Illuminate a Corner of the World
Saichō, the founder of the Tendai order of Japanese Buddhism wrote:
What is the treasure of the nation? It is our religious nature. Thus those who have this religious nature are the treasures of the nation. Long ago a man said, “Ten large pearls do not constitute the nation’s treasure, but he who sheds his light over a corner of the country is the nation’s treasure.” A philosopher of old said, “He who can speak but not act is a teacher to the nation. He who can act but not speak is an asset to the nation. He who can both act and speak is a treasure to the nation. Aside from these three, he who can neither speak nor act is a traitor to the nation.”
Buddhists with religious minds are called bodhisattvas in the West (ie. India) and gentlemen in the East (ie. China). They take the bad upon themselves in order to benefit others. This is the height of compassion.
-Regulations for Tendai-Hokke Annually Allotted Students
What is the “religious nature” Saichō refers to? I believe it is the instinct many of us have that compels us to seek understanding.
The legend of the Buddha tells us that upon his encounter with old age, illness, and death, he sought their end. After taking up many practices which did not lead to insight, he resolved to sit beneath a pipal tree near Gaya and not rise until he found the insight he sought or died in the attempt. Over the course of the night, he thoroughly came to understand life and death and the cessation of suffering. With his insight, he set out to share it with others so that they, too, could find the liberation he found.
The path of Buddha is fundamentally a systematic inquiry into the nature of reality. This endeavor is the single most critical activity that a living being can pursue and pass on to others. In practicing for ourselves, we develop our own wisdom, like a lamp growing in brightness. When we teach others, it is like the light shining forth.
Eidō (栄道)
Tendaisō (天台僧) – Ordained in the Tendai Tradition
Enryakuji Issan, Gyōkōbo (延暦寺一山、行光坊)