Bodhicitta in Practice

{{EditorialContent
|EditorialAuthor=Phuntsho, Karma
|sub-theme=Bodhicitta in Practice
|watermark=Practice
|TermTopics=Debate; Compassion
|main-text={{Jumbo
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	    |image=File:TKP-Pawo-Print-6TKP10751.web .jpg
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		|text=Bodhicitta—the altruistic intention to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all beings—is essential in Mahāyāna Buddhist practice. It is regarded as the defining motivation that transforms any spiritual activity into a genuine Mahāyāna path. Without bodhicitta, progress toward buddhahood is considered impossible. Cultivating bodhicitta involves reflection, meditation, ethical conduct, and guidance from qualified teachers, and is formalized through the bodhisattva vow. Its continual practice is seen as the foundation and driving force for all Mahāyāna spiritual development.
	}}
<h2>[[The Bodhicitta Prayer]]</h2>
<div class="tibetan-classic-unicode carnelian pb-4" style="font-size: 35pt;">བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས་མཆོག་རིན་པོ་ཆེ། །</div>
<div class="font-size-20pt" style="color: #1e3a5f;">May the sublime and precious bodhicitta</div>

<div class="tibetan-classic-unicode carnelian pb-4" style="font-size: 35pt;">མ་སྐྱེས་པ་རྣམས་སྐྱེས་གྱུར་ཅིག །</div>
<div class="font-size-20pt" style="color: #1e3a5f;">Arise in those in whom it has not arisen.</div>

<div class="tibetan-classic-unicode carnelian pb-4" style="font-size: 35pt;">སྐྱེས་པ་ཉམས་པ་མེད་པར་ཡང་། །</div>
<div class="font-size-20pt" style="color: #1e3a5f;">Where it has arisen, may it never decline</div>

<div class="tibetan-classic-unicode carnelian pb-4" style="font-size: 35pt;">གོང་ནས་གོང་དུ་འཕེལ་བར་ཤོག །</div>
<div class="font-size-20pt" style="color: #1e3a5f;">But grow and flourish more and more.</div>

<h2>Introduction</h2>

The application of bodhicitta in practice is central to the Mahāyāna pursuit of full enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings. According to Mahāyāna masters, bodhicitta is a prerequisite for a practice or path to qualify as a Mahāyāna path leading to the state of a fully awakened buddha. Only when the practice is motivated or informed by bodhicitta (''byang chub sems kyi rtsis zin pa'') can it be considered as a bona fide part of the Mahāyāna path. Thus, the masters strongly recommend the cultivation of the altruistic thought of bodhicitta before beginning any project or activity. This is because, in the Buddhist system, the moral value of an action is determined by the quality of intention or the state of the mind.

Buddhist masters teach that mind can be in any of the three states:
#A virtuous state with positive thoughts and emotions, such as thirst for knowledge, devotion, compassion, love, etc.
#A nonvirtuous state with negative thoughts and emotions, such as arrogance, hatred, jealousy, etc.
#A neutral state with neither positive nor negative states of mind. 

Furthermore, the virtuous mind can be of three types:
#An inferior mind wishing happiness and well-being in this mundane world.
#A middling mind wishing a higher state of lasting happiness, fulfillment, and freedom beyond the ordinary world.
#A superior mind wishing a higher state of lasting happiness for all sentient beings.

This last superior mind is bodhicitta and the one recommended by the Mahāyāna masters before beginning any project or activity.

Khunu Lama Tenzin Gyaltsen, a twentieth-century teacher of bodhicitta, thus writes in ''The Jewel Lamp: A Praise of Bodhicitta'' (''Byang chub sems kyi bstod pa rin chen sgron ma''):
{{QuoteCite
		|quote-text=Should one launch something, launch with bodhicitta.
Should one think of something, think of bodhicitta.
Should one analyze something, analyze with bodhicitta.
Should one examine something, examine with bodhicitta. (v. 98)<ref>''brtsam na byang chub sems las brtsam''// ''bsam na byang chub sems nyid bsam''// ''dpyad na byang chub sems su dpyad''// ''brtag na byang chub sems la brtag''//. Khunu Lama Tenzin Gyaltsen, ''Byang chub sems kyi bstod pa rin chen sgron ma'' (Dharamsala: Dga' ldan pho brang, 2018), 29, http://purl.bdrc.io/resource/MW8LS66303.</ref>
}}
Patrul Rinpoche, a paragon of bodhicitta practice in nineteenth-century Tibet, also proclaimed in his ''Aspiration to Generate Bodhicitta'' (''Bskal mang gong nas sogs''):
{{QuoteCite
		|quote-text=If present, this alone is sufficient for reaching buddhahood.
If this is absent, one is handicapped in reaching buddhahood.
May I generate this pure thought of awakening,
The unmistaken seed of buddhahood. (v. 6)<ref>''yod na sangs rgyas sgrub la des chog cing''/ /''med na sangs rgyas sgrub la thabs chags pa''/ /''sangs rgyas 'grub pa'i sa bon ma nor ba''/ /''rnam dag byang chub sems mchog bskyed par shog''. See Patrul Rinpoche, ''Bskal mang gong nas sogs'', in Gsung 'bum o rgyan 'jigs med chos kyi dbang po (Chengdu: Si khron mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 2003), 8: 356, http://purl.bdrc.io/resource/MW24829_B101CB.</ref>
}}
In the beginning, a practitioner must cultivate the mind (''cittotpāda'') of awakening through a concerted effort by taking the bodhisattva vow repeatedly, engaging in the various contemplative techniques, receiving teachings on bodhicitta and bodhisattva practices, and utilizing other methods. Gradually, one would become accustomed to thinking of bodhicitta, which would also become stronger and constant. When bodhicitta naturally arises without effort, a person is said to have formally become a bodhisattva. Thus, Jigme Lingpa said:
{{QuoteCite
		|quote-text=It is more important to have the supreme mind naturally arise than to consciously cultivate it.<ref>Jigme Lingpa, ''Yon tan rin po che'i mdzod kyi rgya cher 'grel pa bden gnyis shing rta rgyu mtshan nyid kyi theg pa'i skor'', in Gsung 'bum 'jigs med gling pa (Gangtok, Sikkim: Sonam T. Kazi, 1970–75), 1: 246b, http://purl.bdrc.io/resource/MW1KG10193_E90C9C.</ref>
}} 
However, a beginner must make a contrived effort to generate bodhicitta, firstly by cultivating the aspiring bodhicitta and then by engaging in the practice of engaged bodhicitta. Śāntideva presents the distinction between the two in the following verses from his text ''The Way of the Bodhisattva'' (''Bodhicaryāvatāra''):
{{PullBcaVerses|1.15}}
{{PullBcaVerses|1.16}}
One must first have the thought to take all sentient beings to the state of the Buddha just as one must first have the thought to go to Bodh Gaya before one starts the journey. Having generated the strong motivation to take all sentient beings to buddhahood, one must then engage in the actual paths and practices which lead them to the goal. The bodhisattva road consists of a long and arduous practice of the six perfections: giving, discipline, patience, effort, meditation and wisdom. These six topics cover the entire range of practices a person must take up as a bodhisattva to reach buddhahood. They also include the practice of both relative bodhicitta, or the moral mental resolve to take all sentient beings to the state of full awakening, and ultimate bodhicitta, which is the deep understanding and experience of the ultimate nature of all things.
 
<h2>Generating Bodhicitta: The Bodhisattva Vow</h2>
A beginner on the Mahāyāna path cultivates the thought of awakening by repeatedly wishing to take all sentient beings as vast as space to the unsurpassed, complete, and perfect state of the Buddha. To formally confirm such desire and express it as a commitment, a beginner undertakes the confirmation of the thought of awakening through a ritual of oath-taking. The first step in the procedure of such a ritual, and in fact in the general Buddhist process of self-transformation, is the reflection on the wonderful physical and psychological conditions one possesses as an able human being.

<h3>Physical Support</h3>
The meditation or reflection on the rarity and preciousness of humanhood is the first topic of meditation in almost all Tibetan Buddhist traditions when one starts a practice or meditation program. One must reflect, from different perspectives, on how humanhood, with its unique freedoms and advantages, is hard to find, and how it is a precious opportunity to seek enlightenment. Human existence offers a powerful combination of rational thinking and emotional capacity, creating ideal conditions to pursue the end of suffering and attain ultimate happiness.

Buddhist texts present the following hypothetical analogy to illustrate this rarity. Suppose a blind turtle lives at the bottom of an ocean and comes to the surface only once every hundred years. Meanwhile, floating on the ocean's surface is a wooden yoke being constantly swayed by the waves. Human birth, it is argued, is rarer than the chance of this turtle, during its brief surface visit, happening to put its neck directly through this floating yoke. Using such examples and many other methods, one is made to see the preciousness of human birth.

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	<div class="col-md-6">{{YouTube
		|id=0iH_CU_vemw
		|caption=Khandro Rinpoche: <em>What Is a Precious Human Life?</em>
	}}</div>
	<div class="col-md-6">{{YouTube
		|id=iQ_NiKurD1c
		|caption=Thubten Chonyi: <em>The Four Thoughts That Turn the Mind to the Dharma</em>
	}}</div>
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Such a human state is not only rare and precious but very fragile. As such, one should meditate on the certainty of death and the uncertainty of when and how it will come. A student carries out meditation on the impermanence of life in order to cherish momentary existence and urgently make the best use of it. Meditation on the rarity of human existence and its impermanent nature is often followed by meditation on the law of cause and effect and the flaws of the cycle of existence, also known as samsara. If one does not take advantage of this fleeting human state to break the cycle of rebirth, one is bound to follow the law of cause and effect, and given the negative actions accumulated in innumerable lifetimes in the past, one is bound to remain trapped in this cycle of existence, which is filled with misery and pain. These four points of meditation, which often constitute the first set of topics for meditation in Tibetan Buddhism, are known as the four points of mind turning (''blo ldog rnam pa bzhi''), as they turn one's mind away from the cycle of ordinary existence and are considered to be foundational practices on the spiritual path.

<h3>Mental Support</h3>
Along with holding dear the precious state of humanhood, one must also cherish and take advantage of the brief mental moments of positive thought and moral growth. Śāntideva writes in ''The Way of the Bodhisattva'':
{{PullBcaVerses|1.5}}
In the chaos of samsara, with its endless mundane preoccupations and unrelenting ignorance, it is rare to have clear virtuous thoughts. If they happen to occur briefly through the blessings of the Buddha, they fade away as quickly as they appear. Thus, it is important to grasp the opportunities when they appear.

Among the various kinds of virtuous thoughts, righteous ''faith'' is fundamental for generating the thought of awakening. It is important to have faith and trust in the Buddha, his teachings, and those following his teachings with proper understanding. Above all, it is important to develop faith and trust in the state of enlightenment, or buddhahood, in the noble qualities and characteristics buddhahood comes with, and in the compassionate engagements of the bodhisattvas. It is mainly through such faith and the knowledge gained through study, reflection, and teachings that one would seriously take up the project of generating the thought of awakening. Thus, the Buddha advises in ''The Dhāraṇī Spell of the Jewel Torch'' (''Ratnolkādhāraṇī''):
{{QuoteCite
		|quote-text=Having faith in the Buddha and the qualities of the Buddha,
In the conducts of the heirs of the Buddha,
And in the unsurpassed state of enlightenment,
The superior beings generate the thought of enlightenment.

Faith is a prerequisite, like a mother who nurtures.
It protects and enhances good qualities.<ref>''Ratnolkādhāraṇī'' (''<i>'</i>Phags pa dkon mchog ta la la'i gzungs zhes bya ba theg pa chen po'i mdo''), in Derge Kangyur D145, mdo sde, vol. 57, pa, fol. 63b, purl.bdrc.io/resource/MW22084_0145.</ref>
}}
Citing such verses, a teacher often elaborates on the benefits of having faith and its crucial role in spiritual transformation with the aim of helping a student generate faith in the teacher, teachings, paths, and results. There is a popular Tibetan saying that goes: "For the hook of the Buddha's compassion to catch hold, sentient beings need the ring of faith." Another popular Buddhist statement found in ''The Sūtra of Ten Dharmas'' (''Daśadharmakasūtra'') says, "A person without faith cannot give rise to positive things just as a burnt seed won't produce a green sprout."<ref>''dad pa med pa'i mi la ni''/ /''dkar po'i chos rnams mi skye ste''/ /''me yis sa bon tshig rnams la''/ /''myu gu sngon po ji bzhin no''//. See ''Daśadharmakasūtra'' (''<i>'</i>Phags pa chos bcu pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po'i mdo''), in Derge Kangyur  D53, dkon brtsegs, vol. 40, kha, fol. 166a, http://purl.bdrc.io/resource/MW22084_0053. See also ''Mañjuśrī Root Tantra'' (''Āryamañjuśrīmūlatantra'', ''<i>'</i>Phags pa 'jam dpal gyi rtsa ba'i rgyud'', in Derge Kangyur D543, rgyud, vol. 88, na, fol. 159b, http://purl.bdrc.io/resource/MW4CZ5369_0543.</ref>

A more specific faith required in this case is the faith and trust in the value and merits of the thought of awakening so that one would seek it earnestly. For this reason, many sūtras and masters like Śāntideva extol the power of bodhicitta as a source of incredible merit and benefit. It is recommended that a student repeatedly reflect on the merits of bodhicitta and generate great interest in and high regard for the thought of awakening, resulting in a strong enthusiasm to cultivate it.

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	<div class="col-md-6">{{YouTube
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		|caption=Venerable Thubten Chodron: <em>On Faith</em>
	}}</div>
	<div class="col-md-6">{{YouTube
		|id=Oa5uqvdTDXw
		|caption=Geshe Kelsang Wangmo: <em>Buddhism Says Don't Have Faith? The Radical Teaching That Changes Everything</em>
	}}</div>
</div>

Another fundamental emotion one must cherish and cultivate as a condition for the thought of awakening is ''compassion'', an intense wish to free all sentient beings from suffering and the causes of suffering. Compassion is considered to be the root of the thought of awakening, which is defined as having the two components of compassion and wisdom. Compassion feels the suffering of sentient beings, and wisdom understands the perfect state of the Buddha as the ultimate freedom from suffering. Students are instructed to cultivate compassion, and teachers use different methods, including storytelling, as a way to engender compassion and convince students of its spiritual efficacy and power.<ref>(Read about the power of compassion through Asaṅga's story).</ref> Motivated by the intense compassion to deliver sentient beings from suffering and the deep faith in buddhahood as the ultimate state of deliverance, one must have an earnest wish to seek the state of the Buddha.

<h3>Preceptorial Support</h3>
Just as a person on a long and arduous journey to an unknown place needs a good guide, it is vital to have a knowledgeable and experienced teacher to guide the student on the spiritual path to enlightenment. Such a spiritual master is often called a ''kalyāṇamitra'', or virtuous friend. In ''The Stem Array Sūtra'' (''Gaṇḍavyūhasūtra''), the Buddha compares such a master to a mother who gives birth, a father who attends to the child's welfare, a nanny who constantly looks after the child, a guide who shows the path, a doctor who heals, a guard who protects, etc.<ref>''rigs kyi bu khyod kyis bdag la ni nad par 'du shes bskyed do''/ /''dge ba'i bshes gnyen la ni sman pa'i 'du shes dang''/ ''gdams ngag la ni sman gyi 'du shes dang''/ ''nan tan nyams su blang ba la ni nad 'tsho ba'i 'du shes bskyed par bya'o''/. ''The Stem Array Sūtra'' makes up the lengthy final chapter of ''The Sūtra of the Ornament of the Buddhas'' (''Buddhāvataṃsakamahāvaipūlyasūtra''). For this passage, see ''Buddhāvataṃsakanāmamahāvaipulyasūtrāt gaṇḍavyūhasūtraḥ paṭalaḥ'' (''Shin tu rgyas pa chen po'i mdo sangs rgyas phal po che zhes bya ba las sdong pos brgyan pa'i le'u ste bzhi bcu rtsa''), in Derge Kangyur D44, phal chen, vol. 38, nga, fol. 286b–287a, http://purl.bdrc.io/resource/WA0RK0044-45.</ref>

Many Buddhist writings discuss the qualities and character of a spiritual teacher, how to find and follow such a teacher, and the numerous benefits of following the teacher. In ''The Way of the Bodhisattva'', Śāntideva describes the teacher for someone on the Mahāyāna path as having two qualities.
{{PullBcaVerses|5.102}}
A teacher must be very learned in the Mahāyāna system and also practice the path with integrity. Maitreya describes the Mahāyāna teacher as having nine qualities in ''The Ornament of Mahāyāna Sūtra'' (''Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkārakārikā''):
{{QuoteCite
		|quote-text=Follow a teacher who is disciplined, gentle and fully at peace,
Who has superior qualities, diligence, and knowledge of scriptures,
Who has realized the truth, and is skilled in speech,
And one who is an epitome of love, and indefatigable.<ref>Maitreya, ''Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkārakārikā'' (''Theg pa chen po mdo sde'i rgyan zhes bya ba'i tshig le'ur byas pa''), in Derge Tengyur D4020, sems tsam, vol. 123, phi, fol. 25b, http://purl.bdrc.io/resource/MW23703_4020.</ref>
}}

As one begins the process of a bodhicitta practice, it is important to have a teacher for the ritual of taking the bodhisattva vow. In ''The Compendium of Training'' (''Śikṣāsamuccaya''), Śāntideva highly recommends having a teacher bestow the bodhisattva vow in person, as such a presence would strengthen the process of taking the vow and also subsequently help one to observe the precepts carefully. If one cannot find or access a teacher who can administer the vows, one can either take the vow in the presence of holy shrines and objects or by visualizing the buddhas and bodhisattvas before oneself. However, this is more difficult for a beginner, particularly when carrying out the ritual according to the Vast Conduct tradition, in which the process of granting the vow for the engaged bodhicitta is mainly composed of reading out the lines for oath-taking by a preceptor or officiant. Thus, having a teacher is important for the process of taking the bodhisattva vow, but the role of the teacher extends beyond the initial ritual of taking the vow and spans the entire journey to perfect enlightenment.

As one greatly benefits from the presence and guidance of a teacher, one can have many teachers, as did Sudhana, the son of a merchant whose story is told in ''The Stem Array Sūtra''. Instructed by Mañjuśrī, Sudhana travels from place to place seeking 110 teachers before he arrives in the presence of Maitreya. Like the case of Sudhana, the teachers guide the student on the spiritual path throughout the entire journey, and the student must follow the teacher with great devotion and trust. In ''The Stem Array Sūtra'', the young man Śrīsambhava and the girl Śrīmati give Sudhana a long discourse on the benefits of following a teacher and the manner in which one must follow a teacher. They advise Sudhana to see himself as a sick person, the teacher as a doctor, the teachings as medicine, and the adoption of the teachings into practice as the treatment leading to the cure.<ref>''Buddhāvataṃsakanāmamahāvaipulyasūtrāt gaṇḍavyūhasūtraḥ paṭalaḥ'' (''Shin tu rgyas pa chen po'i mdo sangs rgyas phal po che zhes bya ba las sdong pos brgyan pa'i le'u ste bzhi bcu rtsa''), in Derge Kangyur, D44, phal chen, vol. 38, a, fol. 287a, http://purl.bdrc.io/resource/WA0RK0044-45.</ref> This is one of the most powerful similes to illustrate one's relationship with a teacher.

<h3>The Procedure for Taking the Vow</h3>
There are two different Mahāyāna traditions for the ritual of administering and taking the bodhisattva vow. One is the ritual adopted in the Profound View tradition (ཟབ་མོ་ལྟ་བརྒྱུད་, pronounced "Zabmo Tagyu") coming down from Nāgārjuna and his followers, and the other is the ritual passed down in the Vast Conduct (རྒྱ་ཆེན་སྤྱོད་བརྒྱུད་, pronounced "Gyachen Chogyu" or "Gyachen Chopegyu") tradition from Maitreya, Asaṅga, and their followers. While the two traditions share the overall framework of the oath-taking ritual, the liturgies and fine points of procedures vary between them. Today, verses from the second and third chapter of Śāntideva's ''Way of the Bodhisattva'' are used commonly as the standard liturgy for the bodhisattva vow ritual in the Profound View tradition. This procedure is based on what was practiced in the old Kadam tradition and later promoted by Patrul Rinpoche.

The Vast Conduct tradition uses a different set of recitations in prose to take the vow of aspiring bodhicitta and a set of questions and answers for the engaged bodhicitta vow as passed down from Atiśa. Kongtrul Lodoe Taye presents detailed liturgies and explanations for both traditions in the third volume of his ''Treasury of Precious Instructions'' (''Gdams ngag rin po che'i mdzod'').<ref>(Provide links to Kongtruls's texts here and Engle and Jinpa's translation).</ref>

{{Standout|'''An example of a text for taking the vow can be found here:'''   
:[[Articles/The_Ritual_for_the_Bodhisattva_Vow_Arranged_according_to_the_Tradition_of_Patrul_Rinpoche_(Chatral_Rinpoche_2008)|༄༅། །བྱང་སྡོམ་བླང་ཆོག་དཔལ་སྤྲུལ་གསུང་རྒྱུན་ལྟར་བཀོད་པ་བཞུགས་སོ། །]]
:[[Articles/The_Ritual_for_the_Bodhisattva_Vow_Arranged_according_to_the_Tradition_of_Patrul_Rinpoche_(Chatral_Rinpoche_2008)|The Ritual for the Bodhisattva Vow]]
:Arranged According to the Tradition of Patrul Rinpoche 
:by Chatral Rinpoche}}

<h4>The Seven-Limb Prayer</h4>
The actual act of taking the bodhisattva vow is normally preceded by the seven-limb practice, which includes prostration, offering, confession, rejoicing, requesting to teach, requesting to live long, and dedication of merits. This standard ritual of worship is said to help the candidate gain the required karmic merit and overcome obstacles so as to become a ready recipient of the bodhisattva vow. The verses from ''The King of Aspiration Prayers: Samantabhadra's "Aspiration to Good Actions"'' (''Bhadracaryāpraṇidhānarāja'') are widely used as a chant for carrying out the seven-limb prayer.

In order to conduct the bodhisattva vow ritual, one should first set up a physical shrine with a clean and beautiful array of offering materials, such as water, flowers, incense, food, etc., and bless them with mantras for offerings. One may also visualize such a shrine and the range of offerings. The buddhas, bodhisattvas, and all enlightened and righteous spiritual beings are then invited to the sacred space to bestow the bodhisattva vow.

<h5>1. Prostration</h5>
The practice of prostration is carried out mentally with or without physical prostration and is often accompanied by chanting verses. A practitioner normally does a simple prostration of devotion to the buddhas and bodhisattvas by bowing down and touching the ground with one's forehead, palms, and knees. One imagines that one's negativities of the body, speech, and mind, and the five poisons of ignorance, attachment, aversion, jealousy, and pride are cleansed as one bows down, and the blessings of the enlightened body, speech, mind, qualities, and activities of the Buddha are received when one stands up.

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In a more advanced practice of prostration, one can mentally multiply one's body into countless numbers and make prostrations to buddhas in all directions. The highest form of prostration is said to be the practice of making prostration with no fixed concept or notion of the subject making the prostration, the object to whom the prostration is made, and the actual action of prostration. Everything is seen as an illusory flux with no self-existence, like a dream.

<h5>2. Offering</h5> 
Prostration is followed by the practice of offerings. One can set up an array of offerings of actual things one possesses, including food, drinks, flowers, incense, etc. One can also make offerings of beautiful lands, waterfalls, streams, birds, flowers, jewels, riches, and other pleasant things which exist in the world but are not personally owned. In addition, one can make offerings of wonderful things through visualization, such as offerings of celestial showers or feasts to the buddhas and bodhisattvas. The magnificent offerings, real or imaginary, can be further multiplied to fill the universe in all directions.

A common all-inclusive offering is the offering of the ''maṇḍala'', or the universe with all the riches and pleasant objects in it. A practitioner visualizes the entire universe by making a hand gesture of it or by holding a replica of the world as presented in the ancient Indian cosmology. There are short and long versions of liturgies for making the maṇḍala offering.

Śāntideva also provides verses to make the offering of one's body, possessions, and virtues. He mentions these three sets of one's possessions or belongings in both his works, ''The Compendium of Training'' and ''The Way of the Bodhisattva''. Śāntideva emphatically encourages the aspiring bodhisattva to give away these possessions—which are the main objects of attachment and the main cause of self-centricity and its corollary problems—for the sake of all sentient beings. The offering of one's body, enjoyments, and virtues comprise the giving away of the most cherished physical and psychological properties.

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	<div class="col-md-6">{{YouTube
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		|caption=Venerable Thubten Chodron: <em>The Maṇḍala Offering Explained</em>
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		|caption=Ringu Tulku: <em>Why Do We Do Offerings?</em>
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<h5>3. Confession</h5>
Offering, which helps one accrue karmic merit, is followed by the practice of confession, which removes the karmic impurities that can obstruct the cultivation of the thought of awakening. Using various texts such as ''The Sūtra of the Three Heaps'' (''Triskandhakasūtra''), ''General Confessions'' (''Spyi bshags''), and verses from chapter 2 of ''The Way of the Bodhisattva'', one must confess and make amends for one's bodily, verbal, and mental wrongdoings, which include committing sinful actions or violating a precept one has promised to observe.

The confession must possess the four characteristics known as the ''four powers'' to become effective: intense remorse, sincere restoration, remedial action, and reliable support.

<h5>4. Rejoicing</h5>
The fourth limb of the practice is to rejoice in the good works of both oneself and others. From the enlightened activities of the buddhas of the three times and the virtuous activities of all saints to the wholesome deeds of all beings, one must feel proud of them and truly rejoice in them. Rejoicing in good works is considered to be an easy way to gain merit.

<h5>5. Requesting to Teach</h5>
It is the light of Dharma that is required to clear ignorance, the root cause of suffering. Yet, the teachers are reluctant to teach without earnest interest from the students, as the truth is profound and sentient beings are generally preoccupied with vanity. Thus, in the manner of Brahmā and Indra requesting the Buddha to stop his silence after his enlightenment and teach, a student must request the buddhas and teachers to teach or turn the wheel of Dharma.

<h5>6. Requesting to Live Long</h5>
The Buddha is said to have extended his life after receiving the request to live longer. As the existence in samsara  is marred with pain and suffering, the enlightened beings who have attained the power to transcend the ordinary cycle of rebirth are said to often choose to exit from worldly existence and enter nirvana. Thus, the buddhas and masters are requested to not enter the state of nirvana but to remain in the world for the benefit of sentient beings.

<h5>7. Dedication</h5>
Finally, one takes the merit accumulated from the six above-mentioned practices and all the other merit one has accumulated and dedicates that to the welfare of sentient beings. This is done with the following prayer: "May these virtuous actions help sentient beings reach the complete and perfect state of the Buddha."
The seven-limb prayer is often carried out by chanting the verses from ''The King of Aspiration Prayers: Samantabhadra's "Aspiration to Good Actions,"''<ref>See Rigpa Translations, trans., ''The King of Aspiration Prayers: Samantabhadra's "Aspiration to Good Actions"'' (''Zangchö Mönlam'') (Lotsawa House 1996), https://www.lotsawahouse.org/words-of-the-buddha/samantabhadra-aspiration-good-actions.</ref> which are taken from ''The Stem Array Sūtra'' from the Buddhāvataṃsaka collection. The verses from chapter 2 and 3 of Śāntideva's ''Way of the Bodhisattva'' are also used as a liturgy for conducting the seven-limb prayer.

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	<div class="col-md-6">{{YouTube
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		|caption=Venerable Thubten Chodron: <em>The Seven-Limb Prayer - Prostration. Click here for her entire series on the Seven-Limb Prayer.</em>
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	|caption=Alexander Berzin: <em>The Seven-Limb Prayer</em>
	|captionLink=Media/Alexander_Berzin:_The_Seven-Limb_Prayer
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<h4>Mind Training</h4>
Having accumulated the required resources of merit and having removed the obstacles through the seven-limb prayer, one then prepares the state of one's mind. Just as a field is tilled to prepare it for planting, one makes one's mind conducive and pliable for the cultivation of bodhicitta.

There is a wide range of practices for mind training before and after taking the bodhisattva vow. Here, Patrul Rinpoche adopts the earnest arousal of the ''four immeasurable thoughts'' to prepare the mindset. They are loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity, which are cultivated through the following wishes respectively.
{{QuoteCite
		|quote-text=May all sentient beings attain happiness and the causes of happiness.
May all sentient beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.
May all sentient beings be never separated from sacred joy.
May all sentient beings be free from attachment, aversion, partiality and abide in great equanimity.
}}
Following the cultivation of these four immeasurable thoughts, one must also cultivate the strong resolve to forsake everything for the sake of all sentient beings. One can chant the following verse and verses 12–22 of chapter 3 of ''The Way of the Bodhisattva'':
{{PullBcaVerses|3.11}}

<h4>The Actual Taking of the Bodhisattva Vow</h4>
There are two sets of liturgies for the actual taking of the bodhisattva vow passed down from the two main Mahāyāna traditions. Today, the Profound View tradition mainly uses the verses from chapter 2 and 3 of Śāntideva's ''Way of the Bodhisattva'', while the Vast Conduct tradition uses lines from Atiśa's ''Ritual Procedures for the Generation of the Mind and Vows'' (''Cittotpādasaṃvaravidhikrama'').<ref>See Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna, ''Cittotpādasaṃvaravidhikrama'' (''Sems bskyed pa dang sdom pa'i cho ga'i rim pa''), in Derge Tengyur D3969, dbu ma, vol.112, gi, fols. 245a2–248b2, http://purl.bdrc.io/resource/MW23703_3969. For an English translation of the text (with Wylie), see Richard Sherburne, trans., ''The Complete Works of Atīśa, Śrī Dīpaṁkara Jñāna, jo-bo-rje: The Lamp for the Path and Commentary, Together with the Newly Translated Twenty-five Key Texts'' (New Delhi: Aditya Prakashan, 2003), 536–51.</ref>

Although in some practices the ritual of taking refuge is added to the seven-limb prayer, making it an eight-limb prayer, as we find in the case of Śāntideva's and Atiśa's texts, most traditions have the verse for taking refuge chanted just before taking the bodhisattva vow. In this way, one takes the vow of refuge as well as the bodhisattva vow in one session.

In the Profound View tradition, the vows for both aspiring and engaged bodhicitta are taken in one session, while in the Vast Conduct tradition the two types of bodhisattva vows are taken separately. In the former tradition, the presence of a physical teacher is not essential, although that is preferred and highly recommended.  In the latter tradition, as the second vow of engaged bodhicitta is taken mainly through a Q&A, there is a need for an officiant in person. The former also does not require a human birth as a precondition, and nonhuman beings such as gods and nāgas can get the bodhisattva vow. However, the Vast Conduct tradition argues that the bodhisattva vow must be based on general Buddhist ''prātimokṣa'' vows, which only a human can take.

<h5>Liturgy in the Profound View Tradition</h5>
In order to take the vows, one must first ask the buddhas, the bodhisattvas, and the great teachers to pay attention to the request, stating,
{{QuoteCite
		|quote-text=All buddhas, transcendent and accomplished conquerors, residing in the ten directions, bodhisattva great beings abiding on the ten levels (''bhūmi''s), and great guru vajra-holders, please consider me.<ref>''phyogs bcu na bzhugs pa'i sangs rgyas bcom ldan 'das thams cad dang''/ ''sa bcu la gnas pa'i byang chub sems dpa' sems dpa' chen po rnams dang''/ ''bla ma rdo rje 'dzin pa chen po rnams bdag la dgongs su gsol''/. For the Tibetan text, see Chatral Rinpoche, ''Byang sdoms blang chog dpal sprul gsung rgyun ltar bkod'', in Gsung 'bum, Bya bral sangs rgyas rdo rje (Taiwan: Corporate Body of the Buddha Educational Foundation, 2017), 2: 215, http://purl.bdrc.io/resource/MW4CZ354420. See also, Rigpa Translations, trans., "The Ritual for the Bodhisattva Vow: Arranged According to the Tradition of Patrul Rinpoche," by Chatral Rinpoche (Lotsawa House, 2008), https://www.lotsawahouse.org/tibetan-masters/chatral-rinpoche/bodhisattva-vow-patrul-tradition.</ref>
}}
With an exceptional motivation to save all sentient beings from suffering, one takes refuge in the exceptional objects, including the buddhas, their teachings, and the sangha community of enlightened bodhisattvas, for an exceptional duration—that is, until one reaches enlightenment. With such an attitude, one chants the following verse from the ''Bodhicaryāvatāra'' three times:
{{PullBcaVerses|2.26}}
This is followed by the verses to take the two types of bodhisattva vows: the vow of aspiring bodhicitta and that of engaged bodhicitta. The vow of aspiring bodhicitta is the pledge to attain the resultant buddhahood, while the vow of engaged bodhicitta is said to be the pledge to engage in the path leading to buddhahood. In the tradition coming down from Asaṅga, the vows for aspiring bodhicitta and engaged bodhicitta are taken separately and have different prerequisites. However, in Śāntideva's tradition presented here, vows for both are taken simultaneously. The following verses from chapter 3 of ''The Way of the Bodhisattva'' are chanted three times, and one obtains vows for both aspiring and engaged bodhicitta at the end of the third recitation. At the end of the third recitation, one must mentally think one has received the vow.
{{PullBcaVerses|3.23}}
{{PullBcaVerses|3.24}}

<h5>Liturgy in the Vast Conduct Tradition</h5>
The Vast Conduct tradition has a different procedure and different liturgies for administering the aspiring and engaged bodhicitta vows separately. Below are the core parts of the liturgies which the officiant must read out three times and have the recipient of the vow repeat or respond to.

<h5>Core Liturgy for the Aspiring Bodhicitta</h5>
The officiant chants the following lines three times and has the recipient of the vow repeat after him or her.
{{QuoteCite
		|quote-text=By means of whatever roots of virtue having the nature of generosity, morality, or meditation that I, who am named so-and-so, have performed in any of my various past lives, that I induced others to perform, or that I have rejoiced at when they were performed by others, just as the former tathāgatas, arhats, and true and complete buddhas, as well as the bodhisattvas who are great beings that reside on the great ārya bodhisattva stages, generated the mind that aspires to attain unsurpassed true and complete enlightenment, I, too, who am named so-and-so, from this moment on until I reach the seat of enlightenment, generate the mind that aspires to attain unsurpassed true and complete great enlightenment.

I shall deliver those who have not been delivered;
I shall liberate those who have not been liberated;
I shall provide relief to those who are without relief;
and I shall establish all beings who have not attained complete
nirvana in that state of complete nirvana.<ref>Artemus Engle, trans., ''Kadam: Stages of the Path, Mind Training, and Esoteric Practice, Part 1'', vol. 3 of The Treasury of Precious Instructions: Essential Teachings of the Eight Practice Lineages of Tibet, comp. Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Taye (Boulder, CO: Snow Lion, 2024), 462.</ref>
}}

<h5>Core Liturgy for the Engaged Bodhicitta</h5>
The liturgy for taking the engaged bodhicitta vow in the Vast Conduct tradition contains many questions and answers in order to prepare and confirm the conviction of the practitioner before taking the actual vow. The following lines are only the core and final part of the recitation which the officiant must say three times and the recipient of the vow must respond to affirmatively.
{{QuoteCite
		|quote-text=Then, the spiritual teacher should ask:

O son or daughter of good family who is named so-and-so, do you accept from me, a spiritual teacher and bodhisattva who is named so-and-so, all of the bodhisattva precepts and all of the bodhisattva morality—namely, the morality of restraint, the morality of acquiring virtuous qualities, and the morality of acting on behalf of sentient beings—those precepts and that morality that have been observed by all the bodhisattvas of the past, those precepts and that morality that shall be observed by all the bodhisattvas of the future, and those precepts and that morality that currently are being observed by all the bodhisattvas of the present throughout the ten directions, those precepts and that morality with regard to which all the bodhisattvas of the past have trained themselves, with regard to which all the bodhisattvas of the future shall train themselves, and with regard to which all the bodhisattvas of the present are training themselves?

The disciples should receive the vow by answering:

I do accept all of them.<ref>Engle, ''Kadam'', 483.</ref>
}}

<h4>Concluding Procedures</h4>

<h5>Rejoicing Oneself</h5>
Having received the bodhisattva vows, one rejoices in the achievement, reflecting on how one has made human birth meaningful and how one has been reborn in the family of buddhas. One thinks, it is astounding if a blind man scavenging in a heap of rubbish finds the most precious jewel; It is equally astounding for an ordinary person blind with ignorance to find the thought of awakening, which is the jewel of the mind, in the midst of one's afflictive emotions and thoughts. 

<h5>Asking Others to Rejoice</h5>
One then chants the verse, asking all other beings to also rejoice in this achievement. With the buddhas as witnesses, one invites all beings as guests to the great offering of the ultimate state of the Buddha and all other kinds of happiness in the interim. The ritual of taking the bodhisattva vow is concluded with prayers for bodhicitta to grow and flourish and for the fulfillment of one's bodhisattva aspiration and project. (link to the verse).

<h5>Making Offerings in Gratitude</h5>
The ritual of taking the bodhisattva vow, especially if it is done for the first time in the presence of a master, would also include the offering of gifts as a token of gratitude. Such an act of offering is undertaken at the end of almost all important sessions of receiving teachings or vows and may involve cash or other gift items. The ceremony of taking the vow will normally end with verses for the dedication of merit like any other Mahāyāna session.


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<h2>Protecting Bodhicitta: The Bodhisattva Precepts</h2>

<h3>The Discipline of Abstaining from Misdeeds</h3>
The practice of bodhisattva moral discipline after taking the bodhisattva vow is often presented in three categories.
# The discipline of abstaining from misdeeds
# The discipline of gathering virtue
# The discipline of working for the welfare of sentient beings

The discipline of abstaining from misdeeds includes the moral precepts a bodhisattva must follow and the major and minor transgressions, known as downfalls in the Buddhist vocabulary. These are listed below. The second and third discipline concern things a bodhisattva should do and will be covered in subsequent sections.

<h4>Precepts for Aspiring Bodhicitta</h4>
One must avoid the four dark dharmas and follow the four white dharmas taught in ''The Jewel Heap Sūtra'' (''Ratnakūṭasūtra'').

Don'ts
#Cheat the venerable ones, including teachers
#Make someone with no regret regret a good deed
#Defame a noble being such as a bodhisattva
#Deceive sentient beings

Dos
#Tell no lies knowingly
#Treat sentient beings with benevolence
#Respect and praise a bodhisattva
#Place beings on the path to perfect buddhahood

<h4>Precepts for Engaged Bodhicitta in the Profound View Tradition: Eighteen Root Downfalls</h4>
One must avoid the eighteen root downfalls (transgressions or misdeeds) according to ''The Sūtra of Ākāśagarbha'' (''Ākāśagarbhasūtra''), which Śāntideva cites in ''The Compendium of Training'' and refers to in ''The Way of the Bodhisattva''.

<h5>Five Downfalls a King Is Prone to Commit:</h5>
# Take away property from the Three Jewels and stūpas
# Discard the holy Dharma of any vehicle
# Persecute someone in monastic robes, whether a monk or a transgressor
# Commit one of the five actions of immeasurable consequences
# Take up wrong views and nonvirtuous practices and make others do so

<h5>Five Downfalls a Minister Is Prone to Commit:</h5>
# Destroy a village
# Destroy a region
# Destroy a town
# Destroy a city
# Destroy a country

<h5>Eight Downfalls Common People Are Prone to Commit:</h5>
# Teach emptiness to someone who is not ready and make the person turn away from Mahāyāna
# Dissuade someone from the Mahāyāna path so that the person seeks individual liberation
# Dissuade someone from monastic and vinaya discipline saying it is better to train on the Mahāyāna path
# Deny that the path of disciples leads to the end of desire, etc. and convince someone
# Praise oneself and disparage others out of jealousy
# Sell oneself with lies of seeing the truth for the sake of wealth and veneration
# Get a monk punished and accept bribes regarding such an act
# Obstruct meditation by diverting provisions for practitioners to those doing recitation

<h4>Precepts for Engaged Bodhicitta in the Vast Conduct Tradition: Four Root Downfalls</h4>

Asaṅga summarizes the root downfalls taught in different sūtras into four in his ''Stages of the Bodhisattva'' (''Bodhisattvabhūmi'').
#Praise oneself and criticize others out of attachment for wealth and veneration
#Not give wealth or Dharma to others out of stinginess
#Not accept an apology and hurt others out of anger
#Abandon Mahāyāna and teach fake dharma as true Dharma

<h4>Precepts for Both Aspiring and Engaged Bodhicitta</h4>
#Not forsake any sentient being or give up on helping someone and seek individual liberation
#Not engage in altruistic work or help, even if one is in a position to help

<h4>Minor Downfalls</h4>
Minor downfalls include various physical, verbal, and mental actions one must avoid as taught in chapter 5 of ''The Way of the Bodhisattva'', ''The Compendium of Training'', and many sūtras. They include bodily comportments, such as unbecoming behavior, nonvirtuous forms of speech, such as idle gossip and harsh words, and negative thoughts and emotions. Commentators on ''The Compendium of Training'' enumerate eighty minor downfalls, while Candragomin's ''Vows in Twenty Verses'' (''Bodhisattvasaṃvaraviṃśaka'') mentions forty-six minor downfalls. The following passage from ''The Compendium of Training'' summarizes the complex moral system and downfalls of bodhisattva practice.
{{QuoteCite
		|quote-text=In order to pacify the suffering and mental pain of all sentient beings in the present and in the future, and to generate happiness and mental pleasure of all sentient beings in the present and in the future, if a bodhisattva does not diligently engage body, speech, and mind without wavering, does not seek the conditions for them, does not work on remedying what obstructs them, does not take up the small suffering and mental pain which can overcome great suffering and mental pain, does not forsake small things for achieving greater things, and neglects doing so even for a moment, he/she commits a downfall. There is no downfall for not taking up what is beyond one's capacity, as there is no rule made for that in reality. In other cases [i.e., where one is capable], it is either a misdeed by nature or by restriction.<ref>Śāntideva, ''Śikṣāsamuccaya'' (''Bslab pa kun las btus pa''), in Derge Tengyur D3940, dbu ma, vol. 111, khi, fols. 11a6-11b2, http://purl.bdrc.io/resource/MW23703_3940.</ref>
}}
Śāntideva points out that some actions may appear like a downfall, called images of downfalls, but they are not downfalls. Such actions might include telling a white lie to save a life. These actions are permitted. But some actions may appear to be without a downfall, called images of non-downfalls, while being a downfall in reality. Such actions would include those which externally appear virtuous but are done with selfish intentions or actions that involve trying to do things which are beyond one's capacity.

<h4>Making Amends</h4>
Transgressing a bodhisattva vow is considered a serious offense, as such a person loses his or her moral integrity, fails to keep one's status, displeases the buddhas, lets down sentient beings whom one has promised to save, and could be reborn in unhappy realms. Thus, one must make amends through confession within six hours, or one-sixth of a day. Applying the four powers for confession mentioned earlier, a bodhisattva who has committed a downfall must make confessions and amendments. Śāntideva recommends that a bodhisattva who has committed a downfall must confess by chanting ''The Sūtra of the Three Heaps'' three times during day and three times during the night.<ref>See ''Triskhandhakasūtra'' (''<i>'</i>Phags pa phung po gsum pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po'i mdo'') D284, mdo sde, vol. 68, ya, 57a3–77a3, http://purl.bdrc.io/resource/MW4CZ5369_0284. For an English translation, see Stefan Mang and Peter Woods (Samye Translations), trans., "The Bodhisattva's Confession of Downfalls" (Lotsawa House, 2020), https://www.lotsawahouse.org/words-of-the-buddha/confession-of-downfalls-nyingma.</ref>

Śāntideva also cites ''The Sūtra of Ākāśagarbha'' and advises that a bodhisattva who has committed downfalls can confess to Ākāśagarbha, who will appear in a dream in some form to help one make amends by giving instructions. The bodhisattva must make the following supplication to Ākāśagarbha before twilight and sleep again:
{{QuoteCite
		|quote-text=Dawn! Dawn! O Compassionate and Fortunate One! As soon as you shine on the world, cover me with compassion. I also entreat Ākāśagarbha, the compassionate one, to show me the means by which I can confess the downfalls and the means by which I can attain the wisdom and skillful means of the sublime Mahāyāna.<ref>Śāntideva, ''Śikṣāsamuccaya'' (''Bslab pa kun las btus pa''), in Derge Tengyur D3940, dbu ma, vol. 111, khi, fol. 42a6-42b1, http://purl.bdrc.io/resource/MW23703_3940. For the passage in the ''Ākāśagarbhasūtra'' (''<i>'</i>Phags pa nam mkha'i snying po zhes bya ba theg pa chen po'i mdo''), see Derge Kangyur D260, mdo sde, vol. 66, za, fol. 275.b, http://purl.bdrc.io/resource/MW22084_0260.</ref>
}}

<h3>The Discipline of Gathering Virtue</h3>
The discipline of gathering virtue refers to the bodhisattva practice of the six perfections, including giving, discipline, patience, diligence, meditation, and wisdom. How a practitioner takes up the practice of these six perfections will be explained below under the practice of engaged bodhicitta. It may be noted here, however, that through the six perfections, a bodhisattva gathers what is known as the ''two accumulations'': the accumulation of merit (''puṇyasambhāra'', ''bsod nams kyi tshogs'') and the accumulation of pristine wisdom (''jñānasambhāra'', ''ye shes kyi tshogs''). The practice of the first five perfections falls under the first accumulation, and the sixth perfection comprises the second accumulation. A bodhisattva must complete these two accumulations or the six perfections (''phar phyin drug rdzogs'') in order to reach full buddhahood. In addition, a bodhisattva  must also help mature or prepare the minds of his or her future disciples (''gdul bya'i rgyud smin'') and cultivate the kind of realm or world he or she will attain (''zhing sbyong ba''). The latter two are undertaken through the various prayers a bodhisattva should make.

<h3>The Discipline of Benefitting Sentient Beings</h3>
The discipline of benefiting sentient beings is normally presented through the four means of attraction. While the discipline of abstaining from misdeeds and the discipline of gathering virtue helps a practitioner in self-development, the discipline of benefiting sentient beings helps the practitioner engage in altruistic activities for others. The four means of attraction are a skillful strategy with which a bodhisattva can benefit the world.

<h4>Gift Giving</h4>
A practitioner of the bodhisattva path should first give material gifts or Dharma teachings to attract potential beneficiaries. Most sentient beings appreciate gifts, and this helps attract their attention.

<h4>Sweet Words</h4>
Having attracted sentient beings through giving, the bodhisattva speaks to the audience with soft and persuasive speech to make them enter the right path. Thus, material gifts are followed by sweet talk.

<h4>Purposeful Practice</h4>
With knowledge of the wide spectrum of paths to enlightenment, the bodhisattva then teaches a path which is suitable and most effective to the audience. It is important to impart teachings which are appropriate to the capacity, disposition, and interest of the audience.

<h4>Consistent Engagement</h4>
While teaching the appropriate path to the audience, it is important for the bodhisattva to also lead by example. Thus, a practitioner of bodhisattva discipline must walk the talk and engage in the appropriate practice himself or herself.

<h3>The Four Bodhisattva Actions</h3>
Śāntideva's ''Compendium of Training'', which is an anthology of passages from the Mahāyāna sūtras on the training and practice of bodhisattvas, summarizes the training of bodhisattvas under the four actions of giving, protection, purification, and expansion of the three objects, including body, possessions, and virtues of the past, present, and future times. This is presented in a verse in ''The Compendium of Training'' as the crux of the matter to avoid any transgressions on the bodhisattva path:
{{QuoteCite
		|quote-text=The vows of a bodhisattva
Are taught in detail in the Mahāyāna sūtras.
Know these to be the essential points,
By which one can avoid transgressions. (3)
}}

{{QuoteCite
		|quote-text=One's body and possessions
And the virtues accrued in the three times,
Giving them to all sentient beings
Protecting, purifying, and expanding them. (4)<ref>For the verses in Tibetan, see Śāntideva, ''Śikṣāsamuccayakārikā'' (''Bslab pa kun las btus pa'i tshig le'ur byas pa''), in Derge Tengyur D3939, dbu ma, vol. 111, khi, fol. 1b , http://purl.bdrc.io/resource/MW23703_3939.</ref>
}}
Śāntideva presents the four actions as a way for the practitioner engaged in the bodhisattva training to avoid moral transgressions and to make progress on the path. It is important for the practitioner to practice giving in the form of charity, teaching, and company. One must particularly dedicate and give one's body, possessions, and virtues to all sentient beings. Only by giving up attachment to these three objects of ordinary attachment and using these three objects for the benefit of the world can a person truly make progress on the bodhisattva path.

In order to have them available for sentient beings, a practitioner must protect these objects. One must not waste, squander, or neglect these objects, which can be of great benefit to the world. A practitioner's sense of giving and protecting these objects should not be stained by selfish interests and other negative emotions but be pure and wholesome. Thus, a bodhisattva must purify one's thoughts, speech, and actions and make available the three objects of body, possessions, and virtues to sentient beings in a pure form, in both thought and deed. If the benefit of the three objects of body, possessions, and virtues are not multiplied or expanded, there cannot be a great impact which is appropriate for the vast world of sentient beings. Thus, a practitioner must expand and scale up the impact of giving one's body, possessions, and virtues so that sentient beings gain optimal benefit. Such expansion and amplification is carried out through practices such as visualization and dedication.

<h2>Enhancing Bodhicitta: The Bodhisattva Practices</h2>

<h3>Enhancing Aspiring Bodhicitta</h3>

The ritual for taking the bodhisattva vow only starts the process of training in the Mahāyāna path for a new practitioner. Such an initial cultivation of bodhicitta must be followed by persistent practice to sustain and strengthen it, and there are many ways of nurturing the altruistic mind and cultivating bodhicitta. In the Profound View tradition, the practice of the equality between self and others and the exchange between self and others, as presented by Śāntideva in ''The Way of the Bodhisattva'', feature as the main practice. In the Vast Conduct tradition, the contemplation on the seven points of cause and effect, passed down from Asaṅga via Atiśa, is the most well-known practice. The meditation on the four immeasurable thoughts of loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity is another method to cultivate the aspiring bodhicitta.

In carrying out these practices, an important point is to treat all sentient beings with equanimity, without any discrimination and partiality. To do so, in most Tibetan Buddhist traditions, a practitioner is instructed to visualize one's mother alongside a person whom one hates or whom one may consider as an enemy. In some traditions, one is encouraged to visualize one's mother as the center figure surrounded by other loved ones and all other sentient beings, including one's enemies. The figure of the mother is used because the mother is generally considered to be the person who loves one the most and toward whom one normally has a strong affection.

In order to cultivate a strong sense of equanimity, some masters use the concept of rebirth. As one has taken innumerable rebirths in the past in this cycle of existence, all beings have become one's mother, not just once or twice but countless times. While they were mothers, they have been as kind and loving as one's present mother. Thus, all sentient beings are treated equally as recipients of one's love and compassion. It is with such a sense of impartiality that one must practice the different methods of strengthening the aspiring bodhicitta.
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<h4>The Equality between Self and Others</h4>
The practice of equality between self and others is carried out through the following series of contemplative thoughts and arguments.

<h5>Equal in Desiring Happiness</h5>
All sentient beings equally desire happiness. There is no difference between myself and others in wanting happiness, although we may differ in how we seek such happiness. Therefore, there is no reason why I should only seek my own happiness and not that of others. Śāntideva states:
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It is irrational and irresponsible that I seek only my happiness when both I and all other sentient beings equally desire happiness. Thus, I must seek happiness for others because they are sentient beings, just like my own body. As Śāntideva has said:
{{QuoteCite
		|quote-text=And others I will aid and benefit,
For they are living beings, like my body. (8.94)<ref>Blankleder and Fletcher, ''Way of the Bodhisattva'', 122.</ref>
}}

<h5>Equal in Disliking Suffering</h5>
All sentient beings equally dislike suffering. There is no difference between myself and others in not wanting pain and suffering. Therefore, there is no reason why I should only eliminate my own suffering and not that of others. Śāntideva states:
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It is irrational and irresponsible that I seek to eliminate only my own suffering when both I and all other sentient beings equally dislike suffering. Thus, I must eliminate the suffering of others because they are suffering, just like my own pain. As Śāntideva has said:
{{QuoteCite
		|quote-text=And therefore I'll dispel the pain of others,
For it is simply pain, just like my own. 8.94<ref>Blankleder and Fletcher, ''Way of the Bodhisattva'', 122.</ref>
}}

<h5>Equal in Being Part of One Whole</h5>
If it is argued that I and others are different and therefore I need not seek the happiness of others and eliminate the suffering of others, such distinction is imaginary and subjective. The hands and feet are different parts of the body, but they can be seen as being parts of the same body. The hand helps to scratch when the foot is itching. In the same way, all sentient beings are parts of the living world as a whole, and I ought to look after other sentient beings. Śāntideva writes:
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<h5>Equal in Not Having "Self" or an Owner of Experience</h5>
Moreover, if there were a true self or owner of the experience of happiness or suffering, one could make such a distinction and discriminate. However, there is no such self who owns the experience to be found if I critically examine the mind-body composition. All beings are merely an assembly of many psychosomatic constituents, and our experiences are the same. There is no difference in the experiences and no real person or being to distinguish us as different individuals. Śāntideva has said: 
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<h5>Equal in Being Able to Cherish Others</h5>
If it is thought that I cannot love strangers and unrelated sentient beings just as I love myself or those related to me, such a thought is mistaken. Sentient beings can easily love others with a change of mindset and habituation. If I buy a dog from a shelter and adopt it as a pet, from the moment I take it under my care, I would cherish and love it, although it was unknown to me before such a time. It is a matter of opening one's heart to cherish sentient beings. Even the love for one's body has come about as a result of one's mental attitude and habituation, just as Śāntideva has said:
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<h5>Equalize Thinking of the Bodhisattva Vow</h5>
A practitioner must regularly remember the bodhisattva vow one has taken and remind oneself of one's commitment to rescue all sentient beings from suffering. One should think: "I am a responsible person and a person of integrity. I must not break my promise or falter from the pledge which I have taken in the presence of all buddhas and sentient beings." All beings were given assurance that I will help them and save them from suffering. If I were to give up the promise, let down the buddhas, and deceive sentient beings, what will be my future?" With such thoughts, a practitioner endeavors to equally benefit other sentient beings as oneself and strives to equally dispel the suffering of others as one's own suffering. To this effect, Śāntideva has said:
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<h4>The Exchange between Self and Others</h4>
The next step after the practice of equalizing oneself and others is the practice of exchange between self and others. In ordinary life and the world, one is used to cherishing oneself (''bdag gces 'dzin''), but on the bodhisattva path, one must cherish others (''gzhan gces 'dzin''). In actualizing bodhicitta, love and compassion for others takes priority over love for oneself. Altruism overrides self-centricity. One must, therefore, switch from cherishing and loving oneself to cherishing and loving others. In order to exchange between self and others as the object of love and affection, one must contemplate the virtues, advantages, and appropriateness of cherishing others and the vices, disadvantages, and inappropriateness of cherishing oneself.

<h5>Exchange Considering the Value of Actions</h5>
Self-love is at worst evil and at best ordinary, whereas altruistic love is noble and sublime. Taking the case of giving, Śāntideva writes:
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Ethically speaking, an altruistic action has high positive value, whereas a selfish action is negative and deplorable, even by worldly standards. Thus, considering the ethical value of altruistic actions, one must cherish others instead of cherishing oneself.

<h5>Exchange Considering the Result of Actions</h5>
Following the law of cause and effect, a selfish action is negative and therefore leads to undesirable results, whereas an altruistic action is a highly positive action which results in desirable outcomes. Śāntideva writes:
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In order to avoid pain and suffering and to instead experience pleasure and happiness, it is important to stop cherishing oneself and to cherish others and engage in altruistic actions.

<h5>Exchange to Follow Great Beings</h5>
When one looks at the history of the world, all great beings, including the Buddha and other sublime Mahāyāna masters, have become great by cherishing others. Ordinary beings remain stuck in lowly life because they only cherish themselves. Śāntideva remarks:
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In order to emulate the great beings and, in particular, follow the Buddha on the path to enlightenment, it is essential to cherish others and to engage in altruistic actions. Cherishing oneself is giving in to the ordinary habit of the childish.

<h5>Exchange Considering the Number and Significance</h5>
Moreover, it is important to cherish others over oneself because the world of sentient beings is far greater in number and significance than oneself or a small group of one's loved ones. A wise person works for the vast majority and the greater good of society at large instead of a single person or family. The impact of working for others will be manifold compared to the result of working for just oneself. Thus, Śāntideva exhorts:
{{PullBcaVerses|8.139}}

<h5>Exchange Thinking of the Bodhisattva Vow</h5>
A practitioner recollects the bodhisattva vow he or she has taken to serve all sentient beings. In order to live up to one's pledge and act according to the oath taken in the presence of the buddhas and sentient beings, the practitioner reinforces the commitment to work for all sentient beings and to cherish others over and above oneself. As Śāntideva has said:
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Using different arguments and justifications, one must exchange oneself and others and swap cherishing oneself with cherishing others. One must know that if one does not do so, there is no benefit in the long term in cherishing oneself. Śāntideva has this reminder:
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<h4>Tonglen - The Practice of Exchange</h4>
In Tibet, the practice of exchange between self and others is taken up commonly as ''tonglen'', or giving and taking. In this practice, one takes the suffering and problems of other sentient beings onto oneself and gives to them one's own happiness and resources.

One would mentally place one's mother and all sentient beings in front of oneself and, out of an intense feeling of gratitude and affection, imagine giving one's body, possessions, and virtues to them. As one does this, one can visualize a white, soothing, blissful substance, like warm milk or soft wool, which is in essence joy and happiness, flowing out of oneself to others. As the soothing substance envelopes others and fills these beings, the area, the world, and, gradually, the entire universe, one imagines that the beings are filled with joy and bliss. Then, one visualizes a dark, foul substance, like dirty smoke, which is in essence suffering and the problems of the world, flowing from others into one's own being. As it enters one's body, one imagines that all the problems and miseries of others are taken in by oneself. Kyotön Monlam Tsultrim wrote the following to this effect:
{{QuoteCite
		|quote-text=May my body, possessions, and stock of virtues
All bear fruit for every sentient being.
May all diverse emotions and wrongdoing of the world
Fall upon me and may they be well.<ref>Karma Phuntsho, ''The Life and Works of Kyotön Monlam Tsultrim'' (Thimphu: Loden Foundation, 2023), 59.</ref>
}}
This practice of ''tonglen'', which is highlighted in the ''lojong'', or mind training, tradition of the Kadam school, is also combined with breathing exercises. In such practice, as one exhales, one visualizes soft, milky, blissful clouds of happiness and joy issuing forth from one's body and filling the target beneficiaries, the world, and the universe with the white soothing substance, which is bliss and happiness. As one inhales, one visualizes a dark, foul substance, which is suffering and the problems of other beings, pouring into oneself and thereby freeing all other sentient beings from sufferings and problems.

As it can be challenging to imagine taking in all the problems and suffering of the world for an ordinary practitioner, some traditions add an extra step of visualization. As the negative energy and suffering of the entire world is absorbed in the form of a dark, putrid substance during inhalation, one visualizes in the center of one's heart a powerful and radiant vajra or ball of light which transmutes the negative energy and suffering into positive energy and sublime bliss. One then imagines, as one exhales, that this positive energy and bliss in the form of soothing white light is sent out to cover all sentient beings and fill the entire universe.

<h4>Seven-Point Instructions of Cause and Effect</h4>
One of the most popular contemplative practices to enhance the aspiring bodhicitta and strengthen the bodhisattva's willpower is the seven-point instructions of cause and effect coming down from Atiśa through the Kadam tradition. Unlike Śāntideva's instructions, which use rational arguments, the seven-point instructions use the concept of reincarnation and the belief in innumerable rebirths one has taken in the past. Starting with the belief that all sentient beings have become one's mother, the instructions proceed from one point to another in the form of the preceding point being a cause leading to the subsequent one as the result. Thus, it is known as the seven-point instructions of cause and effect.

<h5>1. Seeing All Beings as Your Mother</h5>
The first point of meditation is to recognize all sentient beings as having been one's mother. One meditates on the point that in the course of the countless rebirths one has taken in this cycle of existence, all sentient beings have become one's mother, not just once or twice but innumerable times. Nāgārjuna states hypothetically that if one made balls of earth as big as Indian cypress seeds, the number of times a sentient being has become one's mother would exceed the number of balls one can make using the entire earth. Using the belief in the cycle of rebirth, one must generate the strong belief that all sentient beings have become one's mother.

<h5>2. Remembering the Kindness of the Mother</h5>
When they were our mothers, sentient beings showed us great love and affection. From carrying us in their wombs for nine months with much love and care, giving the best food, keeping us warm, and protecting us from harm, to helping us to grow up and succeed in life, they have shown unrelenting and unconditional love and kindness. They would have preferred to die rather than see us get even mildly sick. One should think of the absolute kindness with which the mother sentient beings have taken care of us in past lifetimes and how much one owes to them for their kindness.

<h5>3. Wishing to Repay the Kindness</h5>
Being acutely aware of their kindness, one must not only remember their kindness but act to repay the kindness. One must think: "Today, I am a capable and responsible human being. I should not merely feel the kindness of the mother sentient beings and be grateful but do something meaningful to show them gratitude and return their kindness." As a conscientious person, it is important to reciprocate the kindness others have shown to us. In this manner, one cultivates a strong compulsion to do something to reciprocate the love and kindness of the mother sentient beings.

<h5>4. Love</h5>
One wonders what would be the best way to reciprocate the kindness of the mother sentient beings. All sentient beings like happiness. Thus, it would be appropriate to show gratitude and return their kindness by helping them attain happiness. In order to attain happiness, one must have the causes and conditions for happiness. Therefore, one should seek happiness and the causes of happiness for all kind mother sentient beings in order to repay their kindness. As such, one makes the aspiration: "May all kind mother sentient beings attain happiness and the causes of happiness."

<h5>5. Compassion</h5>
In order to genuinely enjoy happiness, one must get rid of pain and suffering, and to do so, one must eliminate the causes of suffering. Therefore, one should seek to eliminate suffering and the causes of suffering so that the mother sentient beings can enjoy happiness. One makes the aspiration: "May all kind mother sentient beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering."

<h5>6. Special Intention</h5>
Merely wishing that mother sentient beings attain happiness and the causes of happiness and be free from suffering and the causes of suffering is not enough. In order for them to realize this, one must take up the responsibility to help them do so and act with a strong resolve and determination. Thus, one should think: "Come what may, I shall personally strive to make all kind mother sentient beings attain happiness and the causes of happiness and free them from suffering and the causes of suffering." 

<h5>7. Generating the Mind of Enlightenment</h5>
Having developed such an unwavering resolve to make all kind mother sentient beings attain happiness and the causes of happiness and free them from suffering and the causes of suffering, one seeks the most effective way to do so. What would be a viable and sustainable state to place all kind mother sentient beings in so that they can enjoy genuine happiness and be free from suffering? There is no genuine and lasting happiness and permanent freedom from suffering in this cycle of existence. All levels of existence in samsara are marred by dissatisfaction and eventually end up in suffering. Thus, there is no place or state of existence in samsara that is a viable permanent solution. Even if one attains the personal nirvana of individual liberation as an enlightened saint, there is no genuine happiness in an individualistic state of nirvana when the rest of the world around oneself is plunged in the sea of suffering. How can one enjoy full happiness by turning a blind eye to the suffering around oneself? Besides, even the enlightened saints, who are yet to become fully enlightened buddhas, are not free from the pain of subtle ignorance and the process of becoming. Thus, the only state with genuine and lasting happiness is the state of the fully enlightened buddha, who is not only free from all suffering and enjoying supreme bliss but also brimming with joy in helping sentient beings.

Thus, one should have the resolve: "In order to repay the immense kindness of my kind mother sentient beings, to help them attain genuine and lasting happiness and the causes of happiness, and to free them from suffering and the causes of suffering, I shall by myself and by any means place all kind mother sentient beings in the state of the unsurpassed, perfect, and fully enlightened Buddha." This seventh and final point is bodhicitta.

<h4>Four Immeasurable Thoughts</h4>
The four immeasurable thoughts are loving kindness (''maitrī'', ''byams pa''), compassion (''karuṇa'', ''nying rje''), sympathetic joy (''muditā'', ''dga' ba''), and equanimity (''upekṣā'', ''btang snyoms''). Concepts which perhaps predate Buddhism, they form one of the most common sets of practices of love and goodwill in all schools of Buddhism. However, they play a very important role as techniques to express compassion and enhance altruism.

Loving-kindness refers to the wish to bring happiness and the causes of happiness to all sentient beings. Compassion refers to the wish to free all sentient beings from suffering and the causes of suffering. Sympathetic joy is the thought of rejoicing in the happiness of sentient beings and wishing they be never separated from it. And equanimity, as it is understood in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, is the attitude to treat all sentient beings with total impartiality, with no sense of discrimination, attachment, or aversion.

Like the practices above, it is considered important in the Mahāyāna system to develop equanimity as the first of the four immeasurable thoughts. Thus, one may start the practice of the four immeasurable thoughts by visualizing one's mother and one's enemy on equal terms in front of oneself, surrounded by other sentient beings. Only meditation with such a sense of equanimity becomes a truly Mahāyāna practice. Having one's parents, enemies, relatives, friends, colleagues, and the entire world of sentient beings as one's object of meditation, one can then cultivate the four immeasurable thoughts. There are many different ways of practicing the four immeasurable thoughts in the different Buddhist traditions. The cultivation of the four immeasurable thoughts through four modes according to the tradition passed down from Patrul Rinpoche is given below.

<h5>Cultivating the Four Immeasurable Thoughts as an Aspiration</h5>
*May all mother sentient beings, as vast as space, attain happiness and the cause of happiness.<br>
*May all mother sentient beings, as vast as space, be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.<br>
*May all mother sentient beings, as vast as space, never be separated from sublime joy devoid of suffering.<br>
*May all mother sentient beings, as vast as space, abide in boundless equanimity without partiality, attachment, and aversion.

<h5>Cultivating the Four Immeasurable Thoughts as a Wish</h5>
*How wonderful it would be if all mother sentient beings, as vast as space, attained happiness and the causes of happiness.<br>
*How wonderful it would be if all mother sentient beings, as vast as space, became free from suffering and the causes of suffering.<br>
*How wonderful it would be if all mother sentient beings, as vast as space, were never separated from sublime joy devoid of suffering.<br>
*How wonderful it would be if all mother sentient beings, as vast as space, abided in great equanimity without partiality, attachment, and aversion.

<h5>Cultivating the Four Immeasurable Thoughts as a Pledge</h5>
*I shall make all mother sentient beings, as vast as space, attain happiness and the causes of happiness.<br>
*I shall make all mother sentient beings, as vast as space, become free from suffering and the causes of suffering.<br>
*I shall make all mother sentient beings, as vast as space, be never separated from sublime joy devoid of suffering.<br>
*I shall make all mother sentient beings, as vast as space, abide in great equanimity without partiality, attachment, and aversion.

<h5>Cultivating the Four Immeasurable Thoughts as a Supplication</h5>
*I pray to the enlightened beings to help me make all mother sentient beings, as vast as space, attain happiness and the causes of happiness.<br>
*I pray to the enlightened beings to help me make all mother sentient beings, as vast as space, become free from suffering and the causes of suffering.<br>
*I pray to the enlightened beings to help me make all mother sentient beings, as vast as space, be never separated from sublime joy devoid of suffering.<br>
*I pray to the enlightened beings to help me make all mother sentient beings, as vast as space, abide in great equanimity without partiality, attachment, and aversion.

<h5>Three Levels of Cultivating the Four Immeasurable Thoughts</h5>
In the Mahāyāna system, there are three different levels of contemplating the four immeasurable thoughts.
#The first level is to contemplate as mentioned above, with the conventional knowledge that sentient beings exist and need to be freed from suffering and placed in the state of happiness. Because one assumes sentient beings to exist and practices loving-kindness, etc. for sentient beings, this type of practice is known as loving-kindness focused on sentient beings (''sems can dmigs pa'').
#On the next, higher level of the practice of the four immeasurable thoughts, one can practice loving-kindness, etc. with the awareness of the impermanent and transient nature of sentient beings. Impermanence and change are the true nature of conditioned life. Thus, the practice of loving-kindness, etc. with an awareness of impermanence is known as loving-kindness, etc. focused on the truth (''chos la dmigs pa'').
#On the highest level of ontological scrutiny and the nature of existence, there is no sentient being, no person practicing the four immeasurable thoughts, and no act of loving-kindness, etc. Everything is empty of true existence and is merely an illusory appearance. Thus, there is no object to apprehend; there is no focus or fixation on anything. The practice of loving-kindness without the sense of grasping and apprehension of anything is known as loving-kindness without apprehension (''dmigs pa med pa''). A bodhisattva must eventually cultivate the four immeasurable thoughts in this manner—without grasping, attachment, and fixation.

<h4>Compassion</h4>
A simple but powerful way to cultivate bodhicitta is to develop the feeling of compassion. As compassion is seen as the immediate cause of bodhicitta, many sūtras and commentarial treatises underscore the practice of compassion in order to cultivate genuine bodhicitta. Masters such as Candrakīrti and Kamalaśīla highlight the vital role of great compassion in generating bodhicitta and practicing the Mahāyāna path. Right at the beginning of his famous treatise ''Introduction to the Middle Way'' (''Madhyamakāvatāra''), Candrakīrti praises compassion by describing it as a process of cultivation, comparing it to a seed in the beginning, to water in the middle, and to a ripened harvest at the end.<ref>See Candrakīrti, ''Madhyamakāvatāra'' (''Dbu ma la 'jug pa zhes bya ba''), in Derge Tengyur D3861, dbu ma, vol. 102, 'a, fol. 201b , http://purl.bdrc.io/resource/MW23703_3861.</ref> Thus, according to Candrakīrti, compassion plays a fundamental role throughout the Mahāyāna process of enlightenment. Similarly, in the first chapter of his ''Stages of Meditation'' (''Bhāvanākrama''), Kamalaśīla cites many sūtras to show how great compassion plays a central role in Mahāyāna practice. He then goes on to show how one can generate compassion by meditating on the suffering of sentient beings.

One must think of the myriad kinds of suffering sentient beings go through, from the unbearable cold and heat in the hell realms, the torment of hunger and thirst among hungry ghosts, and the exploitation, fear, torture, and killing that animals, insects, fish, and birds go through. Even as humans, beings suffer from poverty, subjugation, persecution, illness, death, separation from loved ones, and meeting with those who are unpleasant. One must meditate on the countless forms of pain and suffering sentient beings undergo and then wish all sentient beings to be free from such suffering. Repeatedly thinking of the suffering of sentient beings and intensely wishing all sentient beings to be totally free from such suffering leads to the quick and easy generation of bodhicitta.

Initially, one can generate such a wish for one's loved ones and then extend it to strangers and eventually to those one dislikes. Reflection on how one has taken countless rebirths in this cycle of existence and how all sentient beings have become one's mother and relatives may be carried out to help develop equanimity and generate intense compassion toward all sentient beings without bias and partiality.

Being an integral part of bodhicitta, compassion is seen as the quintessence of all spiritual practice. To this effect, Avalokiteśvara states in ''The Dharma Council Sūtra'' (''Dharmasaṃgītisūtra''):
{{QuoteCite
		|quote-text=Blessed One! A bodhisattva need not train in numerous dharmas. If a bodhisattva understands and upholds one dharma, all dharmas of the Buddha will be on the palm of his hand. What is that one dharma? It is great compassion.<ref>''Dharmasaṃgītisūtra'' (''<i>'</i>Phags pa chos yang dag par sdud pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po'i mdo''), Derge Kangyur D238, mdo sde, vol. 65, zha, fol. 84b, http://purl.bdrc.io/resource/MW30532_0238.</ref>
}}

<h3>Enhancing Engaged Bodhicitta</h3>
The practice of engaged or active bodhicitta covers the entire range of the Mahāyāna paths and practices that a bodhisattva must follow and adopt. The Mahāyāna paths and innumerable practices are commonly captured in the set of six perfections that a bodhisattva must master in order to reach the state of a fully enlightened buddha.

<h4>The Practice of the Six Perfections</h4>
The six perfections in Mahāyāna Buddhism are giving, discipline, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and wisdom. They are said to cover all aspects of bodhisattva practice and are arranged in a sequence of their importance and depth, with the latter being more important and deeper than the former.

<h5>Giving (''dāna'', ''sbyin pa'')</h5>
The practice of giving or generosity is defined by the inner sense of giving rather than by the quantity or value of the material given. Śāntideva writes in the fifth chapter of ''The Way of Bodhisattva'':
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Giving helps a practitioner overcome the negative trait of stinginess and attachment to things. If one has a strong attachment to things and is not able to give anything to others, a beginner could start by giving something from one hand to the other in order to get used to the act of giving. A student can train in giving by giving things of little value or by giving to people who are close. Gradually, a practitioner can give things of higher value, giving even to strangers and enemies. A bodhisattva develops the sense of giving gradually and tests his or her willpower and mental ability to give without expecting anything in return or any reward. A bodhisattva is not allowed to give anything he or she is not capable of giving wholeheartedly. When a bodhisattva has developed a strong sense of giving, he or she can give away even parts of the body with no attachment or regret. A bodhisattva with a highly advanced sense of giving will experience joy and bliss in giving away even parts of his or her own body. Thus, it is important to cultivate the inner sense of giving.

The will to give is often cultivated in the beginning by explaining the karmic benefit of giving. Giving leads to wealth and prosperity in the future. Thus, people are often encouraged to give with the belief of getting rich in the future. However, a bodhisattva's giving must transcend such worldly practice. Eventually, a bodhisattva must give without any expectation of return in this life or reward in the form of karmic results in future lifetimes. Stories of the Buddha and other masters are also frequently told to inspire giving. The Buddha is said to have given his body to a hungry tigress as Prince Mahāsattva and to flesh eating demons as King Maitrībala.
He is said to have given all the riches of his kingdom, his wife, children, and eyes to beggars as Prince Viśvantara. These and many other inspirational stories are used to help practitioners develop the sense of giving.

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	|image=Hungry Tigress HAR.png
	|header=Prince Mahāsattva and the Tigress
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The Mahāyāna tradition presents three types of giving:
#Giving material goods
#Giving protection
#Giving Dharma

One can give material gifts to one's teachers, parents, beggars, mendicants, and other recipients. Śāntideva's ''Compendium of Training'' mentions how a monk must practice giving by sharing a portion of one's alms with other beings. ''The Way of the Bodhisattva'' presents giving mostly in the context of making offerings to the enlightened beings as part of the seven-limb prayer and the dedication of one's body, possessions, and virtues to the welfare of all sentient beings. Making offerings, either through the actual giving of things or through visualization, is a very common practice of giving material gifts and services. Even if one does not have anything to give or cannot afford to do so, one can practice giving by imagining giving one's body, possessions, virtues, and other pleasant things in existence.

Giving protection includes saving life, giving company, and defending the weak. Rescuing animals from the butcher, saving fish from being killed, and freeing caged birds are some common examples of giving protection which Tibetan Buddhists practice regularly. The giving of Dharma or sharing knowledge and showing the truth is considered to be the highest form of giving, as it can bring lasting results leading to enlightenment.

A beginner may give with the mistaken notion that there is a real giver, recipient, and the object given. However, the practice of giving only qualifies as the practice of the perfection of giving when there is no fixed notion of the giver, recipient, and the object given. A bodhisattva must be able to give without the thought or notion of the three factors—giver, recipient, and the thing given.

<h5>Discipline (''śīla'', ''tshul khrims'')</h5>

The discipline of the bodhisattva is often classified into three actions: abstaining from misdeeds, gathering virtues, and working for the welfare of sentient beings, as shown above. It is, in essence, the renunciation or giving up of negative thoughts, words, and deeds and the engagement in positive actions. A bodhisattva attains the perfection of discipline by perfecting the mind of such renunciation or relinquishment. As such, it serves as an antidote to immorality and unethical life.

Discipline is considered a fundamental basis for the growth of other virtuous qualities, just as the earth itself is important for cultivation. With discipline, one can engage in meditation and develop insight or wisdom. The practice of discipline includes both following the precepts and having the mental integrity to stick to the righteous course of actions.

In order to do so, Mahāyāna masters such as Śāntideva underscore the importance of vigilance or carefulness (''apramāda'', ''bag yod''), which is described in the Buddhist texts as a state of being attentive to what is to be adopted and what is to be abandoned. Śāntideva devotes the fourth chapter of ''The Way of the Bodhisattva'' to developing such carefulness or conscientiousness. Another crucial state of the mind is mindfulness (''smṛti'', ''dran pa''). Mindfulness in this context refers to remembering and not forgetting "the dos and don'ts" with respect to one's moral conduct. It is important to always be mindful of the object and field of one's engagements. Introspection or alertness (''saṃprajanya'', ''shes bzhin'') is another state of the mind which is crucial for bodhisattva discipline. Introspection watches the body, speech, and mind with alertness to check on what they are up to and how they are engaged.

These three aspects of the mind are crucial for a practitioner on the bodhisattva path. One must have mindfulness to be always aware of what is right or wrong, have vigilance and be very careful and heedful of the different areas of engagement, and maintain introspection to constantly watch one's mind, speech, and body.

Equipped with these tools, a practitioner on the bodhisattva path must follow the precepts listed above after taking the bodhisattva vow. In addition, there are ten nonvirtuous actions to be eschewed and ten virtuous actions to be adopted as part of the general practice of Buddhist ethics. The ten nonvirtuous actions are:
#Taking life
#Taking what is not given
#Sexual misconduct for bodily actions
#Telling lies
#Creating discord
#Speaking harsh words
#Idle gossip for verbal actions
#Covetousness
#Malicious thoughts
#Wrong view for mental actions

As an antidote to these actions, a practitioner must adopt the ten virtuous actions:
#Protecting life
#Giving charity 
#Practicing chastity for bodily actions 
#Speaking the truth
#Making peace/conciliation
#Speaking kind words
#Engaging in useful speech for verbal actions
#Contentment
#Loving-kindness
#Right view for mental actions

There are many books in which a practitioner can find the moral precepts and code of ethics regarding a bodhisattva's behavior. These include ''The Way of the Bodhisattva'', ''The Compendium of Training'', as well as ''The Thirty-Seven Practices of the Bodhisattva'' (''Rgyal sras lag len so bdun ma''). These texts summarize the very detailed and scattered presentations of the bodhisattva discipline in the Mahāyāna sūtras. Besides the moral codes, it is also important to have an effective routine for the practice of bodhisattva discipline. A twenty-four-hour day is normally divided into six periods, or "watches," and specific bodhisattva activities are allocated during those watches. Such disciplinary rules, depending on individual circumstances and needs, should make the life of a bodhisattva highly conducive and productive for the practice of the bodhisattva path.

Finally, a very important part of the practice of discipline is the ritual of making amends when one violates the precepts either consciously or unconsciously. For the transgression of root downfalls, or major violations, a practitioner must promptly make confessions and reparations before the end of the watch which follows the watch in which the lapse took place. If the major violation is not amended before the end of the following watch, then the bodhisattva is required to take the vow again. In order to make amends for all violations, a bodhisattva is advised, as explained earlier, to recite ''The Sūtra of the Three Heaps''.

<h5>Patience (''kṣānti'', ''bzod pa'')</h5>
Patience is the third of the six perfections and is described as the hardest practice, one that requires unparalleled fortitude. In the philosophical descriptions one finds in the texts, patience is characterized by an undisturbed state of the mind. Not being agitated by conditions, particularly unpleasant ones, is the essence of patience. It serves as a counterforce to anger, which is a strong agitation of the mind and is considered to be the most heinous of evils.

First and foremost, the practitioner must reflect on the destructive nature of anger and the futility of getting angry. A moment of anger can consume the virtues accumulated throughout a thousand eons and cause great mental pain and discomfort. It deprives a person of peace and calm and the ability to work effectively. Like a bottle of muddy water shaken violently, an angry mind is disturbed and lacks composure and clarity to do anything effectively. On the contrary, patience brings mental calm and clarity. Śāntideva highlights the futility of getting upset in ''The Way of the Bodhisattva'' as follows:
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Having developed the conviction that getting upset and angry is only harmful and that patience is beneficial for inner peace and productivity, one must cultivate a patient and forbearing mind. From a traditional Buddhist point of view, anger, as the most heinous evil, also leads to rebirth in the lowest hells, where one will be tormented by pain and agony for eons, while patience leads to happy rebirths and particularly to future lifetimes with outstanding physical beauty. Even in this life, a peevish and angry person, even if a generous patron, is loathed and feared by others for his or her short temper, but a tolerant and serene person enjoys admiration and respect from others. Thus, the need for patience.

The practice of patience is divided into three based on the object of patience.
#Patience in tolerating harm doers
#Patience in bearing hardship
#Patience in understanding the teachings

The beings who cause harm and annoyance are the most obvious and common objects toward whom one must practice patience. "Without enemies, to whom can one practice patience," goes a Tibetan Buddhist saying.<ref>Similar sayings appear in a number of works: Atiśa's ''Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment'' (''Bodhipathapradīpa'') contains teachings about viewing enemies as valuable teachers for developing patience. The ''Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva'' (''Rgyal sras lag len so bdun ma'') by Gyalse Tokme Zangpo contains similar teachings about viewing enemies as precious teachers. Likewise, such statements appear in chapter 6 of ''The Way of the Bodhisattva'' (''Bodhicaryāvatāra'') by Śāntideva.</ref> Such enemies and harm doers can be endless and diverse if one remains easily annoyed and irritable in one's own character. Śāntideva writes in ''The Way of the Bodhisattva'':
{{PullBcaVerses|5.12}}
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Knowing that the main solution to the many harms in the world lies in patience and forbearance, a bodhisattva must tolerate harm doers and not be upset by their harmful actions. One can do so with the broad view that the harm may be a result of one's own karma in past lifetimes and not a fault of the harm doer. By tolerating a small harm or annoyance in this life, one can expiate the negative karma and escape the terrifying consequences in the future.

Another way to cultivate patience is to know that the persons causing harm often do so under the influence of other factors, including their inner emotions and circumstances, over which they have no control. Thus, it is absurd to get upset at a person instead of having pity and compassion for them. In fact, due to one's negative karma, a harm doer causes harm, but in doing so the harm doer commits negative karma and begets more suffering in the lower realms. So, in reality, one does even greater harm to the harm doer by responding with anger instead of compassion. Thus, it is not right to be angry or upset at the harm doer.

Moreover, an incidence of harm such as one's body being struck by an enemy using a weapon is a result of a combination of many factors, including the body, weapon, enemy, anger, etc. So, why put the blame only on the person and not on the weapon? Furthermore, why only blame others who brandish the weapon and not oneself who brandishes the body? One must own a share of responsibility for having a body so prone to agony like a running sore. Using such moral and logical arguments, as presented in Śāntideva's writings, a practitioner on the bodhisattva path must practice tolerance and forbearance of harm caused by other beings.

Another cause of frustration and anger is suffering and dissatisfaction in life. Although there may not be any personal agency, sentient beings get upset and angry at undesirable situations, such as illness, hunger, thirst, pain, and not getting the things one desires. A person on the bodhisattva path must practice patience in bearing hardship and suffering without giving in to frustration and anger. For this, one must reflect on the nature of existence and how it is filled with suffering and problems. Life in samsara is riddled with problems by nature. Thus, it will be nonsensical to expect it to be otherwise and get upset about it. How silly would it be to get angry at fire for being hot by nature?

Moreover, pain and problems are also subjective. Depending on the state of their mind, some brave men become more valiant upon seeing their own blood dripping, while timid people even faint upon seeing the blood of others. Thus, a practitioner must learn to be stoic and to disregard irritation because the one who is peevish sees more harm. A practitioner must also realize that existing problems may be hard to bear, but they are only a minor pain compared to the pain which anger begets. Such pain, like a small surgery to treat a serious ailment, is beneficial in the long run. It is likened to a prisoner on death row being freed with an arm chopped off.

Thus, a practitioner must not only face problems in life with a calm mind but also view pain and suffering as an important catalyst for spiritual transformation. As Śāntideva writes:
{{PullBcaVerses|6.21}}
Moreover, people go through various hardships and suffering even for petty worldly reasons such as material profit, political power, fame, marriage, or religious worship. What need is there to mention then the value of having fortitude and practicing patience to benefit sentient beings and to take them to the state of full enlightenment? A true hero is therefore someone who defeats the inner foe of anger and maintains calm and compassion even in the face of tragedy and great harm. The rest who defeat their enemies Śāntideva likens to stabbing a corpse.

Just as one must endure problems and suffering in life, a practitioner on the bodhisattva path must also foster the courage and conviction to accept and fathom the true nature of reality and to align one's thoughts and deeds with truth. A bodhisattva must train to understand the true nature of phenomena, such as the impermanence of conditioned things, the interdependence of all phenomena, the absence of an inherent self or person, the selflessness of phenomena, the illusory nature of the world, and the ineffable, unobstructed, empty, open nature of the ultimate reality free from all conceptual fabrication. Actual practice and meditation on the ultimate nature will be discussed below under the perfection of wisdom.

As the practice of the third type of patience, a bodhisattva endures to know the truth through a rational and analytical approach instead of taking things for granted. Critical inquiry and analyses, such as in the aforementioned example about a person hitting another with a weapon, helps one overcome mistaken assumptions and inherent bias and see the true nature of things. It is through knowing the true nature of reality that one can appreciate the nexus of causes and conditions and thus tolerate the harms and problems in life as well as transcend to a higher level of insight. Thus, a practitioner takes up the third type of patience by having the unrelenting commitment to and confidence in the bodhisattva path of wisdom and compassion. A bodhisattva remains steadfast in upholding compassion to help all sentient beings and firm in his or her understanding and realization of the way things are. With this, a bodhisattva is then never tired of engaging in selfless service and never affected by the challenges, misfortunes, and vagaries of life.

Śāntideva also advises practitioners, toward the end of the sixth chapter of ''The Way of the Bodhisattva'', to practice patience and tolerance toward sentient beings, including harm doers, because they serve as agents for spiritual transformation. Without beings, one cannot possibly pursue the Mahāyāna path of compassion and altruism. Just as the Buddha helps one accumulate merit as an object of veneration, sentient beings also help one accrue merit through patience, giving, etc. Moreover, it is in pleasing sentient beings that we find the best way to please buddhas, who wholeheartedly cherish them. Getting angry at beings or harming them would displease the buddhas. Thus, it is very important for a follower of the Buddha to love and respect sentient beings in order to truly remain faithful to the Buddha. Moreover, even sentient beings possess buddha-nature and are worthy of veneration, not disdain and disrespect. Adopting such outlooks, values, and reasoning, the follower of the bodhisattva path practices tolerance and patience.

<h5>Diligence (''vīrya'', ''brtson 'grus'')</h5>
The fourth perfection is the perfection of enthusiasm, zeal, effort, or diligence. In Buddhist philosophy, it is defined as zeal or joy in virtuous actions, and it serves as an antidote to indolence. Śāntideva remarks that just as there cannot be motion without wind, there cannot be merit without diligence. The cultivation of diligence entails giving up the three kinds of indolence:
#Laziness, which is to be in the state of lethargy, sloth, and boredom
#Despondency, which is to be inactive through diffidence and lack of energy
#Negative addiction, which is to be preoccupied by unwholesome things

Wholesome diligence functions as an antidote to these three kinds of indolence. In order to overcome the first type of indolence, which involves being lazy, lethargic, and uninterested, one must cultivate interest, enthusiasm, and motivation in wholesome activities. A person on the bodhisattva path must be physically and mentally agile, enterprising, and diligent. To do so, one must develop some degree of remorse for the  current situation in samsara and aim to reach a higher state of being. The Tibetan Buddhist practice of the four points of mind turning, including reflecting on the rarity and preciousness of humanhood, the impermanence of life, the efficacy of the law of cause and effect, and the flaws of the cycle of existence can help generate enthusiasm and motivation to seek full enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings.

A practitioner must reflect on the fortunate state of having obtained the precious and rare human birth and of having good health and all other necessary circumstances for seeking the higher goal of enlightenment. Reflecting on the precious and rare nature of such an opportunity to seek enlightenment, a practitioner must immediately plunge into the practice of the bodhisattva path. If one does not do so, one must realize that such fortunate human existence is fragile and bound to change any time. One must meditate on the impermanence and fragility of life and on how death can happen anytime. Thus, one must not waste one's precious life in laziness, slumber, or distraction. Śāntideva warns against such waste in ''The Way of the Bodhisattva''.
{{PullBcaVerses|7.14}}
In addition to fostering enthusiasm and effort through reflection on the precious nature of humanhood and impermanence, a practitioner can also reflect on the law of cause and effect. One must realize that happy, desirable results come about only by investing in the necessary causes of happiness and that suffering arises from engaging in the causes of suffering. Fully aware of the infallible nature of cause and effect, a practitioner must enthusiastically engage in wholesome actions and work hard in order to reap a good result. A practitioner must work hard to abandon negative actions in order to escape from suffering and reach nirvana. Similarly, a practitioner must contemplate the flaws of rebirth in samsara, such as not getting what is desirable, getting what is not desirable, encountering those one dislikes, and separation from those one likes. Beings in the lower realms of existence are afflicted by multiple forms of suffering, beings in happy realms suffer from inevitable change in situations, and all beings suffer from the stress of the constant pursuit of happiness.

In the traditional reflection on the faults of the cycle of existence, a practitioner meditates on the suffering of heat and cold in the hell realms, hunger and thirst among hungry ghosts, exploitation and predation in the animal kingdom, illness and old age among humans, strife and warfare among demigods, and death and downfall in the celestial realms. These reflections and harsh life experiences help in engendering motivation and zeal to engage in virtuous actions and seek the higher goal of enlightenment. A practitioner must also reflect on the bodhisattva oath taken earlier to place all sentient beings in buddhahood and now put forth effort to walk the talk.

Having overcome the first problem of laziness and sloth through such reflections, a practitioner must work on the second problem of diffidence and despondency. A practitioner must think of the endless cycle of hard work ordinary beings undertake even for petty worldly benefit and compare that with the noble work a bodhisattva has to undertake for the greater benefit of the world. Thinking of this noble cause and the limited effort and time required for it, one must feel emboldened and encouraged to engage in bodhisattva practice. In the traditional Buddhist worldview, one has gone through immeasurable suffering in countless lifetimes, resulting in no real benefit. The hard work and sweat on the bodhisattva path, however, is a limited and small pain which can bring forth a greater long-term benefit, like the pain of an incision to cure a serious illness.

Moreover, in order to overcome a lack of confidence, a practitioner must realize that even an insect, having buddha-nature as its nature, can reach buddhahood through effort. What need, then, to mention a human being who has the rational and emotional capacity to attain enlightenment. If one is afraid of the difficult bodhisattva practices such as giving one's body and limbs, such practices become easy and enjoyable with practice and habituation. The Buddha prohibits a bodhisattva from undertaking any endeavor beyond his or her mental capacity. 

Thus, the bodhisattva path, if one is well-equipped with wisdom and compassion, is not a difficult task but a very pleasant and enjoyable enterprise. Śāntideva writes:
{{QuoteCite
		|quote-text=Sin has been abandoned, thus there is no pain;
Through having wisdom there is no more sorrow. (7.27ab)<ref>Blankleder and Fletcher, ''Way of the Bodhisattva'', 101.</ref>
}}
{{QuoteCite
		|quote-text=What can sadden those who have compassion,
Who remain within saṃsāra for the sake of beings? (7.28cd)<ref>Blankleder and Fletcher, ''Way of the Bodhisattva'', 101.</ref>
}}
Furthermore, Śāntideva asks: "Which thoughtful person riding the horse of bodhicitta and having no fatigue would become despondent in going from joy to joy?"<ref>''Bodhicaryāvatāra'' 7.30. See also Blankleder and Fletcher, ''Way of the Bodhisattva'', 101.</ref> He recommends the four forces of interest, steadfastness, joy, and relinquishment. One must cultivate the strong interest and wish to engage in virtuous actions, abandon negative actions, eliminate the suffering of sentient beings, and create happiness for all sentient beings. Such an interest is generated by thinking of the benefits of virtuous actions and the demerits of nonvirtuous actions. Once one has found such a strong interest and wish, one must remain firm and steadfast in the pursuit of happiness for all beings. One must maintain unwavering confidence and pride in the endeavor and not allow dejection and fatigue to set in. Taking up the challenge to defeat the negative emotions, a practitioner should not only remain steadfast but delve into the bodhisattva practice with joy and enthusiasm, like an elephant rushing to a lake in the midday heat or a gamer indulging in the game. Should a practitioner encounter insurmountable challenges or hardship or suffer from fatigue, then he or she should relinquish the specific task for the time being to be resumed at a later time when conditions are better. 

Thus, a bodhisattva must adopt skill-in-means and be very strategic in terms of the appropriate investment of time and effort. Śāntideva also recommends the two strengths of earnestness and control to enhance the bodhisattva zeal. A bodhisattva must seek his or her objective with earnestness and immediate application. Just as a warrior who drops his sword in battle would pick it up promptly, and just as a young man would react quickly if a snake lands on his lap, a bodhisattva must act swiftly to achieve the goal. Similarly, a practitioner on the bodhisattva path must have a sense of control and power over things. Feeling confident and empowered and remaining very agile and aware, a bodhisattva must engage in the practice with confidence and flair, like a lion in the midst of foxes, and with nimbleness and full control over one's body and mind, just like a wind controlling the movement of a piece of cotton on a branch.

A major hindrance to enthusiasm and diligence in bodhisattva practice is attachment to and engagement in worldly and negative distractions. Śāntideva warns the practitioner:
{{PullBcaVerses|7.15}}
Knowing that if one is careless, negative tendencies and distractions spread fast like poison in the blood stream, one must exercise great caution and mindfulness in fighting negative temptations and distractions. Being mindful of one's practice and reprimanding oneself for even minor lapses, one must guard one's mind and awareness from defiling emotions, just like one protects one's eyes from dust. A practitioner must diligently practice the bodhisattva path by eschewing attachment to all negative activities.

<h5>Meditation (''dhyāna'', ''bsam gtan'')</h5>
Meditative concentration is the fifth perfection. It is defined in the classical texts as the state of the mind remaining focused without any distraction. It is the mental ability to remain focused, calm, and unperturbed, and it serves as an antidote to distraction. As a distracted mind is very prone to afflictive emotions and ineffective in accomplishing any tasks, it is very important to develop the meditative concentration of the mind. Only when the mind is focused and has attained calm abiding can it effectively develop insight into the nature of reality and thereby eliminate the afflictive emotions and negative thoughts. Śāntideva puts this clearly in the following verse, which is very frequently quoted:
{{PullBcaVerses|8.4}}
The process of pursuing meditative concentration normally begins with practice in solitude, where one's body is free from the frenzy of the world and one's mind is free from mental preoccupation. Śāntideva advises:
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For a beginner working on cultivating meditative concentration, the Buddhist masters advise practitioners to find solitude without disturbance and distraction and to take up solitary retreat. Whether one finds a brief period in one's daily schedule or finds free time to undertake a long retreat lasting weeks, months, or years, the main objective should be to settle the distracted mind and attain mental concentration or calm abiding. As the main reason for not finding time for such solitary practice and cultivating calm abiding is one's preoccupation with worldly affairs, a practitioner is first instructed to give up desire for worldly life, including attachment to people and pursuit of wealth, fame, and power. Masters such as Śāntideva present a compelling account of the futility of worldly endeavors, including relationships and business, and the stress, disappointment, and pain they lead to in this life and the many sufferings in future lifetimes. Talking about people, relationships, and property, Śāntideva writes:
{{PullBcaVerses|8.10}}
{{PullBcaVerses|8.12}}
{{PullBcaVerses|8.79}}
Śāntideva sums up the flaws of worldly desire in this way:
{{PullBcaVerses|8.39}}
With such instructions and admonitions, a practitioner is made to reflect on the worthlessness of the worldly pursuit of wealth, fame, power, and relationships and how they often fuel more greed and stress, creating a vicious cycle of pain and suffering. Thus, a person on the bodhisattva path is encouraged to seek something more meaningful and fulfilling. A practitioner who wishes to attain calm abiding through meditation must curb greed, have contentment, and devote time to meditation.

The actual practice of meditative concentration to develop calm abiding forms a fundamental Buddhist practice, and there are many different meditation traditions and techniques for carrying out the practice. The most common classical procedure is the nine-step meditation technique for establishing calm abiding. Below is a table showing the nine steps in three stages, with the five defects to be removed, the eight antidotes and six powers to be adopted, the four phases of contemplation, and the five signs of progress, as explained by the nineteenth-century Tibetan polymath Mipham Namgyal Gyatso (Mi pham rnam rgyal rgya mtsho, 1846–1912) based on his ''Gateway to the Way of the Learned'' (''Mkhas pa'i tshul la 'jug pa'i sgo'') and ''Heart of Luminosity: The General Meaning of the Essence of the Secret'' (''Gsang ba snying po'i spyi don 'od gsal snying po'').


[[File:Chart for Karma practice piece.png|900px|class=w-100 m-0 rounded-xl shadow|]]


The detailed instructions for the development of calm abiding can be found in many different texts and meditation traditions. All of them start with physical posture, the most common being the Vairocana posture with seven features, including (1) crossed leg, (2) straight back, (3) slightly tilted neck, (4) open shoulders, (5) eyes on the nose tip, (6) tongue touching upper palate with lips just touching each other, and (7) hands on the lap. Being comfortably and firmly seated to give stability to the body, one may carry out the breathing exercise to clear one's breath. With the body, breath, and the mind calm and clear, one then starts focusing on an object, whether it is an external object like an image or a twig, an internal object like bodily sensations or the breath, or an imaginary object like a deity or mantra one has visualized.

To kick off such a practice, one must overcome the obstacles of indolence and forgetfulness. A person indulging in laziness or forgetful of the instructions for meditation cannot even start the process. Thus, at this initial phase of preparing meditation, one must have strong faith, interest, enthusiasm, and willingness to undertake meditative concentration. One can develop these qualities by studying and learning about the benefits of meditation. Having overcome the obstacles, one starts the practice of meditation with the initial focus, the first of the nine steps.

The practitioner continues to focus on the object with care and exertion. As the beginner's mind will forget the object and get distracted, one uses mindfulness and reflection to continue the focus. When the mind is distracted from the object, one must bring it back and repeat the focus with introspection and concerted effort. Like a wild horse being controlled with bridle and reins, the mind should be trained using mindfulness and introspection. One must overcome not only the obstacle of distraction but also torpor and sleepiness. As one maintains and repeats the focus, one will notice the mind moving very fast and flying off in a flash. This is the first sign of progress called "the experience of motion." At this point, the mind is like a waterfall, restless and nonstop.

As one persists in focusing on the object using the tools of mindfulness and introspection, the mind begins to become calm and tamed. This is the second sign of progress called "the experience of attainment." Here, the mind is like a stream on a steep slope, moving constantly but at a slower pace. As one persists in taming the mind, the obstacles of distraction and torpor also subside, but one would still need to put forth effort to maintain the focus. Using reflection, mindfulness, and introspection, one must continue to focus and tame the mind. This will lead to the mind becoming very pacified and to the third sign of progress called "the experience of becoming accustomed." At this stage, the mind is like a river on the plains, seemingly still while looking from afar but still moving with strong currents. It is like a bee trapped in a vase, generally in one place but still with a lot of movement. The focus is sometimes interrupted, but one must put forth effort to get back to meditative concentration.
 
With sustained effort, one nears the final phase of meditative concentration when the mind is thoroughly pacified and one can focus without any interruption and exertion. At this stage, showing exertion and making a contrived effort are obstacles. Thus, one remains in single-pointed concentration without any contrived effort. One would have the fourth sign of progress called "the experience of stability." Now, the mind is like an ocean, calm and unshaken in the core but with some motion on the surface. As one remains in such a state with mental equanimity and becomes very familiar with it, one attains meditative equipoise, and one sees the fifth and final sign of progress called "the experience of the perfection of meditation." The mind remains undisturbed in all situations, like a mountain which is not shaken by the winds. There is no effort required to maintain the meditative equipoise, and the practitioner enjoys extreme bliss and agility of the body and mind.

Different schools teach different methods of developing single-pointed concentration, or calm abiding. A very well-known practice for calm abiding today is the mindfulness of the body, which is popularly known as a body scan. Here, one focuses on the sensations in the body, either gradually from the crown of the head to the heels or on a specific part of the body, to develop concentration. Another common practice is the concentration on one's breath, including inhalation and exhalation. There are many techniques of focusing on the breath as one exhales and inhales. Many traditions also use external objects such as images, twigs, pebbles, leaves, etc. as an object of concentration. In some Tibetan Buddhist traditions, a meditator trains first by using ordinary objects such as leaves and twigs and then meditates on the image of the Buddha as a whole or on parts of the image in sequence. One can also visualize a letter or a deity figure as an object of meditation for calm abiding. In the Vajrayāna tradition, it is very common to use a representation of a deity, either in the form of physical artwork or as a mental picture of a deity or mantra, in order to develop concentration and calm abiding. The process of the nine-step meditation to attain calm abiding is also represented in art, with a monkey symbolizing the distracting mode of the mind and an elephant symbolizing the sinking mode of the mind. 

{{InlineImage
	|float=right
	|img=Nine Stages of Shamatha Practice.png
	|width=500px
	|caption=This thangka depicts the nine progressive stages of mental development. Source: [https://enlightenmentthangka.com/blogs/thangka/nine-stages-of-samatha-meditation?_pos=1&_sid=fbf1cb8ea&_ss=r Enlightenmentthangka.com]
}}

When one attains single-pointed concentration, the mind becomes pliable for spiritual transformation. This state of mind, considered to be equivalent to the mental state of beings in the highest desire realm, is the lowest form of concentration a practitioner needs to cultivate high spiritual realization and qualities. When such a state of mind is further sharpened, one acquires the mental states of the first, second, third, and fourth meditative absorptions with increasing levels of bliss, lucidity, pliability, and efficacy for spiritual transformation. These four states of meditative concentration are considered equivalent to the mental state of the four levels of the form realm in the psychophysical Buddhist cosmology. The power of concentration increases further with deeper levels of absorption. However, in the extreme form of quietest mental state in a sentient being associated with the highest formless realm of worldly existence, the mind is too deeply absorbed in meditation, rendering it too inactive and unviable for spiritual transformation.

Meditative concentration is thus divided according to the different levels of mental concentration. It is also classified into mundane meditative concentration and supramundane meditative concentration. If the meditative concentration is merely a calm state of the mind of a worldly person without the element of wisdom which discerns the nature of reality or truth, it is considered to be worldly meditative concentration. Such a state of the mind may be blissful and lucid, but it is bound to eventually return to an ordinary state of distraction and torpor. When the meditative concentration has the nature of reality as its object, it becomes an insight into truth and thus acquires the power of liberation. Such meditative concentration with truth as its object is a transcendent realization of truth and thus is considered to be the supramundane meditative concentration.

Meditative concentration is also divided into three categories:
#Meditative concentration abiding in peace in this life
#Meditative concentration which attains spiritual qualities
#Meditative concentration which works for sentient beings

The first type of meditative concentration is the mundane state of calm abiding. This comes with a blissful and peaceful experience for the meditator but is not instrumental in bringing about liberation, as it lacks insight. The second type is a meditative concentration informed by values and methods which have soteriological efficacy or some additional power to generate supernatural qualities. This type of meditative concentration can lead to supernatural powers such as clairvoyance or astral travel as well as higher qualities of enlightenment. The third type of meditative concentration is used to help sentient beings. The power of concentration helps one to perform miracles and create things which would benefit sentient beings.

The types of meditative concentration promoted in the Mahāyāna tradition are the second and third types, and the perfection of meditative concentration involves the application of a meditative concentration to the realization of the ultimate nature of things. Thus, it is a nonconceptual, open, and blissful cognitive equipoise which is free from all conceptual constructions and mental fabrications.

<h5>Wisdom (''prajñā'', ''shes rab'')</h5>
The last and the most important of the six perfections is the perfection of wisdom. The sūtras on the perfection of wisdom claim that without wisdom none of the five other practices can really become a genuine practice of perfection. Thus, Śāntideva claims that the other perfections are means to the end, which is wisdom, for only wisdom can ultimately eliminate the root of suffering.
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Wisdom, in general, is the capacity for critical thinking and discernment of the way things are. Wisdom refers to the acute sense of judgement and sagacity when juxtaposed with compassion. However, in the specific context of Buddhist study and practice, wisdom refers to the understanding and realization of truth and the nature of reality, such as the knowledge and experience of nonself, impermanence, interdependence, and the emptiness of self-existence. In the Mahāyāna, the perfection of wisdom pertains to the knowledge and realization of the highest truth, the ultimate nature of things, whatever that is conceived to be in the particular tradition.

The Madhyamaka, or the Middle Way school of Nāgārjuna and his followers, such as Candrakīrti, Śāntideva, Śāntarakṣita and Atiśa—the philosophical system with which the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of bodhicitta practice is associated—expounds the perfection of wisdom as the knowledge of the emptiness of all phenomena. Wisdom, in this system, refers to the penetrating insight into the ultimate truth, which is defined as emptiness free from all extremes or fabrications. In their ultimate nature, things are neither existent, nor nonexistent, both, or neither. Ultimate nature is beyond production and cessation, birth and death, time and space, thoughts and words. Śāntideva elucidates this point in the following verse:
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The world exists only on a relative level as mere designations and conventions. On their ultimate level, everything is empty of their own being, and the perfection of wisdom is the knowledge of such emptiness. Such wisdom, then, is cultivated initially through study, then through contemplation, and eventually through meditation. Thus, wisdom is often classified into three categories:
#Wisdom through study
#Wisdom through reflection
#Wisdom through meditation

A practitioner starts the practice of the perfection of wisdom by studying and understanding the ultimate truth of emptiness. The classic texts of the Middle Way school, such as Nāgārjuna's ''Root Verses on the Middle Way'' (''Mūlamadhyamakakārikā''), Candrakīrti's ''Introduction to the Middle Way'' (''Madhyamakāvatāra''), Śāntarakṣita's ''Ornament of the Middle Way'' (''Madhyamakālaṃkāra''), and Śāntideva's ''Way of the Bodhisattva'' (''Bodhicaryāvatāra''), present numerous reductive and analytical arguments to establish the empty nature of all phenomena. Among the many arguments, the following five are known as the great reasoning of the Middle Way. They establish the emptiness of the causes, effects, both causes and effects, the nature of things, and of all aspects of phenomena.
#A vase is empty of true arising because it does not arise from itself, another, both, or nothing.
#A vase is empty of true production because neither an existent effect nor a nonexistent effect, both, or neither is produced.
#A vase is empty of true arising because it neither arises instantly nor arises gradually.
#A vase is empty of true nature because it is without the nature of one or many.
#A vase is empty of true nature because they are dependently originated.

A student of the Middle Way uses these and numerous other logical arguments and analyses to fully understand the emptiness of all things, including emptiness itself. Through persistent study and reflection, a practitioner gains a deep understanding and confidence in the nature of emptiness. With further reflection and familiarization, the practitioner develops a strong conviction that gradually turns into a direct experience and realization of emptiness—the true form of the perfection of wisdom.

Śāntideva's chapter on wisdom in ''The Way of the Bodhisattva'' presents the cultivation of wisdom through the common Buddhist practice of nonself and the four points of mindfulness.

<h5>Meditation on the Nonself of a Person</h5>
A person on the bodhisattva path must investigate the existence of the self, or "I," to which one is very attached. It is from the mistaken notion of the "I" that the notions of you, he, she, and they arise in contrast to this notion of "I." Such dualistic clinging leads to a like for oneself and what belongs to oneself and a dislike for others. This launches the cycle of attachment, aversion, and other afflictive emotions and actions. It is essential for a practitioner on the path to enlightenment to investigate the existence of the self in order to uproot the cause of samsara. Śāntideva provides the following instructions for such a reductive examination:
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Carrying out such analysis, a practitioner must thoroughly understand the absence of a self, or "I," in all beings. In his ''Introduction to the Middle Way'', Candrakīrti presents the sevenfold reasoning of the chariot to establish the emptiness of self. A chariot does not truly exist because it is not (1) identical, (2) heterogeneous, (3) possessive, (4) the located, (5) the locus, (6) the shape, or (7) the collection of the parts. The chariot is a mere label given to the assembly of the parts with a specific shape and a specific function. There is no real chariot other than the parts, and the parts do not exist other than their own parts. Similarly, a person is a mere designation given to the assembly of psychosomatic constituents in a specific structure performing a specific function. There is no real person, and all things are empty of a self or what belongs to a self. Śāntideva compares the person to a banana plant.
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		|quote-text=Wandering beings, thus, resemble dreams,
And also the banana tree, if you examine well. (9.150ab)<ref>Blankleder and Fletcher, ''Way of the Bodhisattva'', 158.</ref>
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Using such a rigorous analytical approach, a seeker of the perfection of wisdom must study and thoroughly understand the absence or emptiness of the self. The knowledge of nonself is an indispensable and central component of the Buddhist path to enlightenment. In Śāntideva's work and in the Middle Way school in general, such analyses and knowledge is further extended to understand the emptiness of all phenomena through the practice of the four points of mindfulness.

<h4>Mindfulness of the Body</h4>
A practitioner establishes the emptiness of the body by mentally dismembering the body in search of the body that we assume to really exist and that we deeply cherish. Śāntideva instructs a practitioner to look into the parts of the body in order to realize the emptiness of the body. The body does not exist either identical to or different from the parts. The same applies to the parts. He writes:
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The contemplation on the body helps one overcome one of the strongest fetters in existence: the attachment to the body. A bodhisattva must strive to give up attachment to the body and make use of it for the benefit of all sentient beings.

<h4>Mindfulness of Sensation</h4>
Another serious fetter in life is the attachment to pleasure and enjoyable sensations. Sentient beings crave pleasure and indulge in vices for pleasure. They hate pain and engage in negative actions to avoid pain and suffering. Thus, a practitioner of the bodhisattva path must see the empty nature of pleasure and pain. Śāntideva helps the practitioner investigate the experience of pain and pleasure by looking at the cause, effect, and nature of sensation.
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When one examines the nature of sensation, one can see that pain and pleasure are subjective, relative, and impermanent. If pain truly exists, there cannot be pleasure and vice versa. Because they rise and disappear like an illusion, there is no real pain or pleasure. Sensation arises from the encounter of senses and sense objects, but in reality we cannot see such an encounter or contact. One which has already touched cannot come into touch, and one which has not touched cannot contact either. With contact, there cannot be sensation. Similarly, there is no agent or person who can create and feel sensation. Śāntideva states:
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In this manner, the practitioner on the bodhisattva path must contemplate the empty nature of sensation and see all pain and pleasure to be like a magical illusion.

<h4>Mindfulness of the Mind</h4>
Just as there is no real painful or pleasant sensation and feeling, there is no real consciousness or mind. Śāntideva states:
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The mind plays the central role in the Buddhist spiritual system as the root cause and foundation of all things, so much so that Buddhism is often called a science of the mind or an art of mind training. The Buddha has claimed that the mind is the chief and everything is mind-made. In this respect, the knowledge of the emptiness of the mind is the most important form of wisdom. Through realizing the empty nature of the mind, one can realize the emptiness of all phenomena, as all phenomena have their base in the mind.

The meditation on the empty nature of the mind is one of the most important practices in Mahāyāna Buddhism, particularly in the Middle Way school, and there are many different methods and techniques for this meditation. One method is to examine the spatial location of the mind. Buddhist thinkers and mystics argue that this thing called the mind cannot be found within the body, without, or in between. Śāntideva remarks:
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In the Mahāyāna pith instructions on the emptiness of the mind, or what is known as mind-pointing instructions in the Tibetan Buddhist traditions, the master instructs the disciple to search for the mind inside the body, outside the body, and in between. A practitioner is asked to investigate the spatial location of the mind, only to realize that the mind has no spatial existence or dimension. Similarly, the disciple is made to examine the shape, color, structure, or nature of the mind through an instruction called "the destruction of the mind's structure." Through this the practitioner realizes that the mind does not have concrete existence and is utterly empty of an independent existence.

Not only is the mind or consciousness not found anywhere or in any shape or form, it also does not arise, as it cannot arise before, after, or at the same time as its object. A consciousness has to be conscious of an object, but in reality it cannot be conscious of an object which exists before, after, or at the same time as the consciousness itself. Moreover, if the object that is cognized, such as the body, does not exist, how can the consciousness which cognizes exist, for they are dependent on each other.

In another very popular meditation on the empty nature of the mind, a practitioner examines the temporal existence of mind. The past mind does not exist because it has already ceased to exist, and the future mind cannot exist, as it is yet to be. There is no present mind to be found in any shape or color in between the past and the present. Thus, no mind can be found to truly exist if one carefully examines the case.

The meditation on the empty nature of the mind using different techniques forms the most sacred and powerful practice of the perfection of wisdom in the Tibetan Buddhist traditions. More detailed and personalized instructions, often in the form of oral transmissions, are normally sought from individual teachers. Thus, a sketch is presented here, but a practitioner must rely on a specific teacher for proper guidance in following traditional procedures.

<h4>Mindfulness of Phenomena</h4>
The fourth point of mindfulness is the emptiness of all phenomena. Using the same reductive analyses applied to the body, sensation, and mind, a practitioner meditates on the absence of the true existence of all phenomena. One can use the great reasonings of the Middle Way to cultivate the understanding of the empty nature of all phenomena or use some other arguments and methods. There are also many other techniques, particularly those belonging to the Vajrayāna tradition, such as completion stage practices, dream yoga, luminosity practice, and meditation on empty form in the Kālacakra, Mahāmudrā, and Dzogchen traditions, which are powerful methods to realize the emptiness of all phenomena.

The most common and persuasive method found in the literature of the Middle Way school to establish the emptiness of all phenomena is the reasoning of dependent origination. All phenomena lack self-existence because they are either dependently produced (e.g., a plant from a seed, soil, moisture, and heat) or dependently conceived (e.g., the concept "here" and "there"). Śāntideva aptly demonstrates this through the example of a parent and a child.
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He goes on to state that the mind which analyzes and the phenomena which it investigates are also mutually dependent and therefore in reality without true independent existence. Thus, just as the mind did not exist, all phenomena which it takes as its object also do not exist. They are assumed to exist based on convention.
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<h4>Freedom from All Fabrications</h4>
Using numerous logical arguments containing a rigorous reductive analysis, a practitioner contemplates how the body, sensation, mind, and, for that matter, all phenomena do not exist in real terms. The external world of matter is made up of atoms, and the internal world of consciousness is made up of moments of cognitive flashes and impulses. Yet, if one investigates the atoms and moments of consciousness using the reductive process of examination, they cannot be found to truly exist. In the same way, neither can any process of production, cessation, coming, going, etc. be found to exist. We assume everything to exist on a conventional level for transactional purposes, but nothing exists on the ultimate level when thoroughly examined. Not even "nothing" exists.

The initial focus of the meditation on emptiness should be to negate existence because sentient beings are fraught with the notion that things really exist and are either attached or averse to them. After clinging to things as real, they give rise to defiling emotions such as attachment and fear, which in turn leads to negative actions and suffering. Thus, the practitioners must put their initial emphasis on establishing that things are empty of inherent self-existence or real nature. Much of the logical procedures and meditation instructions focus on eliminating the notion of existence, establishing that all phenomena are empty of real existence, and revealing/concluding that all empirical experiences are like magical illusions and reflections in a mirror. They appear but are empty of real existence.

After one has negated the notion of existence and grasped the emptiness of things, it is also important to go beyond emptiness, for emptiness is also unreal and only a relative concept. How can there be nonexistence without existence? Just as there is no father without a child or here without there, emptiness is dependent on the nonempty. If the nonexistent does not exist, emptiness can't exist either. In this way, a practitioner drops both the notion of existence and nonexistence, being and nonbeing, is and is not, the nonempty and empty, production and nonproduction, etc.

In the final ontology of the Middle Way, one must reject any instances of a real existence, nonexistence, both, or neither. A practitioner must transcend all four mental fabrications of being, nonbeing, both and neither. Everything, including emptiness itself, is utterly empty and nonapprehensible, akin to the bare, clear openness of space. Only when the mind is free from fixation on a thing, non-thing, or neither does it naturally rest in its true state of peace, free from the slightest tension, stress, and apprehension. Only then can one effectively cut through the habitual propensities for self-love, attachment, hatred, stupidity, jealousy, etc.

It is said in ''The King of Meditation Absorption Sūtra'' (''Samādhirājasūtra''):
{{QuoteCite
		|quote-text=What is "existence" and "nonexistence" are both extremes; so are "purity" and "impurity" extremes. Therefore, abandoning the extremes of both, the wise surely should not abide even in the middle.<ref>''yod dang med ces bya ba gnyi ga mtha<i>'</i>''/ /''gtsang dang mi gtsang 'di yang mtha' yin te''/ /''de phyir gnyis ka'i mtha' ni rnam spangs nas''/ /''mkhas pa dbus la'ang gnas par yong mi byed''/ /. See ''Samādhirājasūtra'' (''<i>'</i>Phags pa chos thams cad kyi rang bzhin mnyam pa nyid rnam par spros pa ting nge 'dzin gyi rgyal po zhes bya ba theg pa chen po'i mdo''), in Derge Kangyur D127, mdo sde, vol. 55, da, fol. 27a. http://purl.bdrc.io/resource/MW22084_0127.</ref> 
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In the ultimate meditation on wisdom, the practitioner immerses him or herself into a deep experience of emptiness with no sense of engagement or withdrawal, acceptance or rejection, likes or dislikes, pleasure or pain. During the postmeditation state, the practitioner is constantly aware of the illusory nature of things. Sustained practice of such meditation on emptiness and postmeditation awareness, Śāntideva points out, would not only help the person face the ups and downs of life with the same level of ease and equanimity but also induces an intense surge of compassion for the beings who are drowning in the sea of suffering. It inspires one to work evermore to free other beings who are caught in the prison of ignorance, mistakenly holding illusory and empty things to be real. Just as compassion for other beings leads to developing the wisdom to see things as they really are, wisdom and insight into the true nature of things helps enhance the vigor of compassion for all beings, thereby having wisdom and compassion mutually strengthen each other.
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