A Wish That Cannot Be Small

A young practitioner is confused when he hears the Buddha's teaching that he must liberate all sentient beings, but he comes to realize that a great dream is the very condition for entering the bodhisattva path.

A dim oil lamp flickered in the meditation hut, while darkness had settled over every corner. Crickets chirped outside the stone walls, mingling with the steady breathing of practitioners seated in meditation. In that stillness, a question suddenly arose, breaking the peace and carrying with it the doubts that had weighed on a young practitioner named Hanh for many days.

Hanh had been practicing for a few years, living simply, devoting himself to meditative concentration and keeping the precepts. Yet the more he practiced, the more tangled his inner world became; his wandering thoughts sometimes surged like ocean waves. He had heard of the Diamond Sutra, a profound scripture, and decided to attend a dharma talk to find a way out for his mind.

From the teaching seat, the master explained slowly: "The Diamond Sutra teaches that one who wishes to subdue the mind must liberate countless sentient beings into nirvana."

Hanh was startled. The words seemed so distant, so utterly impractical. He thought to himself: "The Buddha has already become a Buddha and entered nirvana, yet sentient beings are still everywhere, all suffering, all burdened with afflictions (kleshas). I have not even attained the way—how could I possibly liberate all sentient beings?"

He felt confused, even somewhat discouraged. If this was the prerequisite for practice, then the path ahead seemed far too much for an ordinary person like him.

The next day, during a tea gathering, Hanh could not hide his confusion. He asked an experienced senior monk: "Venerable brother, I heard the teaching on the Diamond Sutra and I feel so lost. The Buddha taught that we must liberate all sentient beings, but is that even possible? I have accomplished nothing—how could I dare dream so greatly?"

The senior monk smiled, his eyes gentle: "Little brother, that is precisely what makes the bodhisattva path so fascinating. Do you remember the story of a child who studied half-heartedly, earning only average grades, yet dreamed of becoming the ruler of the world? People would laugh at such a child as a deluded dreamer. But in the Buddha's teachings (Dharma), a dream must far exceed one's present abilities. That is the essential condition for entering the house of all the Buddhas."

Hanh still did not understand: "But if I cannot accomplish it, what meaning does such a dream hold?"

The senior monk explained: "The meaning lies in continuing the vows of the Buddhas of the past. They vowed to liberate all sentient beings, but their work remains unfinished. Whoever wishes to walk the Buddha's path must carry that vow in their heart. When that seed exists, the power of the vow will pass down through the generations, helping other sentient beings carry the work forward. That is the wondrous chain of cause and effect (karmic law)."

Hanh listened, and a new understanding slowly took shape within him. He began to see that the great dream was not meant to be realized immediately, but to give direction to his practice, so that his heart would always turn toward the benefit of all sentient beings.

From that day on, Hanh changed the way he practiced. He no longer focused only on his own inner world, but turned outward, seeking ways to help those around him. He helped a neighbor understand the Dharma by giving her a small sutra book, encouraged a friend to practice meditative concentration each day, and invited a relative to join him in making offerings and doing merit at the temple.

Whenever he did something good, Hanh would recall the Buddha's words: "Thus I have liberated immeasurable, countless, boundless sentient beings, yet in truth no being was liberated." He would remind himself: "I do good deeds, but I must not see myself as doing anything. Do not cling to merit, do not be proud."

In this way, Hanh's mind gradually grew calm. He no longer felt lost before the profound teachings of the Diamond Sutra. He understood that the teaching of emptiness in the sutra was not meant to deny morality, but to serve, preserve, and elevate it.

Many years later, Hanh became a teacher respected by many. Yet in his heart, the dream of those early days remained intact: to lead all sentient beings to Buddhahood. And he knew that this dream would continue to spread, through generation after generation of disciples, like a river that never stops flowing.

## The Meaning of the Story

This story shows that one who walks the bodhisattva path must hold a great dream: to lead all sentient beings to Buddhahood. This is the essential condition for entering the house of all the Buddhas, even if it cannot be fulfilled right now. Such a dream continues the cause and effect (karmic law) of the Buddhas of the past, passing its power down through the generations. At the same time, in practice, one must do good deeds without clinging to merit or taking pride in them, in order to preserve morality completely. The teaching of emptiness in the Diamond Sutra exists to serve and protect morality, not to deny it.

Compiled from a dharma talk by Venerable Thich Chan Quang.