The Precepts of Aspirational Bodhicitta

In addition, there are the five precepts of aspirational bodhicitta, which are as follows:

1. Never giving up on sentient beings.

2. Continually reflecting on the benefits of bodhicitta.

3. Exerting yourself in the methods for accumulating merit and wisdom.

4. Applying yourself to the training in bodhicitta.

5. Adopting and abandoning the eight wholesome and unwholesome dharmas.

Giving up on just a single sentient being causes you to lose your bodhicitta of aspiration completely, so develop a wish to benefit all beings.

Reflecting on its benefits causes you to develop enthusiasm and apply yourself to arousing bodhicitta, so reflect continually on the benefits to be gained from the generation of bodhicitta.

Gathering the accumulations increases the strength of your bodhicitta, so accumulate merit and wisdom in various ways, such as the seven branch practice.

The training in bodhicitta has three elements:

1. training in the cause by meditating on the four immeasurables,

2. the actual training, which is to practise taking the vow of bodhicitta three times during the day and three times at night,

3. and the training in the precepts, the meditations on equalizing and exchanging yourself and others, and consider others as more important than yourself.

The four immeasurables are as follows:

1. Love, which is the wish that all beings who are unhappy may find happiness.

2. Compassion, which is the wish that all who are suffering may be freed from suffering.

3. Sympathetic joy, which is the wish that those who are happy and free from suffering may never be separated from their happiness.

4. Equanimity, which is the wish that those who feel attachment and aversion towards anyone, close or distant, may pacify their attachment and aversion.

The actual training in bodhicitta is to take the vow of bodhicitta by means of any formal practice—whether elaborate, medium or short—at the six times of the day and night, i.e., at dawn, mid-morning, midday, afternoon, dusk and midnight.

• ‘Equalizing self and others’ means recognizing the equality of yourself and others in wishing to find happiness and wishing to avoid suffering.

• ‘Exchanging self and others’ means giving your own happiness to other sentient beings, and taking their suffering upon yourself.

• ‘Considering others as more important than yourself’ means setting aside your own benefit and accomplishing the benefit of others.

The eight wholesome and unwholesome dharmas consist of four wholesome dharmas to be adopted and four unwholesome dharmas to be abandoned.

The four unwholesome dharmas are as follows:

1. Deceiving anyone worthy of veneration.

2. Feeling misplaced regret.

3. Abusing a holy person.

4. Cheating others.

The four wholesome dharmas are as follows:

1. Being careful never to lie, even at the cost of your life.

2. Setting everyone on the path to enlightenment.

3. Showing similar respect to bodhisattvas as you would to the Buddha.

4. Being honest to all beings.

If you apply yourself to these practices, then you will never forget the mind of bodhicitta in all your future lives, and all the qualities of the bhūmis and paths will develop and increase like the waxing moon.

Virtue!

by Patrul Rinpoche