Can the Bodhisattva Ever Rest? Answer: Mu

A bodhisattva may never rest and he may rest. This type of reasoning has always confounded Western students of Buddhism. At face value there appears to be a contradiction. Yet, each statement is absolutely valid on its own without contradicting the other statement.

To think that a bodhisattva may rest can condemn him to the ultimate "sin" in Buddhism, sloth. For the bodhisattva "...should live neither in control nor in indulgence of his mind. Not living in either of the two extremes is the domain of the bodhisattva." (Vimalakirti, 47) The key to understanding resting and not resting is in understanding the true meaning of the term "rest."

To a bodhisattva, rest is not a time to put his guard down and take a break from spiritual practice, sort of like a bodhisattva half-time. To rest means just to rest. This means entering fully into the moment, putting all energies towards the activity of rest. A rest performed with all of ones energy is a true Buddhist rest. This is the "...domain essentially without undertaking, yet where all the roots of virtue are undertaken without interruption..." (Vim, 48) Similar to the Taoist doctrine of Wei Wu Wei, action through non-action, the bodhisattva acts by doing nothing. This "doing nothing" is essentially, an action.

This type of practice, where every action is an expression of ones way of being in the world, is also an analogy for enlightenment. Enlightenment can never be realized by searching for it, it can only be realized by living an enlightened life, expressing oneself in an enlightened manner. More than that though, the practice of living in the moment, or mindfulness, is enlightenment itself!

 ...it is impossible that I should attain the perfect
 enlightenment of Buddhahood!  Why?  Because perfect
 enlightenment stands upon the impossible.  Because it is
 impossible, no one attains the perfect enlightenment of
 Buddhahood. (Vim, 62)

Whether one is helping the poor, driving a car or resting, if the activity is done one hundred percent in the moment with all ones being and without ulterior motives or the thought of reward, that activity is enlightenment in action.

Those determined to live an enlightened life through mindfulness and a detachment to the ego are destined for enlightenment. According to the Vimalakirti sutra, "Buddha- qualities do not grow in those determined for the absolute but do grow in those who conceive the spirit of enlightenment..." (Vim, 66) By just living in the moment, or living life "just like this" to use the words of the Korean Zen Master Seung Sahn, the bodhisattva avoids attachment to thoughts and feelings that occur. When a bodhisattva wants to think or listen to music, he thinks or listens to music. He doesn't listen to music while driving his car, or think while trying to listen to music. Actions are performed with ones entire being, one at a time. Only in that way can one experience reality in the moment.

 They (bodhisattva's) journey through all Buddha-fields
      In order to bring benefit to living beings,
 Yet they see those fields as just empty space,
      Free of any conceptual notions of "living beings"
      (Vim, 68)    

This passage is an example of "just like this." The bodhisattva performs an action without conceptual thought hindrances.

Actions performed with mindfulness in an enlightened manner might be thought of as sacred or spiritual. Likewise, everyday actions might be thought of as actions performed by those not on the bodhisattva path, actions that are performed by a deluded individual who does not follow the Dharma. However, both of these perspectives are wrong and right.

Actions are not sacred or secular, for that would be an attachment to name and form. "To say, `this is mundane' and `That is transcendental' is dualism. This world has the nature of voidness, so there is neither transcendence nor involvement, neither progress nor standstill...." (Vim 74) Yet to not distinguish a bodhisattvas actions from enlightened activity and delusive activity is to ignore the reality of the situation, that of bodhisattva actions and deluded actions. If this was a Zen ko- an, the Master would threaten to hit the student if he answered which one of these perspectives were right or wrong. So what is the answer? My answer is: "This paper is finished," just like that.