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8 EASTERN HORIZON | LEAD ARTICLE

If we cannot bear the harm our enemies do to us, If we really take refuge in the buddhas, then we
and get angry instead, we are obstructing our own should respect their wishes. After all, in ordinary life
achievement of an immensely positive action. Nothing it is normal to adapt in some way to one’s friends
can exist without a cause, and the practice of patience and respect their wishes. The ability to do so is
could not exist without there being people who do us considered a good quality. If, on the one hand, we
harm. How, then, can we call such people obstacles say that we have heartfelt devotion and take refuge
to our practice of patience, which is one of the in the Buddha, dharma, and sangha, but on the other
fundamental practices of a Mahāyāna practitioner? We hand, in our actual actions, we take no notice of what
can hardly call a beggar an obstacle to generosity. displeases them, and just walk over them, that is truly
sad. We are prepared to conform to the standards
There are so many charitable causes, such as beggars, of ordinary people but not to those of the buddhas
in the world; whereas those who make us angry and and bodhisattvas. How miserable! If, for example, a
test our patience are very few—especially if we avoid Christian truly loves God, then he should practice love
harming others. So when we encounter these rare toward all his fellow human beings. Otherwise, he is
enemies, we should appreciate them. failing to practice his religion: his words and deeds
contradict each other.
Like a treasure found at home,
Enriching me without fatigue, In general, it is the notion of enemies that is the main
Enemies are helpers in the bodhisattva life, obstacle to bodhicitta. If we can transform an enemy
I should take delight in them. into someone toward whom we feel respect and

gratitude, then our practice will naturally progress, like
When we have been patient toward an enemy, we water following a downhill course.
should dedicate the fruit of this practice of patience
to him, because he is the cause of the practice. He has To be patient means not to get angry with those who
been very kind to us. We might think, why does he harm us and to have compassion. That is not to say
deserve this dedication when he had no intention to that we should let them do what they like. For example,
make us practice patience? But if objects need have an we Tibetans have undergone great difficulties at the
intention before they deserve our respect, then in that hands of others. But we are not angry with them, since
case the dharma itself, which points out the cessation if we get angry we can only lose. This is why we are
of suffering and is the cause of happiness, yet has no practicing patience. But we are not going to let injustice
intention of helping us, should not be worthy of respect. and oppression go unnoticed. EH

We might then think that our enemy is undeserving
because, unlike the dharma, he actually wishes to harm
us. But if everyone was as kind and well -intentioned
as a doctor, how could we ever practice patience?
And when a doctor, intending to cure us, hurts us by
amputating a limb, cutting us open, or pricking us with
needles, we do not think of him as an enemy and get
angry with him, so we do not practice patience toward
him. But enemies are those who intend to harm us, and
it is because of that that we are able to practice patience
toward them.