The dictionary defines g race as, 'a manifestation of favor, especially by a superior." Another definition that is commonly used in religious circles is, 'underserved mercy.' To understand the Buddhist interpretation of grace we first need to understand the teaching of Original Enlightenment, which is found in the Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana Sutra . It states that all sentient beings are inherently enlightened. More than that, they all exist as part of a single Buddha-body. This is explained through the Trikaya teaching, which divides the Buddha-body into three parts. First, there is the Dharmakaya or wisdom-body of Buddha, which is the primordial essence of enlightenment. Next, there is the Sambhogakaya or joy-body of Buddha, which includes celestial beings like Kannon and Amida. Finally, there is the Nirmanakaya or physical-body of Buddha, which is physical reality. We can understand the Trikaya teaching by imagining the ocean in the north pole. We hav
As Buddhists, we have an unnatural pressure placed upon us to forgive people who harm us. This is to be expected. After all, humans are social creatures, and they hate conflict. Unfortunately, the quickest way to end conflict is ask the victim of an altercation to forgive their perpetrator; immediately and without question. But this is an unhealthy practice. It creates an environment where various types of abuse can occur. That said, forgiveness is an important part of practice. And it can be helpful to have a working definition of the word. According to dictionary.com, to forgive means, "to cease to feel resentment against." But the way in which we go about forgiving people is important. There is a process that needs to be followed. To put it a different way, if we cut our hand, it is foolish to expect it to heal immediately. There are steps that must be followed to ensure the wound does not fester. We clean the damaged area, apply pressure to stop the bleeding