Delusion Series, Part 18–Inner Journey5
Dear Dharma friends,Welcome to this episode of the podcast, brought to you by the Australia Buddhas’ Practice Incorporated.
Today, I’m excited to share with you a profound and essential practice: Awakening Great Compassion through the True Nature. This is the core practice that every disciple of the Buddha should uphold at all times. The essence of this teaching lies in recognizing our true nature and, with great compassion, sacrificing ourselves for the benefit of all beings, thereby cultivating boundless merit and wisdom.
1. Recognizing Our True Nature
First, let’s explore what this “true nature” is. Our true nature is eternal and unchanging—it is the real you. Everything in this world—fleeting pleasures, material pursuits, and transient phenomena—is like passing clouds. Too often, we abandon our true essence and chase after illusions, ignoring our authentic self, which leads to self-inflicted suffering.
2. Awakening to Our True Nature
What’s truly remarkable is that, even when we forsake our true nature, it never abandons us. When you create karma, it accompanies you through suffering; when you seek joy, it supports your fulfillment. Whether you manifest wisdom or give rise to afflictions, everything unfolds through this true nature. You can use it to create ignorance or to reveal wisdom—the choice is yours. This true nature is all-encompassing and infinitely capable. As disciples of the Buddha, our true practice is to awaken to this nature.
3. The Heart of Great Compassion
At the core of our practice as Buddha’s disciples lies great compassion. What is great compassion? It is the willingness to sacrifice oneself for the benefit of others. This is the essence of the Bodhisattva path.
The power of great compassion is immense. The sutras teach us that even a single moment of great compassion, even if the action is not completed, can yield two mountains of merit: one is a mountain of boundless virtue, and the other is the dissolution of a mountain of negative karma as vast as Mount Sumeru. Why? Because great compassion inherently possesses limitless potential. When you vow to uphold precepts, practice meditation, or perform virtuous deeds for the sake of all beings, even a fleeting moment of sincere intention generates immeasurable merit.
4. How to Practice Great Compassion
So, how do we cultivate great compassion? It’s simple: sacrifice yourself to benefit others. This can be practiced in every small moment of daily life. For example, letting go of your anger, greed, or attachments is not only a sacrifice of self but also a way to overcome obstacles. Great compassion is all-encompassing, embracing loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity.
5. The Swift Path of Great Compassion
The sutras tell us that practicing great compassion in this defiled world for just a few days surpasses a kalpa of practice in the Pure Land. Why? Because this world is filled with suffering, offering countless opportunities to cultivate great compassion. Those who wrong you or cause you harm are, in fact, your aids in practicing compassion. When someone hurts you, choosing patience and letting go of resentment is great compassion. When you uphold precepts and pray for the most suffering beings, that too is great compassion. These opportunities are everywhere—if you’re willing, you can practice at any moment.
Most importantly, great compassion leads to swift attainment. The Buddha’s own path began with great compassion. He chose to guide even the most difficult beings—those deemed too malicious or lowly by other Bodhisattvas—using boundless skillful means to benefit them. This is the Buddha’s way, and as his disciples, we must follow in his footsteps.
6. Conclusion
Dear Dharma friends, now is the moment to practice great compassion! By sacrificing ourselves to benefit others, even with just a single thought or a brief moment of practice, we plant the seeds of immeasurable merit.
In closing, let me emphasize: great compassion is pure—so pure it seeks no reward. The moment you give rise to this intention, the merit is already yours.
Thank you for joining me today! May we all cultivate great compassion together and realize the ultimate awakening. Until next time!
