Q: Does one who sacrifices his life for you have the greatest love of all?
A: Being able to live a full life based on the Four Immeasurables (loving-kindness, compassion, rejoice, equanimity) perfected to help as many as possible is the greatest love. It is greater and truer love to live to help, than just to die once prematurely. E.g. The Buddha lived for all beings for countless lifetimes as a Bodhisattva. E.g. Amitabha Buddha (Amituofo) has infinite life for helping countless beings in Pure Land.
Q: But we don’t die just once.
A: We don’t die each time for others either. That’s why Bodhisattvas’ and Buddhas’ love for all beings is special. They live and die again and again to help others be free from Samsara, while most of us are reborn out of attachment to Samsara.
I heard of someone
who is supposed to be God,
who is supposed to be good,
who is supposed to have died for me,
who is supposed to have resurrected once,
who is supposed to have bled for humankind,
who is supposed to send all non-believers to eternal hell, forever and ever.I heard of another,
who is supposed to be a Teacher of Humans and Gods (and all other beings),
who is supposed to have ultimate compassion and wisdom,
who is supposed to have lived for immeasurable beings,
who is supposed to have been reborn innumerable times,
who is supposed to have bled more than the waters in the oceans for all (kinds of) beings,
who is supposed to guide all without discrimination to eternal bliss (Nirvana), even if it takes forever.I take refuge in the latter, the Buddha,
who also taught about countless other Buddhas,
who manifest as perfect Bodhisattvas,
who continue in their endeavours to guide all beings to liberation,
who unconditionally live and die for the welfare of all,
who inspire with their selfless conduct,
who taught that we can become Buddhas like them too.– Anonone