Guanyin Bodhisattva is Our Brother

There’s a Guanshiyin Bodhisattva
inside the mind of every living being.

Every day, we recite Guanshiyin Bodhisattva’s name. But what does “Guanshiyin Bodhisattva” mean? “Guan” means “to contemplate,” to contemplate all the sounds in the world. To contemplate also means to look. But it doesn’t mean looking at things outside; it means looking into the minds of living beings. It’s looking to see which living being is free of random thoughts. Once those thoughts are gone and the mind is empty, then one can become enlightened. Hence, a verse states: “Congregated from the ten directions, together study the unconditioned.” All good men and good women in this assembly who’ve come together from the ten directions are cultivating “unconditioned dharmas.” Reciting the name of Guanshiyin Bodhisattva is also an unconditioned dharma. Being unconditioned means “nothing done, yet nothing left undone.” This unconditioned dharma is a method for helping us get rid of random thoughts.

When you mindfully recite, “Namo Guanshiyin Bodhisattva,” Guanshiyin Bodhisattva is also mindful of you; there is mutual mindfulness. Just as when you are thinking of your relatives, they are also thinking of you. From limitless eons in the past, we and Guanshiyin Bodhisattva have been relatives in Dharma. At what point can we say it started? We can start from Amitabha Buddha. Amitabha Buddha is the Teaching Host in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. He is Guanshiyin Bodhisattva’s teacher. Guanshiyin Bodhisattva is Amitabha Buddha’s assistant in propagating the Pure Land Dharma-door.

We are the Dharma-brothers of Guanshiyin Bodhisattva. Guanyin Bodhisattva is the elder brother of all living beings who have not yet been born in the Land of Ultimate Bliss. We living beings are his younger siblings. Explaining it this way, we are very close relatives. So, whenever we are thinking of our brother, our brother is also thinking of us. We are Guanyin Bodhisattva’s younger brothers, and Guanyin Bodhisattva is our older brother.

Someone is saying, “How can Guanshiyin Bodhisattva be my older brother? Are we not highly elevating ourselves?” Not only does Guanyin Bodhisattva regard us as his younger brothers, but he also regards all living beings as his younger brothers. Otherwise, why would he listen to our calls and come rescue us from our suffering? Why would he help living beings whenever they are in need? It’s because he considers all living beings as his siblings, as his own bones and flesh. That’s why Guanyin Bodhisattva comes to rescue all living beings who are suffering here in this Saha World. Therefore, none of us should forget our Dharma-brother. When we mindfully recite “Namo Guanshiyin Bodhisattva”, Guanyin Bodhisattva is also mindful of us.

When we call out to Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, we’re calling our older brother. Guanshiyin Bodhisattva then calls out to us, his younger brothers, who are future Bodhisattvas and future Buddhas. If we can regard Guanshiyin Bodhisattva this way, we should even be more sincere and be mindful of our Dharma-brother. Don’t miss this chance! When we recite the name of Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, we shouldn’t let our heads droop down. We should lift our heads up and recite with vigor and diligence. Don’t appear listless or apathetic. When Guanshiyin Bodhisattva sees our vigorous energy, he’ll immediately tell us, “Quick! Take my hand!” Then he’ll take us toward the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Someone is idly thinking, “Why does Guanshiyin Bodhisattva keep looking, looking, and looking all day long? Why can’t I look?” You should know that the way you look and the way Guanshiyin Bodhisattva looks isn’t the same. Guanshiyin Bodhisattva looks internally, whereas you look externally. Guanshiyin Bodhisattva looks at his self-nature. He has every living being on his radar screen. Guanshiyin Bodhisattva knows all the idle thoughts that living beings indulge in. Guanshiyin always looks at his inner radar. Therefore, the things he looks at and the things you look at are not the same. Some living beings are far away from him. Although replete with a thousand hands and a thousand eyes, they are not enough for Guanshiyin Bodhisattva to look at all living beings. Hence, he “reverses the light to reflect within.” He turns his hearing back and listens to his self-nature. He looks at the living beings of his self-nature. He contemplates the suffering living beings are experiencing and goes to save those living beings. On the other hand, you look externally, completely forgetting your fundamental wisdom. Therefore, the way you look and the way he looks are different.

Someone is having this random thought. “Dharma Master, I don’t believe what you’re saying at all. Why not? You say Guanshiyin Bodhisattva and us are brothers. But Guanshiyin Bodhisattva is a sage, while we’re common mortals. How could common mortals be brothers of a sage? This is not logical, and I don’t buy it.” Okay, you may disbelieve. Your point is well taken. However, your principle expresses the viewpoint of an ordinary person. Because you haven’t deeply penetrated the treasury of Sutras, your wisdom isn’t as deep as the sea.