Wheat Field in Rain
van Gogh, 1889
My dear friends,
As we come to the third Sunday of Advent, our hearts turn toward joyful anticipation. But for the one who follows the Bodhisattva path, joy is not separate from patience, nor is hope untouched by suffering. Today, the apostle James exhorts us to patience, echoing the stillness of the awakened mind that abides in the perfection of diligence. Let us enter into this sacred teaching with the mind of Christ, the bodhicitta that sees all beings through the eye of compassion.
- James 5:7a
The call to be patient is a call to abide in two perfections (paramitas): generosity as well as patience. For true patience arises from a generous heart, willing to wait for the ripening of all things. The coming of the Lord is not a distant event, but the arising of love and wisdom in this very moment. The Bodhisattva, like the faithful servant, does not seek escape from suffering, but seeks the liberation of all beings from within it. Patience is the field in which our spiritual fruit may grow.
being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains.
You also must be patient.
- James 5:7b-8a
The metaphor of the farmer is rich with meaning. On the Bodhisattva path, we are all cultivators of the field of mind. We sow seeds of virtue, watered by both the rains of joy and the rains of sorrow. The early rain may be our initial inspiration, the joy of discovery in the teachings. The late rain is our perseverance when the path grows hard and dry. Through both, we grow stable in compassion, steadfast in our vow to awaken for the benefit of all.
- James 5:8b
To strengthen the heart is to practice joyful effort (virya). The heart that is weak is turned inward, seeking comfort and security. But the heart of the Bodhisattva is strong through its openness, ready to bear the burdens of others with equanimity. Advent reminds us that the presence of the Lord, the radiance of Christ-mind, is always at hand, if only we are still enough to receive it. Let us take courage and walk with firm steps.
See, the Judge is standing at the doors!
- James 5:9
Grumbling is a subtle form of aggression. It divides us from others and strengthens the illusion of a separate self. The Bodhisattva trains in the perfection of ethical conduct(śīla), which includes guarding speech and cultivating harmonious relationships. The Judge at the door is none other than our own conscience, awakened by the Holy Spirit, the mind of Christ. Let us open the door with mindfulness and humility, not with complaint or resentment.
take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
- James 5:10
The prophets bore witness to truth in the midst of great trials. Likewise, the Bodhisattvas vow to remain in the world until all are free, enduring the wheel of birth and death out of boundless compassion. Their suffering is not fruitless, for it becomes the light by which others see the path. This Advent, may we take inspiration from their example, and offer our own trials as incense upon the altar of love.
Therefore, beloved companions, as we await the fullness of light at Christmas, let us be still and steadfast. With patience as our shield and compassion as our guide, let us walk the Bodhisattva path, illumined by the coming of the Lord, who is always near to those with open hearts.