Bodhisattvacharyavatara

by Andreas Kretschmar | 246,740 words

The English translation of the Bodhisattvacharyavatara (“entering the conduct of the bodhisattvas”), a Sanskrit text with Tibetan commentary. This book explains the bodhisattva concept and gives guidance to the Buddhist practitioner following the Mahāyāna path towards the attainment of enlightenment. The text was written in Sanskrit by Shantideva ...

Relative bodhicitta has two aspects: bodhicitta of aspiration and bodhicitta of application. Both are ways of thinking. Many people are confused about this. Both types of bodhicitta are motivation and are not action or conduct. First, you form the motivation [bsam pa], and only then can you enter with that motivation into whatever conduct [spyod pa] you wish.

Bodhicitta of aspiration is said to be like the wish to go to Lhasa while bodhicitta of application is like setting out on the road to Lhasa. Bodhicitta of aspiration is the thought:

“I will liberate all sentient beings from suffering and establish them on the level of perfect enlightenment.”

Bodhicitta of application is the thought:

“In order to liberate all sentient beings from suffering and to establish them on the level of perfect enlightenment, I will practice generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, meditation and wisdom.”

These two aspects of bodhicitta are both motivation [bsam pa / kun slong].

The actual engaging in the six transcendental perfections is called ‘application’ or ‘practice’ [sbyor ba]. Motivation and application are two different things. Bodhicitta is motivation [kun slong] alone. Actually carrying out the conduct of the bodhisattvas, such as the six transcendental perfections and so forth, is application. All activities of the bodhisattvas are embraced by bodhicitta, but bodhicitta by itself does not involve action.

The term ’bodhicitta’ means literally ’mind of awakening’ or ’thought of awakening’ [byang chub sems]. The term is not ’action of awakening’ [byang chub bya ba] or ’conduct of awakening’ [byang chub spyod pa]. While maintaining the motivation of bodhicitta, you can enact the conduct of the bodhisattva.

When you lose the motivation of bodhicitta, then your action is no longer bodhisattva conduct. Without the motivation of bodhicitta, your action is no longer the cause for attaining perfect enlightenment. Your meritorious actions might still concord with ordinary merit [bsod nams cha mthun gyi dge ba] or even with the virtue that concords with liberation [thar pa cha mthun gyi dge ba], but, nevertheless, your striving will not lead to complete enlightenment.

To commit to the fruition, to enlightenment, is the bodhicitta of aspiration [’bras bu la dam bca’ ba smon pa byang chub sems].

The thought,

“I will liberate all sentient beings from suffering, its causes and results, and establish them on the level of the omniscient Buddha,”

is bodhicitta of aspiration.

To commit to the cause, that which brings about enlightenment, is the bodhicitta of application [rgyu la dam bca’ ba ’jug pa byang chub sems].

Actually entering into the conduct of any of the six perfections with the thought,

“In order to liberate all sentient beings from their suffering, its causes and results, and establish them on the level of the omniscient Buddha, I will practice generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, meditation and wisdom, any of the six perfections,”

is bodhicitta of application.

For example, if you resolve,

“In order to liberate all sentient beings from their suffering, its causes and results, and establish them on the level of the omniscient Buddha, I will study this text,”

this is the bodhicitta of application. The bodhicitta of application requires the intention to actually do something, to engage in any of the six transcendental actions and so forth, with a very specific and particular motivation.

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