No edit summary |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 76: | Line 76: | ||
For most of us, who are quick to vilify anyone who dares to harm us even in the smallest of ways, this way of thinking may seem completely alien. Our culture often praises righteous retaliation and vengeance. And yet here Śāntideva turns the whole situation, and our reaction to it, on its head. He suggests that anyone who is hostile to us should instead be honored almost on the level of a guru, for they have come to aid us on the path to enlightenment. Indeed, he presents the opportunity for an incredible transformation of our minds and our experience of everything that happens to us. | For most of us, who are quick to vilify anyone who dares to harm us even in the smallest of ways, this way of thinking may seem completely alien. Our culture often praises righteous retaliation and vengeance. And yet here Śāntideva turns the whole situation, and our reaction to it, on its head. He suggests that anyone who is hostile to us should instead be honored almost on the level of a guru, for they have come to aid us on the path to enlightenment. Indeed, he presents the opportunity for an incredible transformation of our minds and our experience of everything that happens to us. | ||
In conclusion, Śāntideva vows that it will be his | In conclusion, Śāntideva vows that it will be his life's work to implement these practices and ways of transforming the mind, practices which delight the buddhas and bring about our own welfare as well. | ||
{{PullBcaVerses|6.127}} | {{PullBcaVerses|6.127}} | ||