In Zen Buddhism what is meant by the expression 'You cannot make the crossing until you can take everyone with you'?

Answer 1

In Buddhism, we speak of "Bodhisattvas," those who (depending on the branch of Buddhism) have either achieved enlightenment and remain to help others become enlightened, or put off achieving enlightenment in order to help others.

The following story illustrates the concept:

Three people are wandering in the wilderness. They come upon a walled compound. One climbs on the shoulders of another and, looking over the wall, shouts "Wonderful!" and climbs over the wall and inside.

The second also climbs on the other's shoulders, looks over the wall, and jumps inside.

The third climbs to the top of the wall by himself, with great difficulty and, looking over the wall, sees a garden with flowers, a beautiful pool, and trees laden with fruit. But, instead of climbing over the wall, he drops back outside and goes looking for other travelers to tell them about it.

The third person is the Bodhisattva.

In Zen, a branch of Mahayana Buddhism, a Bodhisattva is one who has vowed to forgo enlightenment and remain to help all other beings become enlightened, only then proceeding to enlightenment, and thus Nirvana (Nibbana) herself. Thus, they pledge not to "make the crossing" until they can take everyone with them.

One version of the Bodhisattva Vow goes as follows:

For as long as space endures,

And for as long as living beings remain,

Until then may I too abide

To dispel the misery of the world.