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37 Practices of the Bodhisattva - Verse 4
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Ken McLeod continues his commentary on the 37 Practices of the Bodhisattva with Verse 4. Watch the other videos here.
4
You will separate from long-time friends and relatives;
You will leave behind the wealth you worked to build up;
The guest, your consciousness, will move from the inn, your body.
Forget the conventional concerns — this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
Another beautiful facet of the diamond! All practices are practices of transference. Thanks so much for your continued discourse. Just checked on line to find Dilgo Khentse's book, The Heart of Compassion on the 37 Practices.
At first it was a stretch to follow the connection you make between this 4th verse on impermanence and the Chuang Tzu citation you quoted at the end. Non-attachment to convention or, more broadly (since some of us are naturally unconventional), the expectation of any outcome turned out to be the key: Life is but a dream and impermanence (or death) is its ever faithful partner.
Even waking up to the dream might turn out to be a dream "when the wise man comes".
One dream after another... pop, pop, pop... like bubbles into the air.
But, if so, the question begs: why aspire to a life of no expectations?
Zen Master Shenshan was crossing a river with Dongshan. Dongshan said, “Don’t make a mistake with your steps and slip into the current,” and Shenshan replied, “If I make a mistake with my steps, then I won’t live to cross the river.” Then Dongshan asked, “What is the state without mistakes?” And Shenshan answered, “Now I’m crossing the river with the Elder.”