What do we mean by Bodhisattva? Bodhi means enlightenment, the state devoid of all defects and endowed with all good qualities. Sattva refers to someone who has courage and confidence and who strives to attain enlightenment for the sake of all beings. Those who have this spontaneous, sincere wish to attain enlightenment for the ultimate benefit of all beings are called Bodhisattvas. Through wisdom, they direct their minds to enlightenment, and through their compassion, they have concern for beings. This wish for perfect enlightenment for the sake of others is what we call bodhichitta, and it is the starting point on the path. By becoming aware of what enlightenment is, one understands not only that there is a goal to accomplish but also that it is possible to do so. Driven by the desire to help beings, one thinks, For their sake, I must attain enlightenment! Such a thought forms the entrance to the Mahāyāna. Bodhichitta, then, is a double wish: to attain enlightenment in itself, and to do so for the sake of all beings.
Contrast to ordinary intellectual understanding, the true nature of the mind is clear and knowing and has never been veiled by obscurations... As it is said in the Sublime Continuum: Stains are adventitious, Qualities are inherent. This is very thought-provoking. Because these obscurations are in fact something separable from the mind, we can certainly get rid of them, provided we continue to practice and apply the antidotes again and again. All negative emotions can be uprooted, and since they have never penetrated the nature of the mind, even the habitual tendencies they leave behind as traces will then be eliminated.
[An] unmistaken view or understanding develops gradually through practice. As it becomes stronger and more evident, it acts as an antidote to the mistaken belief in ego and in the reality of phenomena, which as a result becomes weaker and weaker. Finally, when this antidote has reached its full strength, the nonconceptual wisdom that sees the lack of self arises. This wisdom thus counteracts obscurations, and it eliminates negative emotions simply through seeing phenomena as they really are. This is what we call perfect elimination. This is not a matter of reducing the strength of the negative emotions temporarily through meditative concentrations of differing degrees of subtlety. Once the negative emotions have been eliminated by means of nonconceptual wisdom, they are eliminated forever. They cannot recur even in situations that formerly provoked them. This is known as irreversible elimination. When the extraordinary nonconceptual wisdom is perfected through practice and all obstacles to it have been removed through the antidote, we then say that elimination is complete.
Bodhichitta is a very good state of mind, imbued with wisdom, in which kindness is combined with the highest intelligence. It is something quite marvelous. This sort of goodness and kindness brings us peace immediately, so we are less narrow-minded and agitated. When we meet others, we do not feel claustrophobic and distant. On the contrary, we feel close to people. With a mind like this, we are never afraid, but strong and courageous. This is a very useful attitude to have.
If we wish to free ourselves and others from the suffering of saṃsāra, then we should develop bodhichitta.
Bodhichitta itself has two aspects: aspiration and application. Aspiration is simply wishing to attain enlightenment for all beings, the desire to pursue the path. Application begins with taking the vow of bodhichitta and promising to put it into action. Aspiration is like simply wanting to go somewhere; application is actually going.
The good qualities of even aspiration bodhichitta are immense; how much more so are the qualities of one who has taken the vow! From the moment the vow is taken, whatever a Bodhisattva does, whether walking or sleeping, will create great merit simply through the sheer power of the intention. And if there is great merit in wanting to relieve one being of a single discomfort, need one mention the endless benefit of wishing to help innumerable beings? It is said that to think negatively about such a Bodhisattva has extremely serious consequences. We should therefore take great care to protect ourselves from this sort of fault and consider others as our teachers. And we should never, without a very specific reason, point out other people’s faults. As the omniscient Gendun Drubpa said, “Be grateful to all beings and regard all practitioners with pure vision. Subdue the enemy within.” Let us follow his advice.
For the Benefit of All Beings: A Commentary on the Way of the Bodhisattva (H.H. the Dalai Lama)
