Creating Bodhicitta

July 9 – 17, 2019

Led by Venerable Drolma.

The entrance to the Mahayana path is the generation of the realization of Bodhicitta, but how do you do that?  Bodhicitta is considered necessary for the enlightenment.  It includes several aspects such as loving-kindness, compassion, courage, and transformation.  Tibetan Buddhism has several techniques to develop this view and manifest it in daily life.  We will explore the “Seven Point Cause and Effect” and “Exchanging Self and Other” methods for developing Bodhicitta. We will use lectures, discussions, meditations, and other activities to explore and actualize our own personal experience and expression of this, the complete culmination of love and compassion.

A famous Indian scholar, Lord Santideva, said about Bodhicitta:
“It is the supreme ambrosia
That overcomes the sovereignty of death,
It is the inexhaustible treasure
That eliminates all poverty in the world.

It is the supreme medicine
That quells the world’s disease.
It is the tree that shelters all beings
Wandering and tired on the path of conditioned existence.

It is the universal bridge
That leads to freedom from unhappy states of birth,
It is the dawning moon of the mind
That dispels the torment of disturbing conceptions.

It is the great sun that finally removes
The misty ignorance of the world,
It is the quintessential butter
From the churning of the milk of Dharma.”

This course is most appropriate for students who have already attended an Introduction to Buddhism course at Tushita Meditation Centre or at Kopan Monastery.  The course will include a few basic tantric visualizations, so comfort with deity practices is recommended.  No empowerments are needed, just an open mind and willingness to learn.

Suggested Reading:

Bodhisattva Attitude, by Lama Zopa Rinpoche

The Bodhisattva Vow, by Geshe Sonam Rinchen and Ruth Sonam

A Fearless Heart: How the Courage to be Compassionate Can Transform Our Lives, by Thubten Jinpa

A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, by Santideva, (translated by Stephen Bachelor)

Buddhism with an Attitude: The Tibetan Seven-Point Mind Training, by B. Alan Wallace

The Four Immeasurables: Cultivating a Boundless Heart, by B. Alan Wallace

An Open Heart: Practicing Compassion in Daily Life, by HH Dalai Lama

Awakening Love: Teachings and Practices to Cultivate a Limitless Heart(audiobook), Pema Chodron

Registration

For more information about Intermediate Courses, including a typical schedule and how to register, please see our Intermediate Course Page.