Bodhisattva Attitude (Zopa 2012)

Book

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Descriptionངོ་སྤྲོད།

This book comprises several motivations taught by Lama Zopa Rinpoche called "bodhicitta motivations for life," intended for us to use first thing every morning to generate the mind of bodhicitta and dedicate our life to numberless sentient beings. The Bodhisattva Attitude is taken from the sutra teachings of the Buddha and is based on verses by the great bodhisattva Shantideva in his Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life.

The verses are meant to be recited each morning to remind us of how we are going to dedicate our lives to others. We all understand the importance of motivation and attitude and how they affect the quality of our work and the result that can be achieved. Rinpoche particularly emphasizes the need for us to have a very clear direction and purpose for life. The real meaning of our lives is to bring both temporary and ultimate happiness to all sentient beings and to do this we need to achieve enlightenment. Enlightenment depends on first generating bodhicitta and training our minds in the bodhisattva attitude enables us to do that.

Citation

Zopa, Lama Thubten. Bodhisattva Attitude: How to Dedicate Your Life to Others. Edited by Sarah Thresher. Heart Advice Series. Boston: Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive, 2012.

Teaching based on

Bodhicaryāvatāra

An "Introduction to Bodhisattva Practice," the Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra is a poem about the path of a bodhisattva, in ten chapters, written by the Indian Buddhist Śāntideva (fl. c. 685–763). One of the masterpieces of world literature, it is a core text of Mahāyāna Buddhism and continues to be taught, studied, and commented upon in many languages and by many traditions around the world. The main subject of the text is bodhicitta, the altruistic aspiration for enlightenment, and the path and practices of the bodhisattva, the six perfections (pāramitās). The text forms the basis of many contemporary discussions of Buddhist ethics and philosophy.

Text

Editor's Introduction1

PART 1. THE VERSES23
1. Bodhisattva Attitude:
The Verses25

PART 2. THE TEACHINGS29
2. Everything Depends on Your Attitude:
An Introductory Talk31
3. Cutting the Concept of Permanence:
Bodhicitta Motivation for Life 149
4. Give Up Stretching the Legs:
Bodhicitta Motivation for Life 271
5. Bodhisattva Attitude:
How to Dedicate Your Life to Others97
6. Four Wrong Concepts:
A Motivation for Taking the Eight Mahayana Precepts115

Part 3. THE MOTIVATIONS135
7. Everything Depends on Your Attitude:
A Reflection137
8. Cutting the Concept of Permanence:
Bodhicitta Motivation for Life 1
- The Long Motivation143
- The Short Motivation152
9. Give Up Stretching the Legs:
Bodhicitta Motivation for Life 2
- The Long Motivation155
- The Short Motivation164
10. Bodhisattva Attitude:
How to Dedicate Your Life to Others
- The Long Motivation169
- The Short Motivation176
11. Four Wrong Concepts: A Motivation for Taking the Eight Mahayana Precepts
- The Long Motivation177
- The Short Motivation185

Part 4. APPENDICES187
1. How to Start the Day with Bodhicitta189
2. A Direct Meditation on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment191
3. Morning Mantras (Concise)
Taking the Essence at the Start of Each Day195
4. Bodhicitta Mindfulness (Concise)
How to Live Your Life for Numberless Sentient Beings203
5. Prayer of St. Francis215
6. The Shortcomings of Cherishing the Self and the Advantages of Cherishing Others
Points for Reflection217
7. Compassion is of the Utmost Need
Advice to Make All Your Activities the Cause of Enlightenment223

Glossary227
Bibliography255
Suggested Further Reading258