How do practitioners conceptualize interconnectedness? As sentient beings we intuit the resonance of the Universe.
We experience the Dharma through the teachings of Siddhartha Gotama, time on the cushion, and the vicissitudes of life leading to the pronouncement…”Great is the Meaning of Birth and Death.”
As we each move through time and space all is doing thus. Everything is oozing Dharma, their virtues. That which sees, hears, smells, tastes and touches this is an awakening being.
Those who practice thus are said to have wisdom and interrelate with others in ways that support their awakening, understanding, and way of being. This way of being in Mahayana is a “Bodhisattva,” one who helps others to attain thus. A Bodhisattva defined as one who cares about others reaching Nirvana, could be seen as essentially one’s ultimate dana.
The stories of Buddhism are replete with archetypes or composites of capabilities. This collective consciousness is offered by Carl Jung a spiritual existence seen third-eye-like by those fully awake to what we call Buddha Nature.
I suggest a Bodhisattva is different from a Hero while having heroic qualities could be a description of both.
In a moment in time one rises to such a level of behavior that it is scored as above and beyond, ranking for example that only 1 in 100, or 1,000 might have acted thusly: The Hero, while at the same instance, may say she was not a hero.
Contrast this with many moderate “meaningful actions” over a lifetime and a person might be said to have a life well-lived.
The Bodhisattva teaches/helps by doing. One sees something in the person manifested often through their actions, making these actions speak loudly.
“What does all this mean for us in our own lives? What are the ways we can live in the world as a bodhisattva, entering freely and fully into the heart of things, staying sturdy and strong in the midst of the turmoil? The gifts of the bodhisattva are many, and a crucial one is simply sharing presence. It is the gift of being fully here, with eyes and ears open, not wishing you were somewhere else or comparing it to a place you prefer to be. It is being in the world as it is. With each passing year I believe more strongly that this is the greatest offering we can make: our presence. Not our smarts, not some great plan or strategy, not even our generosity and serenity—but our sheer, irreplaceable presence.” https://www.buddhistinquiry.org/article/the-wings-of-the-bodhisattva/
Prajna Paramita may be seen as the energy that fuels Bodhisattvas...
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Unshin Sangaku Dan Joslyn-sensei
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