Sentient beings are innumerable; 

I vow to help them all.  

This aspiration to help all beings is the first of the four great vows of Buddhas. With much enthusiasm to learn and practice the teachings, many people become enthralled with the abundance of Buddhist teachings. But in the vows, we see that mastering boundless Dharma doors, the methods of learning and practice, is the third vow.

The first is to give rise to the vow to help all beings.

All beings? Can’t I just help myself?

If we practice to solely help ourselves, our mind will remain narrow and biased. A broad and impartial mind, like that of an awakened being, is what we strive for. With our firm holding of the first great vow—the aspiration to help all sentient beings—our great compassion will be generated and compel us to be diligent on the path.

Without compassion and diligence, we will give up in the face of obstacles. So the first vow inspires and encourages us, and serves as our fundamental vow. The other three vows serve to help us fulfill this first vow.

“Why is that Buddha statue fat?”

This familiar statue, with a big happy smile and an even bigger tummy, seen in Chinese Buddhist centers (and restaurants!) represents Maitreya Bodhisattva and is modeled after a monk called Budai. When offered alms, the venerable would put them in his cloth bag, or budai. With his bag always with him, he became known as Budai.

When someone asked him what Buddhism was, he would smile and put the bag down, indicating that Buddhism teaches letting go.

When asked what one should do next, he lifted the bag to his shoulder and walked away. A sign of taking up the helping of others.

So Buddhism teaches one to let go of everything and to help others. Just before he passed from this world, Budai revealed that he was a manifestation of Maitreya. Since then, in China, the image of Maitreya has been modeled on Venerable Budai. His broad smile reminds us, “Want to learn Buddhism? Be happy and greet all with a smile!” His big stomach symbolizes great tolerance and equality.