Compassion of the Wisdom Buddha

part 2 Let us leave aside how ordinary people see compassion, and think a bit about correct training in the human development of compassion and other higher levels. So, there are training stages possible; correct human compassion, then compassion training of the learner bodhisattvas, and finally, training in Great Compassion that comes from the perfected state.

Human beings are capable of learning correct uses of their outer bases or outer/inner bases in order to understand correct compassion. The outer sense bases are eye, ear etc connected to inner eye, inner ear up to consciousness/awareness interacting with self, others and the environment. This activity is almost always restlessly processing energetic data into meaning to be used as inner strategy for being alive where the primary awareness resides (whatever level that might be). This data easily becomes polluted by anger, trauma and other dysfunctions that prevent the altruistic motivation of compassion to be alive. The healing of the ability to learn and experience human compassion preparation toward the enlightened state must happen. Because compassion is vital to transformation, its preparation requires many different steps and levels in order for one to become truly skilled.

After enlightenment, compassion, combined with a cultivated sense of universal responsibility should remain even though the illusion is broken. Here I make a distinction between what I call learner bodhisattvas and buddha emanated bodhisattvas. The learner bodhisattva uses the prepared but partially developed inner bases to continue learning correct inner sense base compassion. This is the enlightened vast source of boundless energy that makes it possible to benefit limitless living beings.

In order to be of most benefit, bodhisattvas guiding living beings to liberation or enlightenment remain outside of human realm energies. Since bodhisattvas are beyond needing to stimulate the senses in order to satisfy personal desires that cause stress and confusion, they wisely remain beyond form in the correct manner, without seeking human form. They do not often enter into situations where they will need to activate the illusory sense bases and the innate view thereby creating illusory and painful karma that they do not actually have. That means very few bodhisattvas emanate into the human realm in comparison to their vast numbers. These learner bodhisattvas will eventually enter perfection after eons of experiences, skillfully benefiting others while remaining under the care and guidance of Buddha level beings.

After passing through more developed states, they eventually enter buddhahood, a defined state of being, now devoid of the remaining stains that prevented the omniscient state from arising. It is good to know that this state is natural in some living beings that never entered ordinary existence to avoid the error of thinking that all buddhas were once suffering human beings. The entry by a bodhisattva into buddhahood is a cause for rejoicing in higher level beings. At this point, the being is able to emanate forms at will and becomes skillful in bodhisattva activity by emanating while the inner base resides in stillness of perfection itself. It is uncertain at what skill level a buddha enters perfection completely, however, this entry into perfection stills all activities.

Perfection itself, now, (continues), emanating forms such as buddhas from absolute balance and stillness through Great Compassion compelled by the needs of living beings. The emanation process from perfection, to buddhas, to their emanations of myriad bodhisattvas is a miracle of compassion and highest universal responsibility only possible from that sublime nature. These buddha emanated bodhisattvas also do not usually enter the sense organs and the sense bases, but remain in a subtle form. This is the forms of which some are identified as the deities while the true identity of all buddha emanated bodhisattvas remains in perfection.

Who are the objects of the care of a great compassion bodhisattva? Perfected in wisdom, buddha emanated, bodhisattvas activity is toward sentient beings of different categories. Sentient beings or living beings are all those who are not yet enlightened or awakened to the illusory nature of ordinary reality without regard to their form, realm, location or even those in formless realms. One who is not actively being nurtured in development because they are not prepared to receive the specialized care is a lost one and a suffering sentient being.

As healing reverses the damage to the inner levels of suffering beings by myriad methods, gradually all of them will become capable of receiving direct care. In a technical sense, a careful practitioner is in a category of one who is being cared for and nurtured in the development stage and is not a sentient being. But sometimes a practitioner is a sentient being and sometimes not a sentient being because someone who is strongly practicing is lifted to higher development temporarily but easily falls back into samsara. Due to samsara and their karma, this higher state is not continuous for them and bursts of practice enthusiasm are often followed by periods of inappropriate suffering, so practitioners in general, are also called suffering sentient beings. To be continued….