The Hundred Offerings Retreat: Being a True Monastic and Benefiting Others Through Virtues

To study and practice the Dharma is to learn how to actualize the trikaya of a Buddha—the dharmakaya, sambhogakaya, and nirmanakaya. The dharmakaya is notionlessness. The sambhogakaya is exemplified by bodhisattvas such as Guan Yin (Avalokiteshvara), who engage unceasingly in the service of the bodhisattva path. The nirmanakaya refers to ourselves: at every moment we should embody the activities of the three kayas—recollecting the essence as of emptiness, which is the basis of the dharmakaya, the compassionate service represented by the sambhogakaya, and the virtuous deeds carried out through the nirmanakaya—while always discerning to perform the most beneficial and virtuous deeds.

Our time in this world is exceedingly transient. How much merit can we truly accumulate? For this reason, monasticism is one of the most best choices one can make. To assume the monastic life is to engage consistently in benefiting others, serving as a beacon for all sentient beings so that they may see clearly what they should do without letting this precious life go vain.

Monastics should devote themselves wholeheartedly to fulfilling the responsibilities of the monastic vocation. They are also described as the “eyes of devas and humans,” serving as the guiding eyes of both celestial, human beings, and all sentient beings toward virtuous conduct. Therefore, monastics should never belittle their own significance; rather, they should recognize themselves as teachers of devas, humans, and beings, guiding them to cultivate virtuous deeds.

In daily life, monastics should hold themselves to the standard of being good monastics. Exemplary monastics should help devas in the heaven realm to understand the importance of virtuous deeds and inspire those in the human realm to recognize that practicing virtue is the proper course of conduct.

Therefore, within the limited span of our lives, we should dedicate ourselves to benefiting others. Benefiting others is itself a virtuous deed, and without virtue it is impossible to truly benefit others. Only virtuous deeds can accomplish the welfare of others. Thus, we should employ every possible means to benefit others. Even earning a livelihood should ultimately be directed toward benefiting others. By constantly keeping virtue and altruism in mind, we can ensure that our lives are without regret.