Dear all, greetings. Today, we gather to explore the Sixteen Acts of Great Compassion. Sentient beings, deluded by wrong views, mistake the illusory for the real, sinking into the sea of suffering. With great compassion, Bodhisattvas seek to liberate beings from this maze of delusion, establishing right view and planting the cause of true bliss. May we, with pure hearts, receive these profound teachings together!
Breaking Wrong Views, Establishing Right View
Why do sentient beings cycle in samsara? Bound by wrong views, they mistakenly take the five aggregates as the self, believing the physical body to be real, and cling to afflictions as real, consumed by greed, anger, and ignorance. Bodhisattvas, with compassion for beings lost in this erroneous matrix, use wisdom to expound the Dharma, shattering false attachments and guiding beings toward right view.
Compassionate Resolve: Relieving Suffering, Bestowing Bliss
Why do Bodhisattvas tirelessly save beings? Because they are endowed with great compassion. Compassion means pitying the suffering of beings and aspiring to grant them true bliss. Seeing beings drowning in samsara, Bodhisattvas feel an urgent call to action, their compassionate resolve unyielding, never despising the ignorant.
Knowing the Cause of True Bliss: Breaking Illusory Pleasures
Why do beings suffer? They chase illusory pleasures, indulging in sensory delights and clinging to fame, wealth, and desire, unaware that these are mere conditioned habits, like the moon’s reflection in water—fleeting and insubstantial. Gaining them brings fear of loss; losing them brings pain, only adding to suffering. With compassion, Bodhisattvas teach the cause of true bliss: the inherent Buddha-nature (spiritual essence), characterized by permanence, bliss, true self, and purity, which cannot be sought externally.
Conclusion: Walking the Bodhisattva Path
Dear all, establishing right view and knowing the cause of true bliss are acts of the Bodhisattva’s great compassion and the essence of our practice. May we break false attachments with right view, strengthen our resolve with compassion, and replace illusory pleasures with true bliss, advancing step by step toward Bodhi. Thank you all!
