Wishing and Engaging Bodhicitta (Chagdud Tulku 1993)
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Description
Bodhicitta has two frameworks: that of the welfare of others, or compassion; and that of enlightenment, or wisdom. We wish for enlightenment not just to escape samsara but also to benefit whoever sees, hears, touches, or remembers us. Now we might have the capacity to help ten, a hundred, a thousand, or, if we're famous, perhaps a hundred thousand or even millions of people. But that isn't enough. A limitless number of beings suffer throughout samsara.
When we practice, we can give rise to one of three forms of bodhicitta. We call the first the shepherd-like attitude, in that our motivation is to lead all sentient beings to enlightenment ahead of us and to follow after them just as a shepherd herds his sheep through the gate, then follows after. We call the second the ferryman's or boatman's attitude. In crossing a river, the boatman arrives at the opposite shore at the same time as his passengers. In the same way, you and all other beings go together to enlightenment. Realistically, however, in order to free others from the cycles of existence, you must first free yourself. Just as a king assumes the throne first and then rules the kingdom wisely, in your practice you aspire to attain buddhahood yourself, so that you will be able to free others from samsara. This is known as the kingly attitude. We cultivate one or the other of these forms of bodhicitta to counteract various degrees of self-clinging, the greatest single impediment to enlightenment.
