Activating Bodhichitta and A Meditation on Compassion (Dalai Lama, 14th 2006)

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Activating Bodhicitta and A Meditation on Compassion

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Descriptionངོ་སྤྲོད།

There is no more powerful mind than bodhicitta. There is no more joyous mind than bodhicitta. For the accomplishment of one's own ultimate purpose, the awakening mind is supreme, and to accomplish the purpose of all other living beings there is nothing superior to bodhicitta. The awakening mind is the unsurpassable way to collect merit. To purify obstacles bodhicitta is supreme. For protection from interferences bodhicitta is supreme. It is the unique, all-encompassing method. Every kind of ordinary and supra-mundane power can be accomplished through bodhicitta. Thus, it is absolutely precious.

Even though we personally may find difficulty in immediate and thorough generation of such a mind, we should at least direct our thoughts towards it. To train our mind in such an ultimately altruistic manner from the very beginning of our practice of Dharma is vitally important.

A MEDITATION ON COMPASSION "The Inseparability of the Spiritual Master and Avalokiteshvara: A Source of all Powerful Attainments"

All beings wish to be happy and free from misery. Although scientific development, modern weapons and abundant material progress may alleviate the temporary effects of dissatisfaction, such external means can never totally eradicate its fundamental cause. The true solution is to cultivate deep human compassion, love and respect for others. By cultivating such altruistic and beneficial attributes, the cause of suffering, self-cherishing, will gradually diminish. This, in turn, will promote unity and harmony among human beings of all nations.

Although compassion is cultivated in one's own mind, the embodiment of it is the deity known as Avalokiteshvara (Tib. Chen-ra-zig). The various aspects that are visualized in meditation practices and represented in images and paintings are merely the interpretative forms of Avalokiteshvara, whereas the actual definitive form is compassion itself

"The Inseparability of the Spiritual Master and Avalokiteshvara: a Source of all Powerful Attainments" sadhana was composed by the XIV Dalai Lama when he was nineteen years of age and was first printed in Tibet in the Wood-Horse year (1954). (Source Accessed Jan 16, 2025)

Citation

Dalai Lama 14th. Activating Bodhicitta and A Meditation on Compassion. Dharmasala: Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, 2009.

Table of contents

• I. ACTIVATING BODHICITTA Awakening the Mind
  • Translators Notevi
  • Introductionvii
  • 1. The Seven Instructions of Causes and Their Effect1
  • 2. Exchanging Oneself with Others9
  • Conclusion30

• II. A MEDITATION ON COMPASSION
  • Translators Note35
  • Introduction39
  • 1. Preliminaries41
  • 2. Actual Practice63
  • Notes65

Interconnections

Works related to this item

Bodhicitta - The altruistic thought to seek enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings. It is said to have two aspects: compassion aimed at sentient beings and their problems and the wisdom of enlightenment as the solution. Skt बोधिचित्त  Tib བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས།  Ch 菩提心  

Go to the page with the definition of 'bodhicitta'

Bodhicitta - The altruistic thought to seek enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings. It is said to have two aspects: compassion aimed at sentient beings and their problems and the wisdom of enlightenment as the solution. Skt बोधिचित्त  Tib བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས།  Ch 菩提心  

Go to the page with the definition of 'awakening mind'

Puṇya - The positive energy or potential created through performing good deeds, such as generosity or kindness. In Buddhism, accumulating this positive force is seen as essential for finding happiness in future lives, and crucial as a foundation for following the spiritual path. Skt पुण्य  Tib བསོད་ནམས་  Ch 福;功德  

Go to the page with the definition of 'merit'

Karuṇā - The profound wish for all sentient beings to be free from suffering and the causes of suffering. It is a core virtue in Buddhism and, in the Mahāyāna tradition, develops into 'great compassion' (mahākaruṇā), the driving force behind the pursuit of enlightenment for the benefit of others. Skt करुणा  Tib ཐུགས་རྗེ་  Ch 悲  

Go to the page with the definition of 'compassion'

Mettā - The unconditional wish for all sentient beings to experience happiness and the causes of happiness. It is a form of universal, selfless love and is one of the four immeasurables (or sublime abodes). Skt मैत्री  Tib བྱམས་པ་  Ch 慈  

Go to the page with the definition of 'love'

Bodhicitta - The altruistic thought to seek enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings. It is said to have two aspects: compassion aimed at sentient beings and their problems and the wisdom of enlightenment as the solution. Skt बोधिचित्त  Tib བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས།  Ch 菩提心  

Go to the page with the definition of 'Bodhicitta'