today’s study is a deeper look into relative and absolute bodhicitta. the text, courtesy of H.E. Khenchen Rinpoche, from the book ‘Transformation of Suffering’.
in this text, he writes of what these concepts are, and how they affect our lives and drive our actions. i paraphrase for brevity’s sake…
Relative Bodhicitta consists of both the desire to reach enlightenment for others as well as taking practical steps necessary to do it. These (steps) are called aspiration and action.
Aspiration is similar to how we would feel if we were eager to visit the place where Buddha was enlightened. Action is like, having made our wish to see (this place), we take the practical steps necessary to fulfill this wish.
Once this is perfected, aspiration naturally brings action — wish naturally begets action in alignment with it, to create the result…. in this case, to realize enlightenment, become enlightened, for the sake of all sentient beings.
(interesting aside, it occurs to me this is Focus. wowsah.)
Absolute Bodhicitta is special insight into the pervading nature of emptiness, mind that is clear, profound, indestructible, and free from elaborations and afflictive emotions.
In the Vajrayana system, this is known as Mahamudra.
Rinpoche gives a good many examples of the various impediments and obscurations that keep beings from pursuing bodhicitta successfully, and in every case, they are to do with allowing the afflictive emotions to be impediment.
the interesting thing is that, in every instance, the initiator of this impediment is ego – that which feels the need to be superior, to know more, to be noticed, or to be acknowledged.
of course, the pursuit of enlightenment by way of relative and active bodhicitta and the effort to realize mahamudra require the utter dismantling of ego to occur.
no wonder we humans have such a hard time with it.
examples of these impediments another time. work soon, and i can’t go in my pj’s. heh.