The Manifestations of Genuine Bodhicitta
When bodhicitta is no longer merely a concept but has genuinely arisen within the mind, the heart naturally lets go of its entanglements, suffering, anxieties, and constant preoccupation with gain and loss. The qualities of a bodhisattva—gentleness, magnanimity, clarity, and wisdom—will gradually manifest within you.
The Practice of Bodhicitta On and Off the Cushion
Naturally, as your practice matures, the tears will eventually cease; profound, sustained conditioning transforms that initial emotion into an unwavering resolve. There is no longer any need for deliberate reflection—every action begins to spring directly from this source, rendering Bodhicitta the foundational orientation and underlying motivation for all that you do.
The Relationship Between the Aggregate of Consciousness and Afflictions (Part 2)
Therefore, the state of realization in Dzogchen is described as free from hope and fear—because upon realization, the sense of individuality is relinquished: “Just relax—have some tea, eat a bun.” In the eyes of a Dzogchen master, there is often a quiet smile, yet one emotion remains difficult to abandon—compassion (karuṇā), vast and profound.
Methods for Not Being Attached to Pleasant Feeling (Part one)
How can we truly avoid attachment to pleasant feeling? The advanced approach is to directly recognize the nature of pleasure itself. If you can do this, then no matter how much pleasure you experience, it will never give rise to suffering.
The Relationship Between External Material Conditions and Afflictions
Therefore, external objects such as mountains, rivers, and the earth have no direct connection with afflictions. The key to the arising of affliction lies in the mind: it is when the mind makes judgments about external objects and develops attachment (upādāna) that suffering is produced.
Four Stages of Madhyamaka Practice
The First Stage: Consider All Phenomena are Empty in Nature The Second Stage: Consider Emptiness is Phenomena The Third Stage: Considers Dependent Origination as the Absence of Mental Fabrications The Fourth Stage: Consider Free of Mental Fabrications as Equipoise-nature
The Relationship Between the Aggregate of Consciousness and Afflictions (Part 1)
In discussing the relationship between the aggregate of consciousness and afflictions, other forms of consciousness can either give rise to afflictions or be influenced by them. However, the root cause of all afflictions ultimately lies in the manas—that is, in grasping at a self.
Can modern people practice the methods of channels, winds, and drops?
These practices can very easily go wrong. Therefore, if one wishes to engage in such practices, one generally requires guidance from someone with genuine experience in these methods, and one’s foundations must be extremely solid.
Is Your View of Karma Designed for Others?
All of our internal thoughts and bodily external actions — body, speech, and mind—affect our future and bring about corresponding results.
How Can We Generate Genuine Renunciation (Part Two)?
What else is needed to generate genuine renunciation (naiṣkramya)? We must engage in study (śravaṇa), contemplation (cintanā) and meditation (bhāvanā) on the nature of saṃsāra itself. This is a more thorough approach, and it requires studying Madhyamaka and cittamātrin. Once you gain insight into the nature of the world—especially after studying these two systems—you will definitely come to believe in saṃsāra.
The Practice of Buddhism Begins with Taking Losses
A Bodhisattva is worthy of the deepest veneration from both gods and humans. The Buddha once taught that even if five hundred Arhats were to ask him to do something, he might not necessarily comply; but if someone who has heard of Bodhicitta conceives a deep, unwavering conviction in it, he would willingly stretch out his neck to pull a cart for them.
Do Not Let Self-Grasping Exploit Bodhicitta
Conceptual bodhicitta alone is seldom sufficient to withstand adversity. But once genuine bodhicitta has truly arisen, we no longer become discouraged by difficult circumstances. Sometimes, we may even experience a profound sense of happiness amidst suffering—something that is difficult for ordinary people to comprehend.
Conceptual Bodhicitta Finds It Difficult to Regard All Sentient Beings Equally
Before conceptual bodhicitta has deeply permeated one’s mental continuum, it almost inevitably discriminates among sentient beings without conscious awareness. This is because bodhicitta stands in direct opposition to self-grasping. Once self-grasping establishes a center of reference—the “self”—it immediately begins to distinguish between those who are beneficial to it and those who are not.
Bodhicitta Makes Practice Easy and Filled with the Joy of Dharma
I hope everyone will take bodhicitta seriously and make every effort to cultivate it. Before engaging in any action, examine your own mind. This won't hurt you, because ultimately there is no inherently existent “self” to be harmed. Bodhicitta can only fill your mind with beauty and joy, making every Dharma practice much easier to cultivate.
The Geshe Who Spent Nine Years Cultivating Bodhicitta
Later, the geshe remarked to others, “While I was cultivating bodhicitta in that mountain cave, the tears I shed for sentient beings could fill several teapots.”
Why Is Bodhicitta the Key to the Three Principal Aspects of the Path?
However, for someone who has cultivated bodhicitta over a long period of time—whose bodhicitta has become powerful and whose mental continuum has matured—realization unfolds quite differently. Once such a person awakens, they naturally and effortlessly enter that state again, feeling that everything is exactly as it should be. This is because bodhicitta has already cleared away most of the inner obstacles and greatly diminished dualistic discrimination.
How Can We Generate Genuine Renunciation (Part One)?
The key point we must reflect upon is this: many things that seem good will eventually turn into suffering. In this way, the depth of our perception of suffering increases, and the scope of what we recognize as suffering expands.
Why Mere Supernatural Powers Are Not the True Path
The very heart of spiritual practice lies in eradicating the twofold self-grasping—grasping at the personal self and grasping at phenomena—rather than building up superpowers, spiritual abilities, or so-called “views” upon the mistaken recognition of a truly existent “I”.
The Merit of Genuine Bodhicitta Is Immeasurable
True nobility of spiritual lineage belongs only to bodhisattvas who have genuinely aroused bodhicitta. As the Bodhicaryāvatāra states: "Never defile this stainless and noble lineage." "Guard well this immaculate and exalted lineage." It is this lineage of bodhicitta that is referred to as the "stainless noble lineage."
Why Is It So Difficult to Make Progress in Practice?
The reason so many practitioners hit a wall in their Dharma practice comes down to one point: they have not truly mastered the Three Principal Aspects of the Path—renunciation, bodhicitta, and the correct view of emptiness.