A Kind Mentor –4
Hello, dear listeners! Welcome to this episode of the podcast, brought to you by the Australia Buddhas’ Practice Incorporated.
The Avatamsaka Sutra states:
Rely on a Kind Mentor, serve a Kind Mentor, revere a Kind Mentor, for through a Kind Mentor, one beholds the radiance of all-knowing wisdom. Do not harbor defiance toward a Kind Mentor, let there be no deceit or flattery in your heart toward them, and always follow their teachings with sincerity and compliance. Regard a Kind Mentor as a loving mother, for they guide us to abandon all unwholesome ways; regard a Kind Mentor as a steadfast father, for they give rise to all virtuous deeds.
On this long journey of life, by relying on, serving, and revering a Kind Mentor, we can glimpse the luminous brilliance of “all-knowing wisdom.” We should depend on them with pure faith, free from any defiance, approaching them without deceit or pretense, and following their teachings with sincerity and humility, like a stream flowing naturally along the contours of a mountain.
Toward a Kind Mentor, we should hold a heart of gratitude and devotion, as if toward a loving mother. Like a gentle mother, they guide us to let go of deluded attachments and defilements, helping us shed the burdens of the heart, allowing it to return to purity and ease. At the same time, we should regard a Kind Mentor with the reverence and trust we offer a steadfast father. Like a resolute father, they teach us to plant the seeds of virtue, nurturing the fruits of wisdom and merit, enabling us to cultivate boundless wholesome deeds on the path to awakening.
The presence of a Kind Mentor is the most precious blessing in our lives. Every word of their teaching is a key to unlocking wisdom; every moment of their guidance is a bridge to liberation. We should rely on them with the heart of a child, serve them with reverence, and practice their teachings with devotion. In this way, our hearts, nourished by wisdom and compassion, can blossom with boundless purity and peace.Thank you for listening!
