The meditative equipoise of Bodhicitta mind generation is vast. Bodhicitta refers to the altruistic mind of enlightenment to attain Buddhahood for the sake of all sentient beings. When speaking about generating Bodhicitta mind, there are many things to speak about like the advice on Bodhicitta, benefits of generating Bodhicitta mind etc. There are many topics in the discussion of generating Bodhicitta or enlightened mind.

First, it is important to know that there are different levels of Bodhicitta. One is Relative Bodhicitta (Kunrzob byangchub kyi sems bskyed); or the conventional mind of enlightenment and the Ultimate Bodhicitta (dhon danpa byangchub kyi sems bskyed). Relative Bodhicitta includes the Aspiring Bodhicitta (smonpa sems bskyed) and Application Bodhicitta (jugpa sems bskyed). The way to understand the Relative Bodhicitta is the practice of generating the Aspirational or Application Bochicitta mind after you receive the Bodhisattva vows from one’s teacher or from the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. In other words there has to be a formal ceremony to induct you into the path of Bodhicitta mind generation prior to practicing the Aspirational and Application mind generation. After having gone through the ceremony of receiving the Bodhisattva vows, then one can practice Aspirational or Application Bodhicitta, this is known as Relative or Conventional Bodhicitta mind generation.

Although it is rarely mentioned, I thought I would take the opportunity to clarify that in his composition “Rosary of Gemstones” also known as the “Advice of the Precious Jewel Garland” which is in the form of letters of advice to Prince Jibig Timur, Drogon Choegyal Phagpa mentions that there is a difference between Aspirational Bodhicitta mind generation and Aspirational mind. Similarly, there is a difference between Application Bodhicitta mind generation and Application mind.

Aspirational mind is the mind that aspires or wishes for happiness and its causes for all sentient beings. For example a person who has never received any Bodhisattva vows reads a book such as a Mahayana text and one reads about the greatness of the Buddha and also the Bodhisattvas’ works, the person gets so inspired by reading alone that he or she makes a wish to help sentient beings. Because such an aspiration or wish is without any formal ceremony of taking vows, it is known as just Aspirational mind. One understands that although the sublime beings or Shrvakas of the Hinayana tradition and Pratyeka Buddhas may have such aspirations, they do not actually have the power nor the ability to actually help sentient beings on a large scale. So when we make aspirations, that state of realization is not the level that we should aspire for. Rather, the only ones who can actually help sentient beings are the fully enlightened Buddhas. That is the state of realization that one should strive for and wish to attain and having that wish is the Aspiration mind.

Based on that thought, one should make aspirations to be fully enlightened for the sake of all sentient beings so that they can be free from sufferings and the causes of suffering and achieve happiness and the causes of happiness. When you actually work for the benefit of all beings without any formal taking of vows and ceremony, it is known as Application mind.

When you make the same kind of aspirations after receiving the formal ceremonial vows, it is known as Aspirational Bodhicitta mind generation and when you apply yourself to work for the benefit of all sentient beings, after taking vows in a formal ceremony, it is known as Application Bodhicitta mind generation.

Ultimate Bodhicitta Mind is not to be attained from a ritual or ceremony but rather through accumulating vast merit such as pleasing one’s gurus, Buddhas and Bodhisttvas etc. Through receiving their blessings, one attains an understanding of the nature of phenomenon and so that is the Ultimate Bodhicitta. It is understanding of the nature of all phenomenon.

According to the Buddha, there has never been a sentient being who has not been one’s mother in one lifetime or another and so it is very important to repay the kindness of one’s mother in all the many lifetimes that we have been born in since beginingless time.

Therefore it is very important to aspire to attain enlightenment for the sake of all beings. Due to their ignorance, sentient beings continue to suffer in the cyclic existence of samsara. Although sentient beings do not desire sufferings, due to their ignorance they continue to commit acts that cause sufferings instead.

Although sentient beings desire everlasting happiness, not knowing the causes of happiness they continue to commit acts that accumulate the opposite karma and resulting suffering.

So therefore sentient beings should be the object of great compassion and out of that compassion, the Bodhisattva strives to save them from all these sufferings. So the Bodhisattva strives to attain enlightenment since being enlightened is the only state from which they can actually benefit sentient beings.

Thus generating Bodhicitta mind is most essential in the Mahayana practice.

–Khöndung Asanga Vajra, July 2018