..续本文上一页 - it causes others to suffer and backfires on the one who perpetuates hostile feelings, and then both the victim and the perpetrator suffer. How can one avoid such a situation, such suffering
By developing a good attitude, a positive and helpful attitude, and a noble attitude towards others. If you have that motivation and intention, then you have the altruistic mind to help others and actually can. We have to try to have a good attitude towards all living beings and help as best as we can. So, the most important thing is to have a positive and altruistic attitude towards others.
The altruistic attitude is very good, but it is not enough by itself. Two qualities of Bodhicitta are needed so that it is effective. The first is called "focusing on others with compassion," thinking of all sentient beings and excluding no one, having the attitude of gentleness and helpfulness, thinking of others” benefit, thinking of others” welfare first of all. So, that is the first quality of Bodhicitta, awareness of others.
The second characteristic or quality of Bodhicitta that is needed is transcendent intelligence or prajna. Although compassion for all others is extremely important, by itself it cannot actually be beneficial without the skilfulness of wisdom, i.e., there is no reliable good if the motivation lacks the ability to act it out appropriately. So Bodhicitta needs to include what is called "the wisdom of enlightenment,” “the wisdom of perfect Buddhahood." When compassion is embraced by wisdom, one is actually empowered with the ability and means to bring about wholesome results. Compassion combined with wisdom means being able to lead others to a state of perfect and complete happiness, which is the ultimate state of enlightenment. That is the real way to benefit beings. Without the wisdom of transcendent intelligence, there isn”t that ability to bring lasting and reliable happiness. Those are the two constituents of Bodhicitta, the awakened attitude.
So firstly, we give rise to the thought of enlightenment, the thought of benefiting all beings and therefore do have the good motivation and intention. But that in itself is not enough, because then it is necessary to carry out that intention; it is not enough just to wish to do well. In order to help and enhance that sincere motivation, Shantideva presented the teachings on the vow of a Bodhisattva, on making the promise and establishing it as a definite part of one”s life. Taking the vow of a Bodhisattva is promising, "Just as I wish and give rise to the wish to help all beings, now I vow to do so. Until all beings are established in complete awakening, not being lazy, I promise to exert myself as much as possible until that goal is accomplished." Turning that conviction into a commitment establishes the motivation firmly in one”s life and turns it into an action.
Some people may think it is difficult to spontaneously wish to benefit all beings or, even though they may have the wish, they are reluctant to take the vow, to establish the benevolent motivation as a commitment in their lives. We have the practice called "mind training,” lo-jong in Tibetan, which is the practice of processing our attitude through specific visualization techniques and in which we focus on the breath. Focusing on the out-breath we think that we are giving away all our happiness and good karma to all beings without exception, and focusing on the in-breath we think that we are taking in all the suffering, pain, and non-virtue of all beings. By doing this practice, we prepare ourselves to receive the teachings on “giving and taking,” tong-leng in Tibetan. By practicing tong-leng, we gradually develop a sense of giving rise to excellent Bodhicitta; the practice also enables us to gladly take the vows and …
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