Introducing Buddha: A Graphic Guide (Graphic Guides)

by Borin Van Loon

The actions of a Bodhisattva must have vision, must have understanding which transcends that of centralized ego. The Bodhisattva is not trying to be good or kind, he does not mix good intention with confusion. His communication with the world is spontaneously compassionate. This spontaneous compassion comes from having cut through all conceptualizations by the force of discriminating awareness or prajna. Prajna is fully liberated intelligence. It does not depend on the confirmation of ego and is traditionally symbolized by a sharp two-edged sword which cuts through all confusion. Prajna cuts through conceptualized versions of goodness, otherwise our version of compassion could be thoroughly aggressive, forcing our kindness down people’s throats. Without prajna, the goodness of the bodhisattva would be mere piousness. Without conscious effort therefore, the Bodhisattva spontaneously helps others. Shantideva, the great 8th century Mahayana teacher writes in his treatise Entering the Mahayana Path: We should become like a bridge that travellers walk over, like moonlight that cools the heat of passion, like medicine that cures disease, or like the sun which illuminates the darkness of ignorance. True compassion is the result of experiencing sunyata. ‘Sunya’ means empty; and ‘ta’ means ‘ness’. The doctrine of emptiness is the essential teaching of Mahayana. It is the ultimate truth of non-ego. The experience of sunyata occurs as a glimpse of unconditioned mind. There is no dwel...