Way To Go by Tai Situ Rinpoche

Often when we hear about Bodhicitta we take it to mean compassion. Although this is true, there is much more to it. The Tibetan phrase for Bodhicitta is ‘byan.chub.kyi.sems’ which literally means ‘mind of enlightenment’. This ‘mind of enlightenment’ is fundamental to Mahayana Buddhism since without it there can be no enlightenment. It is the beginning of all Mahayana practice. However it is not something we have to create by adopting a certain way of looking at things or understanding them. It is the seeing of everything, just as it is, by the essence of everything - the mind without any mistake. When considering the development of Bodhicitta 

we can distinguish three phases: a) the mind of enlightenment as a basis, b) the mind of enlightenment as a path and c) the result, enlightenment. The enlightened mind as a basis is the ultimate Bodhicitta, to be understood through the Madhyamaka view of non-extremity. The path - the practice of Bodhicitta - is divided into two aspects: aspiration Bodhicitta and practice Bodhicitta. The result is enlightenment - the great liberation - ultimate freedom and ultimate peace.

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 Book:

Way To Go by Tai Situ Rinpoche