The great resolve is making a strong determination to get involved in making the situation of sentient beings better. It is like, you are standing on the edge of a pool and somebody is drowning. You go, “Oh my goodness, somebody is drowning, quick, save him.” You have compassion, you do not want him to drown, but you are not jumping in yourself. Whereas the person with great resolve jumps in without any thought.

I was so impressed with this one man. A child had fallen onto the subway tracks, and this man in a split second, even though he had his child with him, jumped on the tracks and laid on top of that child. The subway ran right over them but did not kill them. This guy did it without hesitation. It was just spontaneous. He was really a hero. That is making the resolve that “I am going to do something. I am not standing by and wishing for it. It is not just in my mind, but I am doing something.”

At this point, it leads you to ask, “Well, in my present state am I really capable of doing whatever I can? I have all these wishes to be able to benefit sentient beings, but am I capable of fulfilling them? I have this love and compassion and can make that commitment to get involved, but do I have the capability to really carry through? Do I have the knowledge to do it? Do I have sufficient compassion? Do I have the skill to do it?”

You realise, “No, I am kind of one screwed-up sentient being myself. If I am really going to carry out what I would like to carry out, what I have committed myself to carrying out, then I have to work on myself. I have to free myself from all the hindrances and develop all the good qualities in myself. Although I can help now, the help I am able to give is limited. If I am able to purify my mind completely, and gain all the excellent qualities, then the help that I am able to give will be limitless.” This then leads us to the aspiration for Buddhahood.

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