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14-September-2008 12:50:23 - Bodhicitta This article or section includes a list of references or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. You can improve this article by introducing more precise citations where appropriate. February 2008 M a h a y a n a B u d d h i s m Lands Bhutan China Korea Japan Tibet Vietnam Taiwan Mongolia Doctrine Bodhisattva Bodhicitta Karuna Prajna Sunyata Buddha Nature Trikaya Eternal Buddha Mahayana Sutras Prajnaparamita Sutras Avatamsaka Sutra Lotus Sutra Nirvana Sutra VimalakÄ«rti Sutra Lankavatara Sutra History Silk Road Nagarjuna Asanga Vasubandhu Bodhidharma Portal view talk Part of a series on Buddhism Portal of Buddhism History Timeline - Buddhist councils Major Figures Gautama Buddha Disciples · Later Buddhists Concepts Four Noble Truths Noble Eightfold Path Karma - Nirvana Three marks of existence Skandha · Cosmology Samsara · Rebirth · Dharma Dependent Origination Practices and Attainment Buddhahood · Bodhisattva Four Stages of Enlightenment PÄ?ramitÄ?s · Mation · Laity Precepts · Three Jewels Countries and Regions Bhutan · Cambodia · China India · Indonesia · Japan Korea · Laos · Malaysia Mongolia · Burma · Nepal Russia · Singapore · Sri Lanka Thailand · Tibet · Vietnam Western countries Schools TheravÄ?da · MahÄ?yÄ?na VajrayÄ?na Early and Pre-sectarian Texts Pali Canon · Tibetan Canon Chinese Canon Related topics Comparative Studies Cultural elements This box: view talk In Buddhism, bodhicitta1 Ch. è?©æ??心, pudixin, Jp. bodaishin, Tibetan jang chub sem, Mongolian бодь Ñ?Ñ?тгÑ?л is the wish to attain complete enlightenment that is, Buddhahood in order to be of benefit to all sentient beings -- beings who are trapped in cyclic existence samsÄ?ra and have not yet reached Buddhahood. One who has bodhicitta as the primary motivation for all of their activities is called a bodhisattva. Etymologically, the word is a combination of the Sanskrit words bodhi and citta. Bodhi means 'awakening', or 'enlightenment'. Citta may be translated as 'mind' or 'spirit'. Bodhicitta can therefore be translated as 'mind of enlightenment' or 'spirit of awakening'. Bodhicitta may also be defined as the 'Union of Compassion and Wisdom'. It is a development of the concept of luminous mind in the Pali Canon.2 While the Compassion and Wisdom aspects of Bodhicitta are actually highly dependent on each other, in the MahÄ?yanÄ? tradition they are often referred to as: Relative Bodhicitta, in which the practitioner works for the good of all beings as if it were his own. Absolute, or ultimate, Bodhicitta, which refers to the wisdom of shunyata Å›unyatÄ?, a Sanskrit term often translated as 'emptiness', though the alternatives 'openness' or 'spaciousness' probably convey the idea better to Westerners. The concept of Å›unyatÄ? in Buddhist thought does not refer simply to nothingness, but refers, loosely, to freedom from attachments particularly attachment to the idea of a static self and fixed ideas about the world and how it should be. The classic text on Å›unyatÄ? is the PrajñÄ?pÄ?ramitÄ? Hrdaya SÅ«tra, a discourse of the Buddha commonly referred to as the Heart SÅ«tra. So, the term bodhicitta in its most complete sense would combine both: the arising of spontaneous and limitless compassion for all sentient beings, and the falling away of the attachment to the illusion of an inherently existent self. Some bodhicitta practices emphasize the absolute e.g. vipaÅ›yanÄ?; others emphasize the relative e.g. metta, but both aspects are essential to develop on the path to enlightenment. The Relative without the Absolute can degenerate into pity and sentimentality while the Absolute without the Relative can lead to nihilism and lack of desire to engage other sentient beings for their benefit. The cultivation of both the relative and absolute aspects of Bodhicitta is an important part of all MahÄ?yÄ?na practices, including in particular the Tibetan Mind Training practices of tonglen and lojong. Bodhicitta may be viewed as having different levels: one useful classification is that given by Patrul Rinpoche in his Words of My Perfect Teacher. He states that the lowest level is the way of the King, who primarily seeks his own benefit but who recognizes that his benefit depends crucially on that of his kingdom and his subjects. The middle level is the path of the boatman, who ferries his passengers across the river and simultaneously, of course, ferries himself as well. The highest level is that of the shepherd, who makes sure that all his sheep arrive safely ahead of him and places their welfare above his own. Contents 1 Source Texts 2 Luminous mind in the Nikayas 3 Significance 4 Cultivation 5 Notes 6 References 7 External links Source Texts Among the most important source texts on bodhichitta, within the MahÄ?yÄ?na tradition in which the teaching arose, are ÅšÄ?ntideva's A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way Of Life c. 700 CE, Thogme Zangpo's 'Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva'3 12th century CE, Langri Tangpa's 'Eight Verses for Training the Mind'4 c. 1100 CE, and the lojong Mind Training proverbs authored by Chekawa5 in the 12th century CE. Luminous mind in the Nikayas Luminous mind also, brightly shining mind, brightly shining citta is a term used by the Buddha in the Pali Canon. It is described as the most fundamental aspect of the mind, and is said to be brightly shining whether or not this is realized. It is given no direct doctrinal interpretation in the Pali discourses; one way the Mahayana interprets it is as bodhicitta.6 The Astasahasrika Perfection of Wisdom Sutra describes bodhicitta thus: That citta is no citta since it is by nature brightly shining. This is in accord with Anguttara Nikaya I,10 which goes from a reference to brightly shining citta to saying that even the slightest development of loving-kindness is of great benefit. This implies that loving-kindness - and the related state of compassion - is inherent within the luminous mind as a basis for its further development.7 The observation that the ground state of consciousness is of the nature of loving-kindness implies that empathy is innate to consciousness and exists prior to the emergence of all active mental processes.8 Significance The emphasis on bodhicitta as the primary positive factor to be cultivated is what distinguishes MahÄ?yÄ?na and VajrayÄ?na or tantric Buddhism from other Buddhist schools. In MahÄ?yÄ?na and VajrayÄ?na Buddhism, the goal of Buddhist practice is primarily for an individual to escape from samsÄ?ra with the aspiration to be reborn infinite numbers of times to liberate all those other beings still trapped in samsÄ?ra. While the teaching and terminology of bodhichitta is most developed in MahÄ?yÄ?na Buddhism, its practice and realization are independent of sectarian considerations since they are fundamentally a part of the human experience. There are, of course, bodhisattvas recognized not only in the TheravÄ?da school of Buddhism9, but in all other religious traditions and among those of no formal religious tradition. The present fourteenth Dalai Lama, for instance, regarded Mother Teresa as one of the greatest modern bodhisattvas10. Buddhism has no monopoly either on compassion or on the realization of the fundamentally illusory nature of our view of self and the world. Buddhism teaches that many bodhisattvas neither teach nor announce themselves in any way at all, but live apparently ordinary lives and help other sentient beings by stealth. It is regarded as a very healthy contemplation to hold the view that all other beings may actually be hidden bodhisattvas, including those we do not like. According to the TheravÄ?da school, only a select few are able to attain Buddhahood or complete enlightenment. Followers of the MahÄ?yÄ?na, on the other hand, believe that the attainment of Buddhahood is not only possible by all sentient beings, but inevitable. Since we are all karmically connected we are all in the same boat, and either we will all attain liberation or we will all drown in the ocean of samsÄ?ra. The MahÄ?yÄ?na teaches that even those who have initially chosen personal liberation from samsÄ?ra will be awakened eventually by Buddhas and entreated to develop bodhicitta and become fully enlightened in order to help liberate all sentient beings. MahÄ?yÄ?na Buddhism teaches that the broader motivation of achieving one's own enlightenment in order to help all sentient beings, bodhicitta, is the best possible motivation one can have for any action, whether it be working in one's vocation, teaching others, or even making an incense offering. The Six Perfections PÄ?ramitÄ?s of Buddhism only become true perfections when they are done with the motivation of bodhicitta. Thus, the action of giving Skt. dÄ?na can be done in a mundane sense, or it can be a PÄ?ramitÄ? if it is conjoined with bodhicitta. Cultivation The seeds of both Absolute and Relative bodhicitta often arise spontaneously -- for example, when seeing someone close to us who is suffering, or in the face of a major unexpected event that upsets our world view. Unfortunately they can also vanish again just as quickly, which is why many Buddhist traditions, and in particular the MahÄ?yÄ?na, provide specific methods for the intentional cultivation of both absolute and relative bodhicitta. This cultivation is considered to be one of the most difficult aspects of the path to complete enlightenment. Any teaching or activity cannot be held to be a genuine MahÄ?yÄ?na activity unless it is conjoined with at least a contrived bodhicitta. Practitioners of the MahÄ?yÄ?na make it their primary goal to go beyond contrived forms of bodhicitta and to develop a genuine, uncontrived bodhicitta which remains within their mindstreams continuously without having to rely on conscious effort. Among the many methods for developing uncontrived Bodhicitta given in MahÄ?yÄ?na teachings are: The awareness that all sentient beings have been your mother in infinite previous lives Contemplation of the Four Immeasurables Brahmaviharas - Immeasurable Loving-Kindness Maitri, Immeasurable Compassion KarunÄ?, Immeasurable Joy in the Good Fortune of Others Mudita, and Immeasurable Equanimity Upeksa The practice of the PÄ?ramitÄ?s Generosity, Patience, Virtue, Effort, Mation, and Insight. The Taking and Sending tonglen practice, in which one takes in the pain and suffering of others on the inbreath and sends them love, joy, and healing on the outbreath.11, and the Lojong 'Mind Training' practices of which tonglen forms a part5. Classical Tibetan MahÄ?yÄ?na teachings hold that there are two distinct lineages by which one may cultivate uncontrived bodhicitta: 1 through the Seven Fold Cause-and-Effect method and 2 by Exchanging Self with Others which uses the aforementioned tonglen practice. These two methods are explained in detail along with a method for combining them in Pabongka Rinpoche's seminal work Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand. Notes ^ For definitions of the components of the term see Wiktionary: bodhi and citta. ^ Peter Harvey, Consciousness Mysticism in the Discourses of the Buddha. In Karel Werner, ed., The Yogi and the Mystic. Curzon Press, 1989, pages 97, 99. ^ http://buddhism.kalachakranet.org/resources/37_practices_bodhisattva.html The Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva ^ http://www.buddhadharma.org/EightVerses/ Langri Tangpa's Eight Verses for Training the Mind ^ a b http://lojongmindtraining.com Tonglen and Mind Training Community Site ^ Peter Harvey, Consciousness Mysticism in the Discourses of the Buddha. In Karel Werner, ed., The Yogi and the Mystic. Curzon Press, 1989, pages 97, 99. ^ Peter Harvey, Consciousness Mysticism in the Discourses of the Buddha. In Karel Werner, ed., The Yogi and the Mystic. Curzon Press, 1989, page 97. ^ B. Alan Wallace, Contemplative Science. Columbia University Press, 2007, page 113. ^ Gems of Buddhist Wisdom. Publications of the Buddhist Missionary Society. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 1983, page 461-471 ^ An Open Heart: Dalai Lama, Richard Gere et al, Page 23 ^ http://www.shambhala.org/teachers/pema/tonglen1.php Pema Chodron on Tonglen References White, Kenneth R. 2005. The Role of Bodhicitta in Buddhist Enlightenment. New York : The Edwin Mellen Press. includes translations of the following: Bodhicitta-sastra, Benkemmitsu-nikyoron, Sammaya-kaijo Lampert, K.2005; Traditions of Compassion: From Religious Duty to Social Activism. Palgrave-Macmillan Steps on the Path to Enlightenment. Vol. 1. Geshe Lhundub Sopa w/ David Pratt. 2004 An Introduction to Buddhist Ethics. Peter Harvey. 2000 Entering the Path of Enlightenment: The Bodhicaryavatara of the Buddhist Poet Santideva. Translation Marion L. Matics. 1970 The World of Tibetan Buddhism. The Dalai Lama. 1995 Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism. John Powers. 1995 A Guide to the Buddhist Path. Sangharakshita. 1990 External links Look up Bodhicitta in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Compassion and Bodhicitta Bodhicitta.net The Bodhisattva in Buddhism by Walpola Rahula Thera - German language Bodhicitta non-profit organization for humanitarian aid in partnership with Chamtrul Rinpoche Drikung Kagyu Ngöndro Teaching By Lama Sonam Jorphel Rinpoche Practicing absolute bodhichitta v d e Buddhism Portal Concepts History - Timeline Schools Texts Countries - Regions Culture Lists: Temples - People - Topics v d e Buddhism topics History Timeline · Gautama Buddha · Buddhist councils · History of Buddhism in India · Decline of Buddhism in India · Ashoka the Great · Greco-Buddhism · Silk Road transmission of Buddhism Foundations Three Jewels Buddha, Dharma, Sangha · Four Noble Truths · Noble Eightfold Path · Nirvana · Middle Way Key Concepts Three Marks of Existence: Impermanence, Suffering, Not-self · Dependent Origination · Five Aggregates · Karma · Vipaka · Rebirth · Samsara · Defilements · Five Hindrances · Ten Fetters · Enlightenment Qualities · Perfections · JhÄ?na · Sense Bases · Four Great Elements · Renunciation · Bodhi · Parinirvana · Two truths doctrine · Emptiness · Bodhicitta · Bodhisattva · Buddha-nature · Bhumi · Trikaya Cosmology Ten spiritual realms · Six Realms Hell, Animal realm, Hungry Ghost realm, Asura realm, Human realm, Heaven · Three Spheres Practices Threefold Training: Morality, Concentration, Wisdom · Buddhist devotion · Taking refuge · Four Divine Abidings: Loving-kindness, Compassion, Sympathetic joy, Equanimity · Mindfulness · Merit · Puja: Offerings, Prostration, Chanting · Paritta · Generosity · Morality: Five Precepts, Eight Precepts, Ten Precepts, Bodhisattva vows, Patimokkha · Bhavana · Mation: Kammaá¹á¹hÄ?na, Recollection, Mindfulness of Breathing, Serenity mation, Insight mation, Shikantaza, Zazen, KÅ?an, Mandala, Tonglen, Tantra Attainment Types of Buddha · Bodhisattva · Four stages of enlightenment: Stream-enterer, Once-returner, Non-returner, Arahant Monasticism Monk · Nun · Novice monk · Novice nun · Anagarika · Ajahn · Sayadaw · Zen master · Roshi · Lama · Rinpoche · Geshe · Tulku · Householder · Lay follower · Disciple · Ngagpa Texts Tipitaka Vinaya Pitaka, Sutta Pitaka, Abhidhamma Pitaka, Commentaries · Mahayana sutras · Chinese Buddhist canon Tripitaka Koreana · Tibetan Buddhist canon Major Figures Gautama Buddha · SÄ?riputta · MahamoggallÄ?na · Ananda · Maha Kassapa · Buddhaghosa · Nagasena · Bodhidharma · Nagarjuna · Asanga · Padmasambhava · Dalai Lama Branches Theravada · Mahayana: Chan/Zen, Pure Land, Tendai, Nichiren, Madhyamaka, Yogacara · Vajrayana: Tibetan Buddhism, Shingon · Early Buddhist schools · Pre-sectarian Buddhism · Basic points unifying Theravada and Mahayana Countries Bhutan · Burma · Cambodia · China · India · Indonesia · Japan · Korea · Laos · Malaysia · Mongolia · Nepal · Russia · Singapore · Sri Lanka · Thailand · Tibet · Vietnam · Western countries Comparative Buddhism Science · Psychology · Hinduism · Jainism · East Asian religions · Christianity · Theosophy · Gnosticism Lists Buddhists · Buddhas · Twenty-eight Buddhas · Bodhisattvas · Temples · Books · Buddhism-related topics · Terms and concepts Miscellaneous topics TathÄ?gata · Maitreya · AvalokiteÅ›vara Guan Yin · AmitÄ?bha · BrahmÄ? · MÄ?ra · Dhammapada · Visuddhimagga · Vinaya · Sutra · Abhidharma · Buddhist philosophy · Eschatology · Reality in Buddhism · God in Buddhism · Liturgical languages: Pali, Sanskrit · Dharma talk · Buddhist calendar · Kalpa · Buddhism and evolution · Buddhism and homosexuality · Fourteen unanswerable questions · Ethics · Culture · Monastic robe · Cuisine · Vegetarianism · Art · Greco-Buddhist art · Buddha statue · Budai · Symbolism Dharmacakra · Flag · Bhavacakra · Mantra Om mani padme hum · Prayer wheel · Mala · Mudra · Holidays · Vesak · Uposatha · Vassa · Architecture: Vihara, Wat, Stupa, Pagoda · Pilgrimage: Lumbini, Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, Kushinagar · Bodhi tree · Mahabodhi Temple · Higher Knowledge · Supernormal Powers · Miracles of the Buddha · Physical characteristics of the Buddha · Family of the Buddha Category · Portal Retrieved from http://en..org/wiki/Bodhicitta Categories: Sanskrit words and phrases | Buddhist terms | Mahayana BuddhismHidden category: Articles lacking in-text citations Views Article Discussion this page History Personal tools Log in / create account Navigation Main page Contents Featured content Current events Random article Search Go Search Interaction Community portal Recent changes Contact Donate to Help Toolbox What links here Related changes Upload file Special pages Printable version Permanent link Cite this page Languages ÄŒesky Deutsch Español Français Italiano ‪Norsk bokmÃ¥l‬ Polski РуÑ?Ñ?кий Simple English Tiếng Việt УкраїнÑ?ька ä¸æ–‡ This page was last modified on 13 September 2008, at 17:01
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