Bodhicitta: Cultivating the Compassionate Mind of Enlightenment

Book

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Descriptionངོ་སྤྲོད།

One is unlikely ever to receive a Tibetan Buddhist teaching on either sutra or tantra in which Bodhicitta does not have a central role. Bodhicitta, the compassionate mind which aspires to attain full enlightenment in order to benefit beings, is the very quintessence of the Mahayana path of Buddhist practice.
In this practical handbook, Ven. Lobsang Gyatso describes the classical methods for developing the mind of enlightenment and, based on his experience as a meditator and a teacher, examines a wide range of obstacles to its development. His concern is to clarify the goal and the means to its achievement. Anyone who wishes to understand the heart of Buddhist practice will benefit from reading this book. (Source: Shambhala Publications)

This text originally appeared in Tibetan under the title Sems kyi zla shun, published by the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics toward the end of 1991. Unlike Gen-la's other English works, this book was not based on an oral teaching delivered to a foreign audience. Instead it was written for Tibetans with some knowledge of Buddhadharma. (Source: Preface of book)

Citation

Gyatso, Ven. Lobsang. Bodhicitta: Cultivating the Compassionate Mind of Enlightenment. Translated by Sherab Gyatso. Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion Publications, 1997.

Publisher Link

https://www.shambhala.com/bodhicitta-2179.html

Texts Translated

Phu khang dge bshes blo bzang rgya mtsho. Yid can kun gyi bdud rtsi gcig tu 'khyil ba byang chub kyi sems rin po che'i sgom rim sems kyi zla zhun. In Rigs slob dbu dge dam pa mkhas dbang blo bzang rgya mtsho'i gsung 'bum phyogs sgrigs, Vol. 2. Dharamsala: Institute of Buddhist Dialectics, 2000: 271-369. See .

Translation of

Yid can kun gyi bdud rtsi gcig tu 'khyil ba byang chub kyi sems rin po che'i sgom rim sems kyi zla zhun

Ven. Lobsang Gyatso describes the classical methods for developing the mind of enlightenment and, based on his experience as a meditator and a teacher, examines a wide range of obstacles to its development. His concern is to clarify the goal and the means to its achievement.

Text

Preface7
Translator's Introduction9

Prologue: The Stages of Meditation on the Precious Mind of Enlightenment13
1 Equanimity: Introduction to the Training15
2 Recognizing Beings as Having Been Our Mothers21
3 Recalling the Kindness of Beings27
4 Resolving to Repay the Kindness of Others31
5 Affectionate Love35
6 Compassion41
7 Developing the Special Intention45
8 The Effect: Mind Generation Directed toward Supreme Enlightenment53
9 Identifying the Self-centered Attitude57
10 The Shortcomings of the Self-centered Attitude61
11 The Qualities of the Other-cherishing Mind65
12 General Presentation of Equalizing and Exchanging Self and Others69
13 The Actual Way to Meditate on Equalizing and Exchanging Self and Others73
14 Practice in Conjunction with the Cittamatrin School85
15 Mind Training in Conjunction with the Prasangika Madhyamaka View91
16 The Qualities of Great Compassion and the Mind of Enlightenment101
17 Abridged Exposition of the Manner in which the Mind of Enlightenment is Generated109
18 Divisions of the Mind of Enlightenment113

Appendix: The Twenty-two types of Bodhicitta123
Notes129
Works Cited135
Index137