Bodaisatta Shishōbō

First, giving. Second, kind speech. Third, beneficial action. Fourth, identity of purpose. This "giving" is non-covetousness. Non-covetousness is not being greedy. Not being greedy means not flattering in the world. Even if one rules over the four continents, in bestowing the teaching of the true path, one must only be non-covetous. It is like bestowing a treasure one does not know one is discarding. Offering flowers from a distant mountain to the Tathāgata, bestowing a treasure from a former life to sentient beings—whether in terms of the dharma or in terms of material things, in every instance, the merit that accords with giving is fundamentally possessed.

Even if it is not my thing, there is a principle of not withholding giving. One should not dislike the thing's meagerness; the merit should be genuine. When one entrusts the Way to the Way, one attains the Way. When one attains the Way, the Way is inevitably entrusted to the Way and proceeds. When one is entrusted to the treasure of wealth, wealth inevitably becomes giving. One bestows oneself upon oneself; one bestows others upon others.

The power of the causal condition of this giving penetrates far, reaching even the heavens and the human world, reaching even the sages who witness the fruit. The reason is that, by becoming the capable recipient of giving, one already forms a connection. The Buddha said: "When a person who gives comes into an assembly, first, the people look at that person with hope." Know that secretly their minds communicate. Therefore, one should give even a single phrase or verse of the dharma, for it becomes a wholesome seed in this life and other lives. One should give even a single coin or blade of grass of wealth, for it plants wholesome roots in this world and other worlds.

The dharma should be a treasure; wealth should be the dharma. It depends on one's vow and joy. Truly, by giving a whisker, one puts the mind of things in order; by offering sand, one attains royal rank. One merely does not covet their gratitude and apportions one's own strength. Placing a boat or building a bridge is also the dāna pāramitā of giving.

If one thoroughly learns giving, then both receiving the body and relinquishing the body are this giving; managing a livelihood and occupation are originally not apart from giving. Entrusting flowers to the wind and birds to the season should also be the meritorious work of giving. The principle by which King Aśoka's half āmalaka fruit is proven to have made offerings to several hundred members of the saṅgha and to be a vast offering—those who are capable recipients should also thoroughly learn it. It is not only a matter of exerting bodily strength; one should not neglect skillful means.

Truly, because the merit of giving is fundamentally possessed within oneself, one now obtains it oneself. The Buddha said: "Even regarding one's own self, one should still make use of it; how much more so should one give to one's parents, wife, and children?" Thus one knows: using for oneself is also one part of giving; giving to parents, wife, and children should also be giving. If one thoroughly relinquishes a single speck of dust in giving, even though it is said to be one's own deed, one should quietly rejoice.

Because one has already correctly transmitted a single merit of the buddhas, because one first practices a single dharma of the bodhisattva. What is difficult to transform is the mind of sentient beings. From the moment one plants a single treasure and begins to transform the mind-ground of sentient beings, until one reaches attainment of the Way, one intends to transform them. At the beginning, one must invariably use giving. Therefore, at the beginning of the six pāramitās, there is dāna pāramitā. The greatness or smallness of the mind cannot be measured; the greatness or smallness of the thing cannot be measured. Nevertheless, there are times when the mind transforms the thing, and there is giving where the thing transforms the mind.

Loving speech means that when we see sentient beings, we first arouse a mind of kindness and compassion, and apply considerate, affectionate words. Generally speaking, it is the absence of violent or harsh words. In the secular world, there is the etiquette of inquiring after someone's peace and safety; in the Buddha Way, there are words of deep respect, and there is the filial piety of sincere inquiry. To speak with words harboring the thought, "cherishing sentient beings is like cherishing an infant," is loving speech. Praise those who have virtue; have compassion for those without. Rather than merely liking loving speech, gradually extend and propagate loving speech.

Therefore, loving speech that is usually not recognized or seen will manifest right before you. While your present body and life endure, you should delight in loving speech; it will be unregressing through lifetimes and generations. Subduing adversaries and bringing about harmony among noble people is rooted in loving speech. Hearing loving speech directly gladdens the countenance and delights the mind. Hearing loving speech indirectly engraves it upon the liver and stamps it upon the soul.

Know that loving speech arises from a loving heart, and a loving heart takes a compassionate heart as its seed. You should learn that loving speech has the power to move heaven; it is not merely about praising ability.

Beneficial action" means that for all beings, whether noble or lowly, one skillfully applies beneficial guidance. For example, one surveys the path ahead, whether far or near, and undertakes expedient means for the benefit of others. To pity the exhausted turtle and nurture the sick sparrow—when one sees the exhausted turtle and sees the sick sparrow, one does not seek their gratitude; one is solely prompted to beneficial action. Foolish people think that if one puts benefiting others first, one's own benefit will be diminished. It is not so. Beneficial action is a single dharma; it universally benefits self and others.

People of old, when bathing once, would tie up their hair three times; when eating one meal, would offer it three times: this was solely the mind of benefiting others. Since they were people of the nation, it was not that they were without instruction. Therefore, one should benefit friend and foe equally; one benefits self and others alike. If one grasps this mind, then even in plants, trees, wind, and water, the principle of beneficial action itself being non-retreating and non-turning is truly enacted. One should solely undertake the task of saving the foolish.

Accompanying in activity" means non-differentiation. It is non-differentiation with oneself, and non-differentiation with others. For example, it is like the Tathāgata accompanying humanity. Knowing that he accompanies the human realm, he must also accompany the other realms. When one understands accompanying in activity, self and other are one and the same. Those things—the qin, poetry, and wine—take people as companions, take heaven as a companion, take the grasses and trees as companions.

People take the qin, poetry, and wine as companions; the qin, poetry, and wine take the qin, poetry, and wine as companions; people take people as companions; heaven takes heaven as a companion; grasses and trees take grasses and trees as companions—there is this principle. This is the study and practice of accompanying in activity. For example, "activity" means ceremony, dignity, bearing. There must be a principle whereby, after causing others to accompany the self, one causes the self to accompany others. Self and other, following time, are inexhaustible. Guanzi said, "The ocean does not refuse water; therefore, it can achieve its great size.

The mountain does not refuse earth; therefore, it can achieve its height. An enlightened ruler does not despise people; therefore, he can achieve his multitude." Know that the ocean's not refusing water is accompanying in activity. Know further that the virtue of water's not refusing the ocean is also fully present. Therefore, water gathers well to become an ocean, and earth piles up to become a mountain. I have secretly realized that because the ocean does not refuse the ocean, it accomplishes greatness. Because the mountain does not refuse the mountain, it accomplishes height. Because the enlightened ruler does not despise people, he forms his multitude. "Multitude" means the nation.

What is called an enlightened ruler must refer to a sovereign emperor. The sovereign emperor does not despise people. Although he does not despise people, it is not that there are no rewards and punishments. Although there are rewards and punishments, there is no despising of people. In ancient times, when people were upright, there were no rewards and punishments in the nation. The rewards and punishments of that time are not the same as those of today.

Even now, there may be people who seek the Way without expecting reward; this is not something a foolish person's consideration can reach. Because the enlightened ruler is clear, he does not despise people. Although people invariably form a nation and have a mind to seek an enlightened ruler, it is rare to fully know the principle of an enlightened ruler being an enlightened ruler. Therefore, although they rejoice merely in not being despised by the enlightened ruler, they do not know that they themselves do not despise the enlightened ruler. For this reason, because there is the principle of accompanying in activity for both the enlightened ruler and the ignorant person, accompanying in activity is the practice and vow of a bodhisattva. One should simply meet all things with a gentle countenance. Each of these four means of embracing contains all four means; therefore, they must be sixteen means.