can love others in the same way that he loves himself, always thinks of the other persons situation rather than his own perspective, then this can be called true love and compassion. If one considers the suffering of others, before one”s own suffering, then great compassion will come naturally. It is not necessary for a newly initiated Bodhisattva to have supernatural power or magnificent body and appearance, once compassion is aroused, and one aims to acquire Buddhahood for the salvation of sentient beings, one becomes a Bodhisattva. However, a mind with an ambition to attain Buddhahood is still not enough to get us there. It must be strengthened with right action.

　　4.2 Act according to the Ten Meritorious Deeds

　　The difference between ordinary people and a Bodhisattva is that the latter have the determination to seek enlightenment, and perform the deeds of a Bodhisattva. A novice Bodhisattva is one who performs the Ten good acts with a mind to be enlightened. He is called a Bodhisattva of the Ten Meritorious Deeds.

　　The Ten Meritorious Deeds are the ten good acts that counteract the ten evils. They are as follow:

　　(1) Not to kill is to love and protect lives.

　　(2) Not to steal is to refrain from illegal possession of wealth.

　　(3) Not to commit adultery is to refrain from illicit sexual behaviour.

　　(4) Not to lie is not to tell something false.

　　(5) No gossiping tongue is not to tell tales between people thereby causing disharmony between them…

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