Indomitable Will

by Venerable Yen Pei

The fronds on a palm tree can be pruned once a month. Despite such monthly pruning, the palm tree continues to grow upwards and produces fronds unceasingly. After pruning this month, new fronds will have grown by the following month. Regardless of the pruning, the palm tree continually produces fronds until its life-force is completely exhausted. Before that, it never stops grwoing just because of the pruning.

When Xu Zhongya, a poet of Tang Dynasty in China, saw the unyielding vitality of the palm tree, he composed Ode to the Palm Tree: "With leaves green like young cattail, and a trunk lined as if with tangled brocades, it reaches up for the sky with indomitable will, despite thy pruning a thousand times."

A person must have strong willpower. One must not become disheartened and slacken, retrogress or degenerate, just because of some setback or difficulty. In worldly affairs, one cannot accomplish one's goal with one leap, not to mention the supramundane work of helping sentient beings overcome suffering, which certainly will not be plain sailing. A Bodhisattva-aspirant will inevitably encounter multiple obstacles in the process of helping sentient beings. Without firm will, one might easily lose one's aspiration for Full Enlightenment.

Before Sakyamuni attained Buddhahood under the Bodhi tree, the evil king of the Sixth heaven tried various methods to distract him, firstly with temptations and finally with threats. However, Sakymuni was not affected at all and defeated the evil armies. Without strong willpower, how could Sakyamuni have attained Buddhahood? Therefore, a Bodhisattva-aspirant must have deep vows and great will that enables him to reach for the lofty goal.