Why We Should Stay Away from People in Power
What is meant by the Bodhisattva-mahāsattva's "grounds for association"? A Bodhisattva-mahāsattva does not associate with kings, princes, ministers, or officials.
What is meant by the Bodhisattva-mahāsattva's "grounds for association"? A Bodhisattva-mahāsattva does not associate with kings, princes, ministers, or officials.
Speaking of distance in relation to closeness, here "distant" (远) functions as a verb, meaning to keep away. This passage teaches that when we face the arising-and-ceasing mind produced by conditions, we must first keep away from ten kinds of faults. Only in this way can we attain intimacy with Suchness. Accordingly, what follows discusses the Bodhisattva precepts. In essence, it condenses the precept passages on "vowing to cut off all evil" from both the Yogācāra Bodhisattva Precepts and the Brahmajāla Bodhisattva Precepts into ten key points for our practice and study—that is, ten kinds of Bodhisattva precepts for us to cultivate.
First, "A Bodhisattva-mahāsattva does not associate with kings, princes, ministers, or officials." Kings, princes, and ministers belong to central-level officials, while officials (官长) are at the local level. This passage says that if you, as a Bodhisattva, are determined either to study the Lotus Sutra or to propagate the Lotus Sutra, the first thing you must do is to associate less with these people in positions of power.
Why should one stay away from people in power? Master Ouyi explains: with people in power, "if you comply with them, greed and desire increase; if you go against them, body and mind suffer harm." These people in power possess awe-inspiring virtue, and their words carry great weight. Basically, their minds are heavily given to grasping at conditions, immersed in worldly fame and fortune—their way of thinking is entirely different from that of those of us cultivating the path to Buddhahood. If you go along with them, you increase greed and attachment; if you oppose them, their power will exert pressure on you, causing harm to your body and mind.
Therefore, Master Ouyi says that associating with those in power "may seem to bring small benefits at first, but in the long run causes great loss." At first you might think, "Well, that's not bad. I'm propagating the Dharma, and I have a friend who is a person of influence—a local official or a representative of the people. He will help me accomplish many things related to spreading the teachings." There are indeed some minor gains at first. But in the long run, it causes great loss. Why? "Because one loses the proper way." If you spend a long time with them, you will not change them; they will change you. You will lose the proper resolve of the Way.
This means, then, that if you, as a Bodhisattva, have the conditions to transform and guide them, you may do so. The key point is that you must not associate closely with them. This principle applies throughout all that follows. Teaching them is one thing; associating with them is another—you must not associate closely with them. This is the first point.