菩pú薩sà畏wèi因yīn,，眾zhòng生shēng畏wèi果guǒ

What does 菩薩畏因，眾生畏果 (pú sà wèi yīn, zhòng shēng wèi guǒ) mean?

菩薩畏因，眾生畏果 (pú sà wèi yīn, zhòng shēng wèi guǒ) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "Bodhisattvas fear causes; ordinary beings fear consequences." In use it means: The wise are careful about what they set in motion, knowing every cause will eventually bear fruit. Unaware people only react when the consequences have already arrived. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Earth note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Dog.

Literally: "Bodhisattvas fear causes; ordinary beings fear consequences."

The reading

A bodhisattva examines each seed before planting, knowing that a bitter seed cannot yield sweet fruit no matter how much you water it. Most people, by contrast, eat the bitter fruit and then wonder where it came from. The difference between wisdom and regret often comes down to which end of the chain you pay attention to. Looking upstream at causes requires patience and honesty. Looking downstream at effects only requires pain.

What kind of proverb it is

• Typeyànyǔ 諺語
• FocusLooks ahead
• Element土 Earth
• Zodiac tie狗 Year of the Dog

Source Buddhist aphorism, widely cited in Chinese Buddhist commentaries

Sits beside

Keep reading

Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Wisdom & Learning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Dog, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.