This section of the Thousand Hands Sutra has had a lot of descriptions of one mind. One of the reasons is because one mind, our foundation, is our connection with the workings of everything. It’s beyond our normal, dualistic capacity to fathom, and any attempt we make is, in a way, poisoned with duality. So the only way to approach it is unconditionally. Then, once we’ve stepped around our own (mostly) self-made hindrances and barriers, we can taste the whole.
To the extent that we are functioning as one with this, we bring this to bear when we face something. “How do bodhisattvas save beings?” was a question someone asked an awakened master. Their answer, “Like you adjust your pillow in the middle of the night.” There’s no “I’m doing,” “What I should do is…”, or, “I did …!” It’s just an awareness of what was needed, what could be given in those circumstances, and the response.
As if it needed to be said, there’s also the distinction between what we want, which isn’t necessarily what would be good for us! If you have a perfectly balanced wheel, it won’t roll anywhere on its own. It will just sit there. You have to take something away from one side – you have to unbalance it – then it will begin to roll.
I take refuge in one mind,
the all embracing treasure of compassion.
걸림 없이 일체 모든 크나크온 보배 자비 한마음에 귀의하리다.
Wake Up and Laugh! 