In Praise of Great Compassion

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Bodhicitta (introduction)

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Descriptionངོ་སྤྲོད།

In Praise of Great Compassion, the fifth volume of the Library of Wisdom and Compassion, continues the Dalai Lama's teachings on the path to awakening. While previous volumes focused on our present situation and taking responsibility for creating the causes of happiness, this volume concerns opening our hearts and generating the intention to make our lives meaningful by benefiting others.

We are embedded in a universe with other living beings, all of whom have been kind to us in one way or another. More than any other time in human history, we depend on one another to stay alive and flourish. When we look closely, it becomes apparent that we have been the recipient of great kindness. Wanting to repay others’ kindness, we cultivate a positive attitude by contemplating the four immeasurables of love, compassion, empathic joy, and equanimity, and the altruistic intention of bodhicitta. We learn to challenge the self-centered attitude that leads to misery and replace it with a more realistic perspective enabling us to remain emotionally balanced in good and bad times. In this way, all circumstances become favorable to the path to awakening. (Source: Wisdom Publications)

Citation

Dalai Lama, 14th, and Thubten Chodron. In Praise of Great Compassion. Library of Wisdom and Compassion 5. Somerville, MA: Wisdom Publications, 2020.

Publisher Link

https://wisdomexperience.org/product/in-praise-of-great-compassion/

People Mentioned

Vasubandhu

Table of contents

Prefacexi
Abbreviationsxvii
Introduction1

1. THE FOUR IMMEASURABLES3
- The Four Immeasurables in the Pāli Tradition3
- The Three Higher Trainings and the Four Immeasurables4
- Introduction to the Four Divine Abodes6
- Meditation on Love11
- Counteracting Animosity and Anger13
- Continuing the Meditation on Love19
- Cultivating Love Benefits Self and Others23
- Meditation on Compassion27
- Meditation on Empathic Joy29
- Meditation on Equanimity29
- Types of Equanimity31
- The Four Divine Abodes and Insight33
- Near and Far Enemies of the Four Immeasurables35
- The Four Immeasurables in the Mahāyāna38
- The Four Immeasurables in the Vajrayāna45
- An Intimate Feeling with All Beings46

2. THE ALTRUISTIC INTENTION OF BODHICITTA49
- The Fundamental Vehicle and Mahāyāna49
- The Ultimate Purpose of Dharma Practice52
- What Is Bodhicitta?54
- The Causes of Bodhicitta58
- The Benefits of Bodhicitta62
- Bodhisattvas as Inspiring Role Models67
- Two Types of Mahāyāna Disciples69

3. HOW TO CULTIVATE BODHICITTA: THE SEVEN CAUSE-AND-EFFECT INSTRUCTIONS75
- The Seven Cause-and-Effect Instructions76
- Training the Mind to Be Intent on Others' Well-Being78
- Developing the Attitude That Is Intent on Others' Welfare Bodhicitta91

4. EQUALIZING AND EXCHANGING SELF AND OTHERS117
- Equalizing Self and Others118
- The Disadvantages of Self-Centeredness124
- Benefits of Cherishing Others128
- Exchanging Self and Others131
- Using Jealousy, Competition, and Arrogance in the Exchange136
- How to View the Body138
- Taking and Giving140
- True Practitioners145
- Comparing and Combining the Two Methods146

5. BECOMING A BODHISATTVA149
- The Self-Centered Attitude and Self-Grasping Ignorance149
- Self-Interest and Self-Confidence152
- Integrating the View with Bodhicitta153
- Who Can Generate Bodhicitta?156
- Definite and Indefinite Lineage157
- Can Bodhicitta Degenerate?158
- Signs of Irreversibility159
- Classifications of Bodhicitta160

6. HOMAGE TO GREAT COMPASSION171
- Compassion Is the Root of All Goodness172
- The Three Principal Causes of Bodhisattvas176
- Compassion Observing Sentient Beings182
- Compassion Observing Phenomena188
- Compassion Observing the Unapprehendable192
- Combining Wisdom and Compassion199

7. ASPIRING AND ENGAGING BODHICITTA207
- Identifying Aspiring and Engaging Bodhicitta207
- The Ceremony for Generating Aspiring Bodhicitta210
- Guidelines of Aspiring Bodhicitta213
- Engaging Bodhicitta216
- Taking the Bodhisattva Vow218
- The Bodhisattva Ethical Code in the Tibetan Tradition223
- A Kind Heart236

8. LOVE, COMPASSION, AND BODHICITTA IN CHINESE BUDDHISM239
- Love and Compassion - Prerequisites to Bodhicitta239
- Causes and Conditions to Generate Bodhicitta244
- Ten Factors to Spur the Generation of Bodhicitta247
- Vasubandhu on Cultivating Bodhicitta and the Bodhisattva Vow258
- Exhortation to Resolve on Buddhahood262
- Cultivating the Three Types of Mind and the Five Great Vows264
- The Four Great Vows 272
- The Bodhisattva Ethical Code in Chinese Buddhism274
- The Bodhisattva Ethical Code in Japanese Buddhism282
- Bodhicitta, True Suchness, and Buddha Nature283
- The Five Stages of Cultivating Bodhicitta284

9. BODHICITTA AND BODHISATTVAS IN THE PĀLI TRADITION287
- Compassion287
- The Compassion of Arhats and Śrāvaka Learners290
- Compassion in Daily Life291
- Levels of Love and Compassion296
- The Bodhisattva Path297
- The Bodhisattva in Pāli Literature300
- For the Success of Bodhicitta305

10. MIND TRAINING309
- Taking Adversity into the Path311
- Specific Advice for Difficult Situations315
- A Lifetime's Practice320
- The Commitments and Precepts of Mind Training322
- Gāthās to Train the Mind334

Notes345
Glossary353
Recommended Reading367
Index371
About the Authors393

Interconnections

Works related to this item

5 Readings

Chodron, Thubten. "In Praise of Great Compassion Introduction." Produced by Sravasti Abbey July 31, 2020. Video, 8:41. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tgEmLp_KQk.

MultimediaAbout this item

Venerable Thubten Chodron introduces In Praise of Great Compassion, the fifth volume in The Library of Wisdom and Compassion series that presents His Holiness the Dalai Lama's teachings on the stages of the path to awakening for a modern, Western audience.

Chodron, Thubten. "In Praise of Great Compassion: Bodhicitta in the Pali Tradition." Produced by Sravasti Abbey Aug 19, 2020. Video, 6:13. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8_fzF4Chpo.

MultimediaAbout this item

Venerable Thubten Chodron reads an excerpt from "In Praise of Great Compassion" co-authored with His Holiness the Dalai Lama on Bodhicitta and the ten perfections in the Pali Tradition.

Chodron, Thubten. "In Praise of Great Compassion: Cultivating Bodhicitta in the Chinese Tradition." Produced by Sravasti Abbey Aug 3, 2020. Video, 18:16. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_89uYa3YMH0.

MultimediaAbout this item

Venerable Thubten Chodron reads an excerpt from In Praise of Great Compassion, Volume 5 of The Library of Wisdom and Compassion series that presents His Holiness the Dalai Lama's teachings on the stages of the path to awakening.

Chodron, Thubten. "In Praise of Great Compassion: Transforming Adversity Into the Path." Produced by Sravasti Abbey Aug 24, 2020. Video, 19:11. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmZJ6ZLGN54.

MultimediaAbout this item

Venerable Thubten Chodron shares an excerpt from "In Praise of Great Compassion," Volume 5 of The Library of Wisdom and Compassion, on the Tibetan Buddhist genre of mind training teachings that show us how to transform challenges into opportunities for spiritual practice.

Chodron, Thubten. "Library of Wisdom and Compassion: In Praise of Great Compassion." Produced by Sravasti Abbey Nov 3, 2021. Video, 1:20:28. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SO828uYHvrw.

MultimediaAbout this item

Venerable Thubten Chodron gives an overview of the fifth volume of The Library of Wisdom and Compassion, In Praise of Great Compassion. She teaches on the four immeasurables and how to distinguish them from their near enemies. She explains the difference between sharp and modest faculty Mahayana practitioners and between the self-centered attitude and the self-grasping ignorance. She concludes with sharing the four great vows in the Chinese Buddhist tradition.