Bodhisattvas Must Unconditionally Liberate Sentient Beings to Attain Buddhahood

A bodhisattva is an awakened sentient being who benefits both self and others; if one does not deliver sentient beings, one is an arhat, not a bodhisattva.

Through delivering sentient beings, a bodhisattva, on the one hand, cultivates one's own merit, and on the other hand, increases wisdom. Most importantly, in the process of accomplishing the Buddha Way, a bodhisattva must continuously form karmic connections with more and more sentient beings, so as to have immeasurable and boundless disciples at all levels, and only then can one establish a Buddha-land in the future.

For a bodhisattva to attain buddhahood and establish a Buddha-land, there must be countless disciples at all levels who support and cooperate, so that one can broadly deliver immeasurable sentient beings. Without disciples, one is all alone, and one cannot establish a Buddha-land. Moreover, the advancement of one's own practice of the Way also depends on one's disciples. It is like a pyramid: if you are the tip of the pyramid, without a base, how could there be a tip? This means that delivering sentient beings is delivering oneself; a bodhisattva must deliver sentient beings unconditionally in order to attain buddhahood. Conversely, the advancement of one's own practice of the Way is also inseparable from the guidance and help of good spiritual friends and all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, so forming karmic connections with true good spiritual friends is also very important.