What Are the Standards of an Exemplary Bodhisattva?

To progress swiftly in spiritual practice and be a good bodhisattva, one must speak gently to others, avoiding sharp and aggressive words. Strive to harmonize disputes and embrace sentient beings to the greatest extent. The Four All-embracing Virtues of a bodhisattva should be diligently practiced, with embracing sentient beings as paramount. Making enemies is a major taboo for a bodhisattva. In the eyes of a bodhisattva, there should be no adversaries; all sentient beings are objects to be embraced. Therefore, do not turn the place of practice into a battlefield, engaging in endless verbal disputes to win or lose, to prove superiority or inferiority, strength or weakness.

The ego within each person must be strictly guarded. Do not always be sharp and conspicuous, provoking others' anger with a strong sense of self. Be skilled in subduing the self and concealing the self. Subduing afflictions is true spiritual practice, not constantly seeking to subdue others or suppress them. The nature of a bodhisattva’s mind should be gentle. Move others with emotion and enlighten them with reason. One should not refuse to yield when holding the upper hand. Sometimes, yielding a step may instead subdue and embrace others more effectively.

Liberating others and spiritual practice both require a balance of firmness and gentleness: be firm with oneself and firm in the face of adverse circumstances, but be as gentle as possible with others. Only then can one embrace all sentient beings around oneself and unite with them. If one’s words push others away, it will only cause sentient beings to distance themselves, creating alienation. This prevents forming wholesome connections with sentient beings, making one an unqualified bodhisattva incapable of embracing them.

A rigid mind breaks easily and is prone to sudden outbursts; a gentle mind, though bent, does not break. As a bodhisattva, one should be flexible, able to bend with circumstances yet return to one’s original state without distortion. A bodhisattva should inherently be skilled in reconciling various disputes and should not frequently provoke endless conflicts. Learning to be a good bodhisattva, gentle and harmonious, and mastering the embrace of sentient beings are essential lessons for every bodhisattva. Refusing to yield when holding the upper hand is a major taboo for a bodhisattva. Sharp and aggressive words are a major taboo for a bodhisattva. Violating these principles alienates sentient beings, creates negative karmic connections, and transgresses the Four All-embracing Virtues.