Heart-mind of awakening.

Bodhichitta is the one practice we cannot do without. Even if we have been given the precious oral instructions on realizing the nature of mind, they will not be the sufficient cause for realization if we have not learned to generate Bodhichitta. The great Dzogchen yogi Patrul Rinpoche said," If we have only one thing, the precious Bodhichitta is enough.
If we have nothing else, we must have the method of the precious Bodhichitta.

"We should learn to develop Bodhichitta in a twofold way: through our aspirations and through our actions. Aspiration Bodhichitta is our initial wish that all sentient beings be liberated from the vast ocean of samsara's suffering. Action Bodhichitta requires that we first generate aspiration Bodhichitta, and practice the Six Paramitas as the method to establish the two benefits of 1) attaining Buddhahood oneself to 2) be of ultimate benefit to others.

The way to practice aspiration and action Bodhichitta was taught by the omniscient Patrul Rinpoche, who said," The instructions for aspiration [Bodhichitta] are to practice the Four Immeasurables;The instructions for action [Bodhichitta] are to practice the Paramitas."


His Holiness the Dalai Lama:
Bodhicitta or the altruistic aspiration to attain Enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings is a state of mind which cannot be cultivated or generated within one's mental continuum simply by praying for it to come into being in one's mind.

Nor will it come into existence by simply developing the understanding of what that mind is. One must generate that mind within one's mind's continuum.In order to engage in meditation with sustained effort over a period of time what is crucial is first of all to be convinced of the positive qualities of that mind, and the benefits and merits of generating such a state of mind.

It is only when one has seen the qualities, merits and benefits of generating such a state of mind that one will be able to generate within oneself a genuine enthusiasm and perseverance in engaging in a meditation which would enable the individual to generate the mind.

Any sense of conceit or self-importance gets in the way of cultivating the genuine altruistic intention, and the most effective remedy against this is the cultivation of humility.I can tell you a more recent story to illustrate this point. The great nineteenth-century Tibetan Dzokchen meditator Dza Patrul Rinpoche always maintained a demeanour of true humility.

At one time, when he was giving a series of teachings to a large crowd of students, he experienced a forceful yearning for solitude. So one day he quietly left his residence and disappeared, dressed like an ordinary pilgrim and carrying a walking staff and very little else. When he reached a nomadic camp he sought shelter for a few days with one of the families.

While he was staying with them, his hostess asked him to read some texts and, since he looked just like an ordinary pilgrim, in return for his food and lodging she asked him to help with the household chores, which included the disposal of the contents of her chamber pot.

One day, while he was away from the camp attending to this task, some of his well-dressed monk students came looking for him. When his hostess heard their description of him, she suddenly realised this was the same person she had asked to throw away the contents of her chamber pot. (It is said she was so embarrassed that she just ran away!)

Such was the humility of this great teacher, who had many thousands of students....great practitioners of the altruistic intention also possess a tremendous courage grounded in real inner strength.... This combination of a total lack of conceit yet possessing great depth of courage is what is required in a true practitioner of bodhicitta, the altruistic mind of awakening.