"swimming with the current of Absolute Reality while swimming against the current of his own self-centeredness."

-- Arnold
Toynbee, author of "A Study of History", puts 菩薩乘願再來 beautifully in English

The Christianity of what Toynbee calls "Late Modern Western Civilization" stopped swimming long ago and has been drifting down the
stream of self-centeredness. This is the spiritual crisis Judeo-Christian civilization needs to address.

"The coming of Buddhism to the West may well prove to be the most important event of the Twentieth Century." -- Toynbee


When I think about it, idiomatic expressions in language is so intertwined with underlying cultural assumptions. For example, "we are making history" is an expression alien to Chinese traditional culture. Old Testament's idea of God actively involving in historical events through 'chosen people', and history is unique &
linear (vs. recurring) development (toward Kingdom of God), is the context for "we are making history".