Veneration for all Buddhas is the first vow described in the text (p.5). What is meant by it? Is it mean worshipping Buddhas as though they were separate beings from ourselves? The more I look into it, the more I realize that the veneration is not about trying to reach a remote or distant being. It is actually seeming to be the opposite: that is, it is touching upon the parts of one's very own mind which inspire veneration and awe. Samantabadhra gives many examples which inspire a sense of limitless transformation of mind, when he remarks: "I...have profound faith and deep understanding, as though were face to face simultaneously with all the Buddhas of all the Buddha worlds, (such Buddhas) are equal to the (flying) smallest dust-motes in number, throughout the worlds of Dharma and the cosmic void of the ten quarters and the three ages." (p.6)
As I mentioned in my previous entry, this kind of awe evokes images of the fertility of mind: it is always expanding to fill all the spaces, and filling in every crevice and crack. Such a view is not about seeing the mind as a fixed object of worship. Rather, it suggests the ability for liberated mind to reach into every aspect of living beings' lives and reveal the sources of suffering, as well as remedy suffering. I am quite amazed at how much cosmic imagery is used to convey the boundless energies of mind: Samantabadra's vows are described as ending only when "infinite space is ended" (p.7); he also mentions "spheres of being" and "boundless ocean of all forms of speech". These images evoke how limitless mind truly is when it is not attached to forms or hooked by afflictions.
The kind of veneration that Samantabadra describes is quite different from others I have encountered in, say, Western literature. I tend to associate veneration with obedience to a set of commands, particularly through faith or through strict observance of special days. I think one of the key elements is that in this part of the sutra, the emphasis is on the vow power of Samantabadra. It is only in making endless praises that Samantabadra is able to expand his perspective, not limiting himself to any particular view of where Buddha nature is. After all, if buddhas are found even in the grains of sand, it makes one realize that every experience in life can be held with an equal amount of care or respect. It is not limited to going to a temple and bowing to a statue. Since all the phenomena originate in mind, how can we not also treat those phenomena with the care and respect of coming from original mind?
I don't think I am reading these vows as a way of obeying some law; rather, it is to enjoy and to expand my view of what it means to cultivate practice. It's hard to do this in daily life because the meanings we assign to our experiences are often mediated by cultural interpretations. It's hard to think of work as a place where one is serving other beings, when the dominant narrative at work is about meeting deadlines and increasing earnings. I like to think that reading texts in Buddhist canon expands my view so that I am not just looking at things through a cultural lens, but through one of curiosity and exploration. At the very least, this kind of exploration can make life interesting all the time.
Even writing this paragraph is explorative. Did I know what I was going to write when I started it? I maybe have had an idea but it was like an acorn: a tiny bud that germinated into something fairly natural, though not altogether planned. It is precisely this balance between respect and improvisation that spiritual practice seems to flourish. Respect is necessary to motivate beings to serve other beings, even in such small ways as trying to connect or entertain others in some way. Improvisation is necessary when we feel weighed down by the unknown or uncertain. When there are no rules to guide one in action, it is best to trust that the mind will find a way, since it encompasses pretty much everything.
The Two Buddhist Books in Mahayana (Translated and compiled by Upasika Chihmann),
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