ya, me too. no mantra in particular. i only gave info on the
understanding of 自度度他 Help yourself help others. 自度度他 is non dual.
and i was trying to address the following u quoted. :)
" Regarding the paths of practice, there are two types: the
difficult path and the easy path. One starts the difficult
path by invoking the bodhi-mind, and follows up by practicing the
bodhisattva path life after life, sacrificing one's self to benefit
sentient beings. The traveler on this path relies heavily on
the power of his vows to support his work of delivering others life
after life. It is a very difficult approach. If his vow-power
is not strong enough, the practitioner will frequently withdraw
from the path because of frustrations and setbacks. But this
path is faster than the easy path, as one will achieve the goal of
becoming a Buddha much sooner. The easy path is to rely on
rebirth in one of the pure lands that has been created by a
Buddha's vow-power, where practitioners can nourish their
wisdom. In other words, the practitioners are reborn in a
buddha land as ordinary people, but will cultivate wisdom under the
facilitating environment there. After they reach the stage of
non-retrogression or even the noble stages, they will enter the
ordinary world to practice the bodhisattva path to deliver sentient
beings. So, this path is more stable, but winding and slow...
People without self-confidence or strong aspiration should take the
easy path...."
- from "Orthodox Chinese Buddhism" written by
Ch'an Master Sheng-yen
For now, I lack strong aspiration and wisdom. Hence, I do not
consider starting out on the Bodhisattva path.
regarding this, it's a good question.
to first help yourself then help others is the job
of bodhisattvas. to help others while even though u cannot
liberate yourself is also the job of bodhisattvas. both examples
are bodhisattvas. however, there's certain perspective we need to
understand.
as to help others even though u cannot liberate yourself
might not be reliable. one assume that they had help others, but
are they really been liberated is questionable. there are ten
dharma realms, where do u think one had liberated others to?
to "liberate" another being into the three lower realm is also
consider "liberate"度. 度 mean to "help". u help other into which
realm? so to liberate yourself mean u yourself have to know the
path, know the direction and not lead others into the wrong path. u
can be a person who has gone through the path yourself, so u know
the way. if one never been to the road yourself, any how point the
road and direction, then that's pretty dangerous.
but for pureland school, there's a skillful way of doing so. and
that's to rely on Amitabha to reborn in western pureland. here u
can encourage others while even though u are not liberate
yourself. other school u cannot say to help others while even
though u cannot liberate yourself, but in pureland school, we can.
so that's the difference perspective. u encourage others, u
are a bodhisattva, even if u cannot reborn in PL urself.
there are quite many such "bodhisattvas". they are only
called the name of "bodhisattva". but that's ok, as the more people
u encourage and they really are reborn in PL, then one day when u
are about to leave, they will also come back to help u.
Da Ci 大慈Bodhisattva mentioned to encourage 2 person to PL,
is better than oneself's practice. and to encourage over 10
person then ur merit and virtue will be very great. and to
encourage 100-1000 person, then u are a Real bodhisattva. and
if u can encourage 10000 over person, then u are the
manifestation of Amitabha Himself.
i think even if we do not consider starting out on the
Bodhisattva path at the moment, but the thought/aspiration must be
there that we wish to do it oneday. generate bodhicitta is required
for purelanders. faith in itself is also a form of bodhicitta
btw.
/\