Žarko's Talk on "How to Cultivate Bodhicitta without Regressing" Attended by 72 Participants in Vancouver

Since 2014, Dharma Drum Vancouver Center (DDVC) has invited Žarko Andričević, one of the Dharma heirs of Dharma Drum Mountain founder Master Sheng Yen and the founder of Chan Retreat Center Hartovski Vrh in Croatia, to lead a seven-day retreat and for a public lecture every year, except during the pandemic. On the afternoon of November 3^rd, 2024, 72 practitioners joyfully gathered at DDVC to listen to his Dharma talk "How to Cultivate Bodhicitta without Regressing."

Žarko began by elucidating the meaning of bodhicitta, which is "to seek the path of the Buddha, and to deliver sentient beings." He expounded on the connection between bodhicitta and Buddhahood using a story about how, in one of his previous lives, the Buddha lay down on the pothole-riddled road with reverence in order for Dipankara Buddha to pass through it smoothly. The Buddha performed this solemn act simply for the sake of welcoming Dipankara Buddha who came to deliver a Dharma talk. Moreover, Žarko also underscored that bodhicitta is the fundamental core in the practice of Northern Buddhism.

Žarko then proceeded to explain how making vows can arouse the bodhicitta in all sentient beings. He explained that practitioners taking the Bodhisattva path all first make the Four Great Vows – I vow to deliver innumerable sentient beings; I vow to cut off endless vexations; I vow to master limitless approaches of the Dharma; I vow to attain Supreme Buddhahood. To attain Buddhahood, a practitioner of the Bodhisattva path should cultivate the Six Paramitas, which are: generosity, moral conduct, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and wisdom. Meanwhile, Žarko clarified the three levels of motivation for spiritual cultivation: the first level is for inner peace and tranquility; the second is for one's own liberation from samsara; and the third is the highest level of bodhicitta practice, which is for the liberation of all sentient beings. Žarko emphasized that bodhicitta is the cause of the attainment of Buddhahood as the latter is the ultimate result of the former. According to Nagarjuna's The Treatise on the Great Prajñāpāramitā, there are five levels of bodhicitta: (1) the enlightenment of resolve on supreme bodhi; (2) the enlightenment of mind control; (3) the enlightenment of mental enlightenment, study, and increase in knowledge and in the prajñāpāramitā; (4) the enlightenment of mental expansion, and (5) the supreme enlightenment.

During the Q&A session, the listeners proposed various questions, such as "According to Buddhist teachings, all phenomena are insubstantial. However, I still consider the Buddha nature as real. How do I cope with this contradiction?" and "Why do Bodhisattvas need to deliver all sentient beings first, rather than attaining Buddhahood themselves first?" To the first question, Žarko replied that it depends on how we understand Buddha nature. Buddha nature refers to the "true nature of reality," that is, the true character of phenomena. However, this statement is still a description in words and letters, not the true character of phenomena itself. It is only through one's personal experience that one can truly understand what the true character of phenomena is. As to why Bodhisattvas choose to deliver all sentient beings first instead of attaining Buddhahood, Žarko pointed out that most people prioritize their self-interest, while Bodhisattvas do not put themselves first, and this is the manifestation of compassion.

As the two-hour lecture was concluded, the participants were left with the feeling of longing for more. In the end, on behalf of everyone, Ven. Chang Wu (常悟法師), the Director of DDVC, cordially invited Žarko to lead a seven-day retreat at DDVC next year so that more people can benefit from Chan practice.



Original Chinese text and photos / Dharma Drum Vancouver Center
Translation / Li Siang-ling
Editing / Keith Brown, YKL