The Practice of Bodhisattva Never Disparaging

That morning, gentle sunlight spread across the village road. A man dressed as a lay practitioner, hands joined together, walked slowly along. To everyone he met, he bowed deeply and spoke a sentence that left people astonished: "I dare not disparage you, for you will all become Buddhas."

The first to hear these words was a farmer carrying manure out to the fields. He set down his load, looked the man up and down, and scoffed: "What's wrong with you? Me, become a Buddha? Stop talking nonsense!" But the lay practitioner remained calm, bowed once more, and walked on.

The story spread throughout the region. People said to one another: "There's a madman who tells everyone he meets that they will become a Buddha. He must be from Biên Hòa." But no one knew that this man was Bodhisattva Never Disparaging, one who had attained the fruit of Sotapanna, the first entry into the stream of the noble ones.

He saw something that ordinary people could not see: within every sentient being there is Buddha-nature, the potential for enlightenment. This seeing was not mere intellectual understanding, but a clear, direct realization, like someone inside a house who can see the ghost, while those outside on the street see nothing. It is like someone who buys a house at a bargain price, and late at night the previous owner sends a message asking: "When I come back to sleep there, do you see anything?" Only the one living in the house knows there is a ghost; outsiders see only an ordinary home.

And so, when he said "You will become Buddhas," people did not believe him. They saw themselves as still full of afflictions (kleshas), of greed, hatred and delusion—how could they become Buddhas? Some grew angry, cursed him, and drove him away. Others thought he was joking and laughed it off. But he kept walking, kept bowing, and kept speaking those words with complete sincerity.

One day, someone asked him: "Why do you keep saying that? What do you see that makes you say it?" He smiled and replied: "I see clearly that this path will lead me to Buddhahood. And I know the same is true for you. Anyone can become a Buddha, simply by practicing in the right way."

The person shook their head and walked away. But a seed had been planted in their heart. Some went home, pondered for a long while, and eventually began visiting the temple, listening to teachings, and learning to practice. Little by little, they came to understand: he was not mad—he saw a truth they had not yet seen.

Many years later, Never Disparaging passed away. But his vow endures forever. He became a Buddha with the name Shakyamuni—the very Buddha we bow to every day.

The Meaning of the Story

This story teaches us to respect all sentient beings, because everyone has Buddha-nature and can become a Buddha. The practice of Bodhisattva Never Disparaging was to plant faith and reverence in every person, no matter how deluded or burdened with afflictions (kleshas) they may be. This is the path by which we accumulate blessings from merit and gradually move toward enlightenment.

Compiled from a dharma talk by Venerable Thích Chân Quang