My dear friends,
The sixth precept under the sixth point in Geshe Chekawa's Mind Training in Seven Points is:
Incorporating this precept into the Bodhisattva path can be effectively achieved through the wisdom imparted in the eighth verse of Geshe Langri Tangpa's Eight Verses for Training the Mind:
I will keep these practices undefiled
By the stains of the eight worldly concerns.
Understanding the Verse
Regard All Phenomena as Illusory:
- Wisdom of Emptiness: Recognize that all phenomena, including our perceptions, experiences, and even the concept of "reward," are empty of inherent existence. This understanding helps dissolve attachment to outcomes, as we see them as transient and illusory.
- Impermanence: Embrace the truth that all things are impermanent and constantly changing. By deeply internalizing this, a Bodhisattva sees the futility of clinging to rewards, which are merely fleeting moments in the endless flow of samsara.
Keep Practices Undefiled by the Eight Worldly Concerns:
- What Are the Eight Worldly Concerns?
- Gain and Loss
- Praise and Blame
- Fame and Disgrace
- Pleasure and Pain
- Transcendence: A Bodhisattva must strive to transcend these concerns. By seeing these dualities as illusory, one can practice without attachment or aversion, remaining steadfast regardless of external circumstances.
- Pure Motivation: Engage in spiritual practice with the pure motivation of benefiting all sentient beings, rather than seeking personal gain or avoiding loss.
Practical Steps for Implementation
Meditative Contemplation:
- Regularly meditate on the nature of emptiness. Reflect on how phenomena, including rewards and recognition, lack inherent existence.
- Practice visualizing scenarios where you receive praise, blame, gain, or loss, and mentally train yourself to see them as illusory and not inherently meaningful.
Mindfulness in Daily Actions:
- When engaging in acts of kindness or spiritual practice, observe your motivations. Notice any desire for recognition or fear of criticism.
- Gently remind yourself that these are the eight worldly concerns and reaffirm your commitment to practice for the benefit of all beings without seeking reward.
Service and Generosity:
- Engage in acts of service and generosity anonymously whenever possible. This helps to weaken the habit of seeking external validation.
- Reflect on the joy of giving itself rather than the outcome or acknowledgment.
Compassion and Equanimity:
- Cultivate compassion and equanimity by seeing all beings as equal in their desire for happiness and freedom from suffering.
- Develop a sense of joy in the practice itself, viewing each act of compassion as inherently rewarding, independent of external validation.
Teachings and Reminders:
- Study and recite the "Eight Verses for Training the Mind" regularly. Let these teachings remind you to maintain pure motivations.
- Keep a journal where you reflect on instances where you were tempted by the eight worldly concerns and how you responded.
By integrating the wisdom of viewing all phenomena as illusory and remaining undefiled by the eight worldly concerns, followers of the Bodhisattva path can truly embody the precept of giving up all hope of reward. This shift in perspective helps maintain pure intentions and deepens the practice of compassion and wisdom, leading to genuine spiritual growth and benefit for all beings.
At first glance, the precept to "Give up all hope of reward" might seem to be in conflict with the teachings of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew:
for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.
So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others.
Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.
But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
so that your alms may be done in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites,
for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners,
so that they may be seen by others.
Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.
But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door
and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
And whenever you fast, do not look somber, like the hypocrites,
for they mark their faces to show others that they are fasting.
Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.
But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,
so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret,
and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal,
but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
- Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
Despite this seeming conflict, these teachings of Jesus can be harmonized with the Bodhisattva path by interpreting "treasure in heaven" as a spiritual reward. This reward is not the satisfaction of worldly desires but a deepening of our resolve and ability to fulfill our Bodhisattva aspirations. Let's explore how this interpretation aligns with both the teachings of Jesus and the Bodhisattva path.
Jesus' Teaching on Righteousness and Spiritual Practice
- Sincerity in Almsgiving, Prayer, and Fasting
- Almsgiving: "Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing" emphasizes giving without seeking recognition.
- Prayer: "Pray to your Father who is in secret" encourages personal, heartfelt prayer rather than public displays for praise.
- Fasting: "Put oil on your head and wash your face" suggests maintaining a normal appearance while fasting to avoid showing off one's piety.
- Spiritual Rewards Over Earthly Rewards
- The emphasis is on storing up "treasures in heaven" rather than earthly treasures.
- These treasures are secure and eternal, representing spiritual growth and the development of virtues.
Harmonizing with the Bodhisattva Path
- Giving Up All Hope of Reward: This lojong precept aligns with Jesus' admonition to avoid practicing righteousness for the sake of being seen by others. Both teachings emphasize the purity of motivation and the importance of internal, rather than external, rewards.
- Regarding All Phenomena as Illusory: a Bodhisattva understands that worldly praise and recognition are fleeting and empty. This perspective naturally leads to a focus on spiritual rewards, akin to storing treasures in heaven.
- Practices Undefiled by Worldly Concerns: Both teachings stress that spiritual practices should be free from the eight worldly concerns (pleasure, pain, gain, loss, praise, blame, fame, disgrace). This helps maintain the integrity and purity of one's spiritual path.
Practical Implementation
- Almsgiving: Practice generosity in secret, not seeking recognition or praise from others. This aligns with the Bodhisattva ideal of giving without attachment to the fruits of the action.
- Prayer and Meditation: Engage in personal and private spiritual practices. Focus on the internal cultivation of wisdom and compassion, viewing these as the true treasures that strengthen one's Bodhisattva resolve.
- Fasting and Austerity: Undertake practices of self-discipline with humility and discretion. This reinforces the idea of inner purification and spiritual development without seeking external validation.
By interpreting "treasure in heaven" as a spiritual reward, we can see an alignment between the teachings of Jesus and the Bodhisattva path. Both encourage a focus on internal spiritual growth and the cultivation of virtues (paramitas) rather than seeking external validation and rewards. This perspective helps to maintain the purity of one's motivations and deepens one's commitment to benefiting all beings.