Why are all living beings inherently equal?

Study Khenpo Sodargyi’s explanation of "Entering the Samsara". First, read it, then organize the notes, and then write an article based on the notes. After reading and thinking about it, I hope that I can put my selfishness behind it. Lee, your arrogant and stubborn heart should be softened.

In Tibetan Buddhism, there are two major inheritance methods for cultivating worldly bodhicitta to benefit sentient beings. One is Venerable Atisha’s “Seven Essentials of Mind Training” and the other is Shantideva Bodhisattva’s “The Theory of Entrance”. The practice of equality of self and others and the practice of exchange of self and others proposed in the book. The order of practice of the latter is to meditate on the equality of self and others first, because as the "Xueji Lun" says: "Having become familiar with the equality of self and others can generate a strong bodhicitta."< /p>

To put it simply, we are equal to other sentient beings, both in terms of conventional truth and ultimate truth.

Starting from the ultimate truth, since the "I" of all living beings and the "I" of oneself are both false and false methods of differentiation established by famous sayings, they are both infected by ignorance from the true nature of equality. Where does the inequality come from in the illusion that arises? It's like two people arguing about the beauty and ugliness of the person in the painting. The person in the painting is originally fake, so how can beauty and ugliness be established?

Based on secular truth, all sentient beings have the goal of seeking benefits, avoiding harm, staying away from pain, and obtaining peace and happiness as their life goals. This desire is completely equal.

So Shantideva Bodhisattva succinctly pointed out:

"First of all, we should diligently observe and practice that we and others are inherently equal. Avoid suffering and seek happiness, and protect others as we protect ourselves."

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Although we admit that all living beings want to seek happiness and avoid suffering, our rather rigid and stubborn hearts just don’t understand that he and I each have different feelings of pain and happiness, so why should we “protect him as we protect ourselves” Woolen cloth?

What is particularly worthy of our attention here is that Mahayana Buddhism in the Mainland certainly talks about the equality of all living beings, but rarely proves this logically, which makes this extremely important practice seem to lack basis and validity. Therefore, this is also one of the many precious teachings that Buddhists in the Mainland can learn from Tibetan Buddhism.

The first argument put forward by Shantideva Bodhisattva that we can, should, and must "protect others as we protect ourselves" is:

"Although our hands, feet, and limbs are many, we should protect ourselves as one." . All living beings have different joys and sorrows, please share the same happiness with me."

The various parts of our bodies, such as hands, feet, and heads, are actually very different. Why can we care for them equally? Woolen cloth? Because we have illusoryly established a concept of "my body" based on these combinations. Although they are different, they all have the same thing as "my body".

Although all living beings are different from "I", we also have one big thing in common, which is "the pursuit of happiness". Then why can't we attach "he" and "I" as What about being a whole and loving each other equally?

Here Khenpo Sodarji gave an example of hair to illustrate that the "I" we build is just a concept, an illusory habit. When the hair is still growing on our heads, we will wash it, take care of it, and decorate it in every possible way. If someone says that our hair is not good, we will be very upset. But in the barber shop, when the barber cuts off our hair and throws it away. When we are on the ground, even if we are trampled on by others, we will not care. This is enough to prove that our so-called "I" and "my body" are completely irrational and delusional, and the distinction between self and others is based on this delusion. What nature reflects is our stubborn ignorance.

Since we can regard all limbs and bones as "my body", why can't we regard all living beings as "my living beings"? The key here is not the difference in the external body, but the concepts we hold inside. What we should repeatedly ask ourselves is:

"The pursuit of happiness is the same for both ourselves and others. What is the difference between us and others? Why seek independent happiness?"

"For both ourselves and others, the pursuit of happiness is the same. Since suffering is the same, why should we only protect ourselves?”

Of course, we can always find reasonable-sounding reasons for our selfishness, such as the suffering he suffered. It won't hurt me, so why should I protect him from suffering?

Shantideva asked us: "The suffering in the future will not harm you now, so why do you protect yourself?"

Since you can ignore the suffering that does not harm you, then you can't care about it now. If you can't feel the pain you will suffer in the future, why should you actively protect yourself? We Chinese people pay attention to "raising children to protect themselves in old age". We start buying various insurances at a young age, isn't it to prevent suffering in the future?

Our reason is that I will be the one who suffers in the future, so of course I have to be careful.

Shantideva Bodhisattva told us in his holy words that this is just a kind of reverse thinking, because "the dead have another body, and the living will also reappear."

Our body of five aggregates is the same. I am mutating all the time. How can I continue to suffer in the future? It is a delusion that makes us cling to a series of continuity as "one" and "I". There is no rationality here.

But we can still continue to find reasons for our own selfishness. For example, we should protect ourselves from suffering. How can I control so much!

Shantideva asked us again: "The pain in the feet is not the pain in the hands, so why do you use your hands to protect your feet?"

Your foot is sprained, why do you need to use your hands to massage it quickly? ? According to our logic, since it is the foot that suffers and not the hand?

The reason why I always feel frightened when I read the analysis of "The Theory of Entrance" is that too many things that we are accustomed to and take for granted become vulnerable when faced with wise people and reality. Unable to be established.

From the ultimate truth, even our "pain" itself is illusory and unreal. Since the continuity of the mind and the gathering of the five aggregates are just a pseudonym, just like we say "army". In fact, there is no "army", there are just soldiers one by one. There are no suffering people, so who is the one who can feel the suffering?

All sentient beings are trapped in the nightmare of reincarnation just like us. Although dreams are originally illusory, for those who have not yet awakened, those dreams full of painful experiences can indeed bring unbearable suffering to themselves.

At this time, why bother to distinguish yourself, this is your suffering, this is mine, I don’t care about yours, I only care about mine?

"Since there is no one who suffers, there is no distinction between suffering. ... If you want to eliminate it, you should eliminate it, otherwise you will be like others."

Suffering is there, but the real "self" and "other" do not exist, then they should be eliminated equally or simply retained equally.

The principle of equality between oneself and others is so clear, but in the process of clarifying it, there will still be little drum beats and twists and turns, in response to the sentence "Fake it when it is true." "It's also false." As time goes by and after many lives, the false "I" becomes real, and the differences between self and others that should not exist also appear, making it difficult to accept the truth of "selflessness" and "equality".

This is why we must engage in practical practice after hearing it. Although we feel thoughtful after hearing it, please remember that "the revolution has not yet succeeded, comrades still need to work hard."

Think of what the Buddha said to the Bodhisattva Achievements in the Surangama Sutra: “But if the mind is level, everything in the world will be level.

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