“Dream-Tale” by Nagarjuna

(Tale of the Wish-fulfilling Dream) translated by Geshe Kelsang Wangmo

I bow to the Three Jewels.

(1) Since it is that which they achieve, it is like a dream;
Bodhisattvas accomplish that aspect.
In order to benefit samsaric beings
I will teach a few [methods for growing] fond of sentient beings.

(2) I and all sentient beings are equal [with regard to] happiness and
suffering.
Being equal [with regard to] happiness and suffering, we are family.
So it is not right to completely abandon
These [beings] and enter nirvana.

(3) Together with these beings I experienced
The sufferings of the lower realms and
All sorts of happiness of the higher realms.
Since we dwelt as one, I am fond of them.

(4) Not just once did I reside in every womb,
Nor is there a single sentient being
Who did not reside in my womb.
Therefore, we are all family.

(5) Further, I am fond of the Buddha.
As he worked hard for the sake
Of these [sentient beings] for a very long time,
That too makes me fond of sentient beings.

(6) In this way, since benefitting and harming
Are the [respective] causes of immeasurable
Happiness and suffering,
Sentient beings are also my gurus.

(7) The Sugata said, “In this life, experiencing
The sufferings of getting murdered, beaten,
Held hostage, threatened, and so on—
Those are the result of maltreating sentient beings.”

(8) Physical and non-physical harm,
Being destitute, of an inferior cast, and having a short life,
One’s spouse dying, and becoming blind—
These are the result of having harmed sentient beings.

(9) Experiencing the different types of sufferings
On each level of the lower realms, down to Avici hell,
That is all from my fault
Of having harmed sentient beings.

(10) Offerings being made to oneself,
Being esteemed, attractive, and having wealth—
Those come through never maltreating
Pleasant or unpleasant sentient beings.

(11) Being free of disease, of an excellent caste,
Handsome, rich, powerful, and having a long life,
Wealth, and so on, and a special spouse
Are the result of benefitting sentient beings.

(12) Through being fond of sentient beings,
One will attain kingdoms, great kingdoms,
Perfect kingdoms of the sublime wheel-turner,
And the dominions of power.

(13) Through benefitting sentient beings,
One also attains the state of a buddha.
What is marvelous about someone attaining
The insignificant state of an inferior celestial being?

(14) If those sentient beings did not exist,
With whom could one be generous?
If living beings did not exist, on what basis
Could one achieve the morality of the Vinaya?

(15) For whose sake does a hero meditate
On patience with those who commit a fault?
For the sake of whom does he diligently work
To achieve his deeply desired object of attainment?

(16) If living beings did not exist
How would one — by correctly depending on
Love, compassion, joy, and equanimity —
Attain the bliss of meditative absorption?

(17) Knowing the functioning and non-functioning bliss of liberation,
Presenting dispositions, attitudes, and tendencies,
The thoroughly afflicted or completely pure—
If [sentient beings] did not exist how could those be known?

(18) All these sentient beings are
The cause of the factors of enlightenment.
Therefore, those who wish for complete enlightenment
Should regard sentient beings as gurus.

(19) Thus, there will not be the slightest impatience
With the difficulty of moving towards
Purposely taking living creatures
To be the doorway to great bliss.

(20) With regard to the [correct] attitude:
Sentient beings are simply “me.”
I will not strongly cling to material things
Nor to my spouse [and so forth].

(21) I admit to having harmed myself,
My parents, and also my
Children and spouses,
Although sentient beings should not be harmed.

(22) Having an attitude of benevolence and patience
Toward sentient beings who commit great faults,
With steadfast respect for sentient beings
One does not commit the slightest fault.

(23) Wearing the armor of diligence
That wishes to benefit these [sentient beings],
Even remaining a thousand eons in hellfire
For the great result [of enlightenment] is a delight.

(24) Through the power of concentration, I regard sentient beings
Who harmed me in various ways—[by hindering] my growth,
[And progress in] extinguishing [my faults], or [by diminishing my] my
accomplishments —
As gurus and gurus amongst gurus.

(25) Thus, it shall be proclaimed that if they have
The five qualities, well-born bodhisattvas endowed
With the root [of bodhicitta] will be thoroughly imbued
With the arya paramita of wisdom.

(26) Through relying on those [sentient beings] I attain the very great;
Through harming them I fall into distressing states.
Even if I have to completely give up my life,
It is fitting to be fond of them.

(27) It is those sentient beings that many
Relied on to attain siddhis.
Among migrators there is no [merit] field for siddhis
Other than the great field of sentient beings.

(28) These [sentient beings] are a wish-fulfilling jewel,
A wishing-fulfilling vase, a wishing-fulfilling cow.
I should therefore rely on them
As on a meditational deity or a guru.

(29) Having thoroughly learned the scriptures and reasoning,
Before long all virtuous goodness will arise
Within the hand of love of the holy being who
Looks upon every sentient being as “mine.”

(30) This is the conduct of the great Sage;
One should not be indecisive about its rationale.
For as long as one does not actualize [such conduct]
That long accomplishment is impossible.

(31) Since you should investigate for a while,
Exert yourself with the explanation as it is set forth!
You will naturally attain the qualities that are
The causes of the very great.

(32) This is the great path,
The aspect on which great sentient beings rely.
The exalted one that bestows happiness on
Each sentient being is a wish-fulfilling jewel.

Homage to Manjusri

Following are short notes from His Holiness Dalai Lama text Appearing and Empty

Inherent existence is a false mode of existence conceived by self-grasping ignorance that takes phenomena to appear from their own side, under their own power, independent of external phenomena

it's explained as, incorrectly seeing phenomena as

• coming from their own side (so us having no role to play in their existence)
• based on its unique mode of existence (so it having some unique property that makes it it)
• setup by itself (so it is seeming to be created by itself)
• acting by its own power (so seeing some kind of intention in things independent of everything else)
• independent of other factors (so existing by itself in a vacuum with no dependence on the mind or its causes)

“We then say, “The present consciousness exists dependent on the past and future. Being dependent, it cannot exist inherently. Given that an object is not apprehended by an inherently existent past, present, or future consciousness, it, too, does not exist inherently. If it existed inherently, it would have to be posited without depending on anything else — not the past or the future, not the sense faculty or sense consciousness. In fact, the present color blue depends on all of these.” In brief, the refutation is that consciousness does not inherently exist because it is a dependent arising.”

May contemplating these reasonings lead us to sever all doubts

Homage to Manjusri lord of wisdom, may all wrong views be totally severed

The following excerpt is from Lama Zopa Rinpoche's text Bodhicitta. This excerpt establishes why bodhicitta is the door to happiness for us & numberless beings.

THE BODHICHITTA MOTIVATION

Until we renounce the selfish mind, there will be little benefit in anything we do. Even if we work for others in some way, the mind is up and down and there are always problems, misunderstandings, and personal conflicts. We might be in a profession that is very beneficial for others, such as medicine or education, but with a self-centered motivation we are blocked from feeling any sense of fulfillment. On the surface, someone who has taken ordination should be so happy because he or she is of great benefit to others, but unless the motivation is altruistic, this is not so. The problem is not the job but the motivation for doing it. What should cause enormous joy and satisfaction only causes frustration and dissatisfaction because of the ego.

Even if we logically know that working for others is the route to happiness, unless we can overcome the selfish mind, there will be little benefit. It will all just feel like an incredible burden, like a mountain pushing down on our head.

We can be doing all the “right” things, but if we are not doing anything to transform our basic selfishness, we block whatever we do from being beneficial for ourselves or for others. Many people study the Dharma for a long time and then give it up, saying it is flawed or not relevant or something. The reason the Dharma has failed to help them is because, although they might have studied it, they have never really practiced it; they have never brought the Dharma into their lives, and so nothing they have done has become the Dharma — it is not the teachings of the Buddha that are at fault but their way of thinking. That’s why checking our motivation is so important. We must do everything for the right reasons; otherwise, nothing will be of any benefit.

In our life, the habit of selfish concern is so strong and the habit of selflessness is so weak. This is what Shantideva said in A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life:

How incredibly powerful the unceasing negativities are,
whereas virtuous thoughts are so weak.
What other merit besides bodhichitta
can overcome them?

Even when a positive action is done, compared to the negative actions we habitually do, it has very little power. We are so overwhelmed by nonvirtue that it becomes very hard to create any virtue at all. Until we overcome our selfishness through developing bodhichitta, the self-centered attitude will color everything we do. If we want to quickly purify all the negative imprints that are on our mindstream and have been there since beginningless time, the most skillful, wisest method is to cultivate this pure thought that leads all sentient beings to enlightenment.

As I often say, the purpose of our life is not just to obtain happiness for ourselves, not just to solve our own problems; the purpose of our life is to be useful for others, to be beneficial for others, to free numberless other living beings from all their sufferings and to lead them to happiness. This is the purpose of our life.

Therefore, the purpose of our life, the meaning of our own life, is limitless like the sky. We have the responsibility to bring happiness to numberless other living beings. If we have compassion, then, rather than receiving harm from us, the numberless beings receive peace and happiness. Being alive as a human being — for an hour, a minute, or even a second — in order to achieve enlightenment so we can enlighten all sentient beings brings meaning to our life.

Whereas cherishing the I opens the door to all problems, the minute we cherish others we open the door not only to our own happiness and enlightenment but also to the happiness of all other living beings. Why? Because when just one person generates bodhichitta, that attitude will lead to numberless beings being liberated from all their sufferings and to achieving every happiness. Our bodhichitta will cause the numberless hell beings to be free from suffering and achieve all happiness, including enlightenment. Our bodhichitta will cause the numberless hungry ghosts to be free from suffering and achieve all happiness, including enlightenment. Our bodhichitta will cause the numberless animals to be free from suffering and achieve all happiness, including enlightenment. Our bodhichitta will cause the numberless human beings to be free from suffering and achieve all happiness, including enlightenment. Our bodhichitta will cause the numberless gods and demigods to be free from suffering and achieve all happiness, including enlightenment. Our bodhichitta will cause the numberless intermediate-state beings to be free from suffering and achieve all happiness, including enlightenment.

The situation is urgent. It’s unbearable for us to delay generating bodhichitta for a day, for an hour, or for even a minute. It’s unbearable for us not to have this realization. Because other sentient beings are suffering so much, and they need happiness so much, they need us to change our attitude from cherishing the I to cherishing others. This can’t wait. The need for our bodhichitta is a million times more urgent than a heart attack victim’s need for emergency treatment in a hospital. The need for our bodhichitta is a million, billion, trillion times more urgent. We must change our attitude from cherishing the I into cherishing others.

In our life there is nobody to work for except other sentient beings. There is no purpose in living our life except to work for sentient beings. Any work other than for sentient beings is meaningless.

Even if we have achieved the state of an arhat and have been released from samsara by having purified all the gross obscurations, our work is still not finished. We need to purify even the subtle obscurations to knowledge and attain enlightenment in order to do perfect work for sentient beings. Without this perfect power it’s like an armless mother trying to save her child who has been taken by the river. She has the wish and the compassion but not the ability to save that child. We need the perfect power, the perfect understanding, the perfect compassion of a buddha.

All the effort we put into staying alive — everything we buy, all the clothes, all the food, all the medicines, all the items for our body from our hair to our toes — is only worthwhile if our life is to serve others. Trying to have a long and healthy life is only worthwhile because of this. Having a major illness, even dying, should be experienced for the benefit of others. The best way to experience death is on behalf of other living beings, in order to help them have happiness and be free from suffering. With this bodhichitta motivation we are able to keep our mind in a state of peace and tranquility as we die and so die with real happiness.

The purpose of life is not to live long and be healthy, nor is it to have money or power or reputation; it is just to be useful to others. With such an attitude, no matter what happens — good or bad, success or failure — everything is transformed into the path to enlightenment. Then, even a life-threatening illness does not perturb us. Rather than making us drown in self-pity, it makes us generate more compassion, looking for the very best way to benefit the numberless sentient beings. Whatever occurs in our life, we are fulfilling our potential as much as we can and so our goal is being achieved.
Even if we aren’t Buddhist, even if we don’t think about enlightenment, even if we consider ourselves unreligious, we can still see that the purpose of our life is to cause happiness for other living beings, to free them from suffering. To generate the good heart is to give meaning to life.

Therefore, right after we wake up each morning, we should rejoice that we haven’t died during the night and that today we are again in this precious human body with this perfect human rebirth and the opportunity to develop our good heart. Then we should see that our priority, our responsibility, is to serve others, to free them from suffering and lead them to happiness. That’s our job. That’s our duty. Starting each day like this, there is so much peace and happiness for ourselves and for others.

By the merit of sharing this excerpt, may bodhicitta arise where it hasn't arisen & increase where it already has

Homage to Samantabhadra all goodness, inspire us to achieve your unexcelled state

Following excerpt is from Lama Zopa Rinpoche's text Bodhicitta. This excerpt points out how empty the promises of self-cherishing intention are.

There is no samsaric happiness that we have never experienced. In fact, we have experienced every samsaric pleasure countless times. The reason we seem to be encountering new pleasures or new problems is simply because we cannot remember our past lives. When we can realize that we have already undergone whatever pleasure or problem we are currently experiencing innumerable times before, we will see that striving for samsaric perfection is fruitless; we are always doomed to dissatisfaction. Therefore we must determine to break the never-ending cycle of suffering.

However, even if we could overcome suffering completely, the real meaning of life would still elude us. It is not enough to practice the Dharma solely for our own happiness. Even animals work toward their own happiness, day and night. A cow finds grass and is happy; a horse finds water and drinks it, thinking, “May I be happy.” If they are happy, it is good; if they are suffering, it is bad. If that’s our attitude, are we any better than the animals and insects?

Living in a beautiful house, eating delicious food, is that any better than the animal living in the forest eating grass? Of course, the level of enjoyment might be much greater, but is it any more meaningful? A life filled with riches — the most magnificent house, the most wonderful clothes, the most delicious food — is as worthless as the poorest life if it is lived just for selfish pleasure. We have this particular body and we call ourselves “human,” but are we any different from the animals? Each of us is really just an animal with a human body.

Even among animals some show compassion. I heard about a cat that lived very happily with its mouse neighbor. The mouse was there right in front of the cat, but they lived very peacefully together. Animals can help each other. So in that way they are better than we humans who only work for our own happiness.

So much money and effort — by ourselves and our parents — have gone into having this life we now have. We have worked so hard to learn the alphabet, to learn the subjects at primary and high school, to gain our degree at university. We have put so much time and effort into finding the right, well-paid job and we are still working incredibly hard to get what we want. We work so many hours a week to pay for our house to give us comfort and shelter, for our clothes and food, and for our enjoyments; we spend so much money on medicine, health care, and insurance. When we get sick it costs so much to have an operation or some expensive treatment.

We spend so much energy trying to stay healthy, going to the gym, listening to the advice people give us about health, knowing what food is yin and what food is yang, spending hours jogging in the mountains. We think that living our life in this way, taking such good care of ourselves and seeking out the best enjoyments, is what gives it meaning. Unless we can see that living our life for others is really what gives life meaning, what else can we think?

In fact, this busy life of chasing health and enjoyment is a very empty life. There is no meaning at all, no purpose in living like this. All our effort totally fails to give meaning to our life. All the knowledge we have collected is just like data in a computer. We could become the richest person in the world, somebody who is featured all the time on television and in magazines. We could be a household name, known to every person young and old, with the biggest reputation in the world. However, our life is completely empty.

We each lead a selfish life, not recognizing that all happiness comes from others. We see others as a means to our happiness rather than seeing that by serving them we attain true happiness. Everything in our life that bring us enjoyment has been received from other sentient beings; nothing we have ever owned exists without their effort. The clothes we wear, the food we eat, the house we live in all come from the kindness of so many sentient beings. Countless beings have died or experienced great pain to give us these things. Many have created negative karma to ensure we have what we want. But while we are enjoying all these things, we don’t give a single thought to benefit others. Our only concern is our own happiness, always wondering what will make me happy.

Here’s an analogy: We buy a house after many, many years of incredibly hard work, saving every penny we can, enduring great physical hardship, day and night. Then we let somebody stay in our house and we feed them, thinking they can help out by working for us. However, instead of helping us, they steal our money, our possessions, and so forth. When we realize this we are furious, wanting to find them and scream at them. Thinking of how they used us, sleeping in our big bed under our warm, soft blanket, never giving even one thought to all the hard work we had done to bring this all about, we go crazy with anger. If we could find them, and if we had a bomb, they would no longer exist!

If this seems an extreme example, this is really how we are with all other sentient beings all the time: taking the results of their hard work and never thinking once of the suffering they have had to go through to give us our pleasure.

May our minds turn away from sensory objects

Homage to the Guru Buddha who compassionately turned the wheel of Dharma for all beings

The greatest benefit they have without saying is turning the three wheels of teachings, that lead to complete deliverance.

I’m curious outside these official textual answers. if we are honest, we won’t fully get the mind expanding descriptions in Mahayana sutras, until Buddhahood .

His inconceivable activities as Samboghkaya and using super knowledges in Niramanakaya are completely unseen to all else. He even did the Vesak superpower presentation to wow lay members.

A question that comes up me often is how can I practice being more genuinely grateful to the teacher when all their activities are single hidden or too hidden to notice.

My dedications don’t feel as firm as they could be.

And my inspiration to practice is hampered by lack of understanding of what a Buddha could achieve. I still follow Dharma texts based on valid cognition and practice the mindfulness foundations m based on lam rim. It’s so hard to believe and see what the end goal of practice could be!

Homage to the liberating power of wisdom!

All arisen phenomena depend on causes

So I confess non-virtue that leads to sorrow

So I rejoice in virtue that leads to bliss

And since all virtue arises from bodhicitta

I rejoice most in bodhicitta wherever it has arisen!

May this verse of appreciation lead to liberating joy throughout space!