At the very heart of that bodhicitta is the understanding of universal sameness: just as you wish to be happy, others wish to be happy; just as you wish not to suffer, others wish not to suffer. Outside of superficial differences, all sentient beings, from the smallest insect to human beings, are completely identical in... Continue Reading →
“THE INNER BUDDHA as Jigme Lingpa said, the moon has all the qualities necessary for its reflection to appear on the surface of a clear lake. If the moon did not have a shape or substance, and if it didn’t reflect the light of the sun, it would not be possible for it to appear... Continue Reading →
If you want to be really, really happy, it isn’t enough just to space out in meditation. Many people who have spent years alone in meditation have finished up the worse for it. Coming back into society, they have freaked out. They haven’t been able to take contact with other people again, because the peaceful... Continue Reading →
We have to develop a very open loving attitude in our relationships with people. With everybody we meet, whether they are nice to us or not, we must have that initial feeling of “May you be well and happy”. Just a good feeling. It doesn’t mean we have to be stupid or that we can’t... Continue Reading →
When we are big enough for our world we feel fearless and empowered. We don’t feel alone. It is not just a matter of being kind or doing good in the world…it is also a matter of developing the mind of altruism…a bigger mind, which is courageous.In this way, bodhicitta is really the antidote for... Continue Reading →
Bodhicitta is particularly available to us when we feel good heart; when we feel gratitude, appreciation or love in any form whatsoever. In any moment of tenderness or happiness, bodhicitta is always here. If we begin to acknowledge these moments and cherish them, if we begin to realize how precious they are, then no matter... Continue Reading →
“...the time we live in is a fertile ground for training in being open-minded and open-hearted. If we can learn to hold this falling apart–ness without polarizing and without becoming fundamentalist, then whatever we do today will have a positive effect on the future. Working with polarization and dehumanization won’t put an immediate end to... Continue Reading →
The definition of an ocean of samsara is that as long as we are dualistic, we are in samsara. Anything that is pursued through dualism can never be fulfilled. The appetite of dualism is equal to the size of all space. There is no way to fulfil your desire, greed, hatred, jealousy, pride, stinginess and... Continue Reading →
However the very bottom line is to do all ones actions with bodhichitta. That is the best, the most meaningful way to think. This makes your life most beneficial. As much as possible with awareness keep ones attitude and thoughts in bodhichitta, the thought of benefiting others, try to do all the activities with that... Continue Reading →
Often we see other sentient beings as hassles: "This mosquito is disturbing me. Those politicians are corrupt. Why can't my colleagues do their work correctly?" and so on. But when we see sentient beings as being more precious than a wish-fulfilling jewel, our perspective completely changes. For example, when we look at a fly buzzing... Continue Reading →
"This warmth of the heart we are awakening is not just for people close to us, but it is for everyone. The aspiration of bodhicitta is so very vast it is said to be inconceivable. Some people define its vastness as “mission impossible.” Bodhisattvas are people who are committed to this mission of awakening the... Continue Reading →
The more open our heart is, the more we feel others suffering as our own. But that doesn’t mean we feel depressed and despondent. The suffering of others doesn’t weigh us down because we are buoyed by the warmth of our tenderness toward them. For someone who is guided by bodhichitta, the wish to benefit... Continue Reading →
We feel that we have to be right so that we can feel good. We don't want to be wrong because then we'll feel bad. But we could be more compassionate toward all these parts of ourselves. The whole right and wrong business closes us down and makes our world smaller. Wanting situations and relationships... Continue Reading →
An analogy for Bodhichitta is the rawness of a broken heart. Sometimes this broken heart gives birth to anxiety and panic; sometimes to anger, resentment and blame. But under the hardness of that armor there is the tenderness of genuine sadness. This is our link with all those who have ever loved. This genuine heart... Continue Reading →
Whenever the heart is stretched painfully we know we are growing in the right direction. This is because the essence of bodhicitta is to uproot our holding on to the self - trying to cherish and protect it. When this challenging stretch happens we then have room to replace this self-importance with love for all... Continue Reading →
Buddhahood comes from bodhisattvas because a Buddha has to become a bodhisattva first. Where does the bodhisattva come from? The bodhisattva comes from bodhicitta. And where does bodhicitta come from? Bodhicitta comes from compassion. So, the root of all of this, when you trace it, is compassion...and compassion comes from nurturing our warm and tender... Continue Reading →
In the practice of bodhicitta, there are no enemies, only loved ones.It’s the responsibility of the practitioner to specifically include every individual person in their bodhicitta practice, even if at the same time they oppose their actions. The reason people like Gandhi don’t succumb to their emotions is because of the principles they have deeply... Continue Reading →
In the process of discovering bodhichitta, the journey goes down, not up. It’s as if the mountain pointed toward the center of the earth instead of reaching into the sky. Instead of transcending the suffering of all creatures, we move toward the turbulence and doubt. We jump into it. We slide into it. We tiptoe... Continue Reading →
How far do you go if you are a therapist trying to help an alcoholic or drug addict? If this person has somehow decided to become a drug addict for the next five thousand lifetimes, you, as a bodhisattva, must have the determination to be reborn wherever they are going to be reborn. You might,... Continue Reading →
The relationship between a mother and child is the foremost analogy used in developing relative bodhichitta [‘awake heart/mind,’ that puts others’ benefit before one’s own] practice. According to the medieval Indian and Tibetan traditions, the traditional way of cultivating relative bodhichitta is to choose your mother as the first example of someone you feel soft... Continue Reading →
