A new year for practice, service and love.
Bodhicitta is the authentic mind and open heart of a Bodhisattva, a peaceful warrior whose “weapons” are compassion, presence, wisdom and equanimity. In practical terms, a Bodhisattva recognizes the interconnectedness of all beings — the truth that we are all the same despite our outward differences in appearance and personality. No matter how difficult or unredeemable a person may seem, bodhicitta sees the imminent potential of redemption, of kindness, of love.~In An Open Heart, His Holiness the Dalai Lama writes:
Compassion is the very essence of an open heart and must be cultivated throughout our journey.
Equanimity removes our prejudices and enables our altruism to reach all sentient beings.
Bodhicitta is the commitment to actually help them.
First, we must recognize our afflictive emotions and bad habits as evidence of our continuing state of attachment and consider, once again, their harmful nature. Second, we must apply the appropriate antidotes and marshal the determination not to indulge in these emotions further. We must remain focused on our commitment to all sentient beings.At the beginning of your meditation you should say to yourself, “I will not allow my mind to be distracted by thoughts of the future, anticipations, hopes, or fears, nor will I let my mind stray toward memories of the past. I will remain focused on this present moment.”Once you have cultivated such a will, you will take that space between past and future as the object of meditation and simply maintain your awareness of it, free of any conceptual thought processes.
Ceremony for generating the altruistic mind wishing enlightenment:
With a wish to free all beingsI shall always go for refugeTo the Buddha, Dharma and SanghaUntil I reach full enlightenment.
Enthused by wisdom and compassion,today in the Buddha’s presenceI generate the Mind Wishing Full AwakeningFor the benefit of all sentient beings.
As long as space remains,As long as sentient beings remain,Until then, may I too remain,And dispel the miseries of the world.