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FACE TO FACE  |  EASTERN HORIZON     17







               a reformist of divinity; Śākyamuni   different from Arahats—is that   sacrifice themselves for benefiting
               Buddha was the reformist who      a Bodhisattva’s aim is to fulfill   others, to devote themselves to
               had realized the unsurpassed      the perfections of Buddhahood     Buddhism, and to be a professional
               noble human quality and led       in order to become a Buddha.      member in protecting the Dharma
               the revolution and innovation of   Therefore, a Bodhisattva’s practice   and preserving Buddhism. I want
               Indian Culture. During the late   is shown through their concern    to advice the new generation of
               period of development, Buddhism   and engagement to the worldly     Malaysian Buddhist youths to
               retrogressed from the Buddha      activities, especially their actions of   devote themselves wholeheartedly
               nature to divinity, becoming      loving-kindness and compassion.   to Buddhism, and be a professional
               exaggerated and delusive, causing   Not being separated from the world,   one preserving the Dharma and
               adverse effects. This is one of the   not abandoning sentient beings,   protecting Buddhism. Try every
               causes for the decline of Buddhism   and fearless of liberating beings   means to turn Buddhist service into
               in India. Of course, there are    are the supportive conditions to   your own livelihood. You need to
               many other causes and conditions   their actions. On the other hand,   strive with your full strength and be
               behind it. To have a clear and    Arahats are inspired by the spirit   a pioneer if you are truly concerned
               comprehensive understanding, one   of renunciation, and their practice   about the future of Buddhism. Your
               needs to put effort into researching   aims at self-liberation. Each of them   effort and sincere affection has
               this issue through reading books on   has his strong points.        much more positive effect on the
               Buddhism.                                                           prosperity of Buddhism than those
                                                 Today we have many fake           who are hypocritical.
               In the Theravāda tradition, the   teachers of Buddhism who are
               goal is to become arahats while   cult leaders. How do we recognize   Today is an open world; openness
               in the Mahāyāna tradition, the    these fake Buddhist teachers and   means fair competition with
               goal is to become Bodhisattvas    fake Buddhist teachings?          comprehensive and holistic strategy
               while arahats are even ridiculed                                    and planning. This includes plans
               in some Mahāyāna sutras. How      Nowadays, there are phenomena     for gathering resources, developing
               do we explain this discrepancy to   where fake Buddhists take       our potential, and training talented
               fellow Buddhists?                 advantage of Buddhism for earning   people. An important factor for

                                                 profits through absurd and delusive   a competitor is indomitable will
               There are some common grounds     activities. The belief in bogus   power and conviction that are
               and some differences between      teachers and practice is actually a   rooted in a strong foundation of
               Arahats and Buddhas. Both Arahats   phenomenon where certain people   Dharma understanding. This needs
               and Buddhas aim to pursue the     who like to be a Buddhist leader   to be built up and strengthened
               perfection of Nirvāṇa. They differ   or those who have the leadership   through continuous learning,
               in that: a Buddha’s wisdom is much   quality keep creating opportunities   practicing, training, and tempering
               wider than an Arahat’s; Buddhas   to show themselves off, and to    through hardships. Only if we are
               are sharper in self-awakening     portray themselves as influential   able to continuously develop and
               and self-discipline, and more     Buddhist leaders through influence.  strengthen ourselves through
               spontaneous in being of benefit                                     active learning, practicing and
               to others than Arahats; and, the   The world nowadays is an open    experiencing, are we capable of
               Buddha’s loving-kindness and      world. Buddhists should not limit   putting our energy on other aspects
               compassion is deeper and broader   their options to confrontation   instead of confrontation. I want to
               than an Arahat’s.                 (with the fake Buddhists). The    emphasize that. We need to have
                                                 important point is, we need more   a holistic strategy, a foresighted
               A unique characteristic of        Buddhists who have right view,    mission, and a team in order to be
               Bodhisattvas—which is             right faith, and sense of justice to   competitive. We need to firmly hold
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