The sutras state: “A Bodhisattva saves all beings before saving oneself.” Foolish people thereupon assume that a Bodhisattva saves others only and not oneself. They totally forget that ‘all beings’ include oneself too. How could one save all beings without saving oneself? A true Bodhisattva would not use ‘saving all beings’ as an excuse to chase after external objects and neglect their inner cultivation.
by Grand Master Lian Chi (蓮池大師), the Eighth Patriarch of Pure Land Buddhism
菩薩度生 – 錄自明末蓮池大師《竹窗隨筆》(初筆)
經言:「菩薩未能自度，先能度人。」愚夫遂謂菩薩但度眾生，不復度己。不知己亦眾生數也，焉有度盡眾生，而獨遺自己一眾生乎? 何得藉口菩薩，逐外忘內!
Buddha Mind 