Don’t be a sheep

Kūkai (a.k.a. kōbō daishi 弘法大師), the founder of Japanese esoteric, or “Shingon” Buddhism, wrote an important treatise: the Hizō Hōyaku (秘蔵宝鑰) or Precious Key to the Secret Treasury, at the Emperor’s request, as an introduction to Shingon thought. Kūkai attempted to organize the different types of people, followers and non-followers, into a hierarchy. This was pretty typical in those days, but Kōkai’s writings skills and poetic ability were impressive in his day, and his writings have become an important part of East Asian Buddhism, even if people don’t always agree with this emphasis on esoteric Buddhism.

The first-level of people, out of ten, he describes are those who have “…the mind of the goat foolishly transmigrating in the six destinies (or realms)”. These are people who basically live like animals: living only for gratification of desires such as food, sex and entertainment. They are mainly concerned with their own welfare, and any sense of morality is limited to staying out of trouble (again focus on the self).

He describes that many people live life as sheep and goats and never really move beyond this. Their life is a tragic waste. Kūkai never really denigrates such people; throughout his writings he emphasizes that all beings are quite capable of becoming Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, it’s just that in their opportunity to be reborn as a human, they’ve squandered it with base gratifications only.

Even in modern day English we still refer to ignorant masses as “mindless sheep” with the same basic intention. When you think about consumerist culture, this is the same kind of culture that Kūkai criticized in his day in 8th century Japan, and the point is still true. If one lives life as a mindless consumer, who focus in life is food, sex and entertainment, they haven’t really accomplished much. Kūkai is exhorting people to wake up and take a look at their life and see if a life of selfish gratification is really worth it.

As the mind awakens, and sees others around them still mired in ignorance (including one’s self of course), this ignites a sense of compassion. You want to help people get out of this cycle, and you want to share the teachings with others. This is the beginning of the Bodhisattva path, that starts very small, but gradually becomes something much greater and leads to Buddhahood.

Here the key isn’t self-deprivation, but awareness. As one realizes that gratification is fleeting and has a constant upkeep,* one gets tired of it and naturally lets go. This is not something you can force. Just by observing, and through insight, the truth reveals itself, and transformation, while slow and subtle, does occur.

So, don’t be a sheep. Be a bodhisattva.

Namuamidabu

* – When you think about how much time, energy and money you spend to maintain your lifestyle (even when you’re not 100% happy with it), it can be very educational.