Dharma Wheel

Can you ask a real Bodhisattva to examine your life? . .

I am not quite sure what you are asking. Can you expand a bit? What do you mean by 'Bodhisattva'? And what it is you expect from having one examine your life?

Wesley1982 wrote:Can you ask a real Bodhisattva to examine your life? . .

Buddhism is really about personal responsibility.
We can meet many teachers who very well could be bodhisattvas, they can teach us but it is up to us to examine our lives and apply the teachings we are giving and instructed to apply.

Anders Honore wrote:I am not quite sure what you are asking. Can you expand a bit? What do you mean by 'Bodhisattva'? And what it is you expect from having one examine your life?

I understand a real Bodhisattva to be someone who has taken all the vows and walks along the path.

Perhaps someone can show me what I'm doing wrong.

Wesley1982 wrote:
Perhaps someone can show me what I'm doing wrong.

What are you doing and why do you feel you are doing something wrong?

Nangwa wrote: What are you doing and why do you feel you are doing something wrong?

Its not moral, its technical. For example, someone might ask me to do something for them and I may not know exactly how they want it done.

Wesley-

Many of us who have been committed to this path for some time have taken Bodhisattva vows, and we renew them daily. However, I am going to go out on a limb and say that, for most of us, truly maintaining the Bodhisattva commitment is a daily struggle. (Fortunately, the teachings on Mind Training advise us to practice compassion for sentient beings, starting with ourselves!)

Finding a sentient being who is a True Bodhisattva, on the Bhumis, is a rare thing. So, in order to ask a "real Bodhisattva" to examine your life, first you have to find one! I don't recommend asking an aspiring Bodhisattva to examine your life.

Instead, the responsibility falls on you. You should be examining your own life. I think I understand what you mean by "technical," and not "moral." In our daily life, it is good to start the day with aspirations that all beings be happy, free of suffering, etc. At the end of each day, we should carefully review the day's events and activities, and our interactions, and think about how we carried forth our intentions and wishes, or how we failed to do so. This is, technically, the "method." If I may, I'd like to recommend this book.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Buddhist-Prac ... 0963037196

It's a little book, you can carry it around, and it provides just the "technical methods" I think you're looking for, in order to examine your life and path. Hope this helps!

Do you just magically transport yourself to Tibet?

Wesley1982 wrote:

Anders Honore wrote:I am not quite sure what you are asking. Can you expand a bit? What do you mean by 'Bodhisattva'? And what it is you expect from having one examine your life?

I understand a real Bodhisattva to be someone who has taken all the vows and walks along the path.

Perhaps someone can show me what I'm doing wrong.

Sure. This is what dharma teachers do.

Wesley, did you wanted a Pure Land perspective on this or general responses where this is meant to be in forums like 'Exploring Buddhism' or 'Mahayana Buddhism'?

Wesley1982 wrote:Do you just magically transport yourself to Tibet?

Do you still think all the teachers and practitioners live in Asia?

Wesley1982 wrote: I understand a real Bodhisattva to be someone who has taken all the vows and walks along the path.

Perhaps someone can show me what I'm doing wrong.

too much thought on the "I"?
start forgetting the "self". be selfless.

i learned from Garchen Rinpoche. 1) loving kindness, compassion can help one understand emptiness faster. 2) his father taught him to look focus at a far away object when walking toward it and it help in his single pointness. 3) a secret/special meditation: meditate that your mind and other's minds are one. sort of to put yourself on other's people's shoe. we are all deeping connected like a net.
saw Garchen Rinpoche in person, very cheerful. eventhough, he went in prison for 20yrs.

Nangwa wrote: Do you still think all the teachers and practitioners live in Asia?

No.

plwk wrote:Wesley, did you wanted a Pure Land perspective on this or general responses where this is meant to be in forums like 'Exploring Buddhism' or 'Mahayana Buddhism'?

In the East Asian Buddhism section of Dharma Wheel - I've generally made threads and posted questions in the Zen and Pure Land subforums.

conebeckham wrote:Instead, the responsibility falls on you. You should be examining your own life.

Good point. Thanks

Well, follow the Dharma, practice, and reflect. Also observe qualities of Buddhas. Do what Buddhas do and do not what Buddhas don't do. At least try to.

Wesley1982 wrote:Can you ask a real Bodhisattva to examine your life? . .

Yes, you surely can.It is vital to have an Enlightened Guru to guide us though some say that it is not a must.He can go back to our past lifes and then pick the right Yidam for us.That would give us a jump-start in our meditation as we would be able to continue from where we stopped our practice in our past life.This is a big plus point in meditation.We would also be chanting the right mantra and progress would be quick.He could also guide us, advise us when we have slackened in our practise and keep us on track all the way.