..续本文上一页make the commitment to sincerely work for the benefit of others. Lo-jong mind training is the practice of developing the attitude and motivation of Bodhicitta, while tong-leng intensifies the wish to take the vows. One traditionally takes the vows with a spiritual master in a formal ceremony. It is also okay to do it oneself. In that case one visualizes that all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the ten directions and three times are present and one takes the vow in front of them. The third chapter of The Way of the Bodhisattva offers the specific liturgy for taking the vow of a Bodhisattva.
Then Shantideva presented the way to keep the vows once one has taken them, how to protect and not break them, which is carried out through what is called "the two joys," one”s own joy and the joy of others. One first concentrates one”s mind on the fact of being so fortunate to even take the Bodhisattva vows, which is rejoicing in one”s own great and good fortune and merit. Secondly, one concentrates one”s mind on others and sees that up and until now they have had no refuge, they have experienced no relief from their suffering and pain, but now they are taking the Bodhisattva vows too and they resolve together with us, "I will be able to help beings." In this way, they are rejoicing and you are happy that it will eventually happen. So those are the two meditations or joyful contemplations.
Is it sufficient just to make the Bodhisattva promise
No, it is not in itself enough to make this commitment. Is it a great fortune to take these vows
Yes, one is very fortunate and lucky, but that in itself is not enough. Having given rise to the aspiration in the beginning, having made the vow in the middle, you still need to make sure that it doesn”t diminish or is lost, that it doesn”t slacken but grows more and more. In order to increase the promise, one has to continuously develop and work with it, which not only benefits oneself greatly. If the commitment isn”t expanded vastly and doesn”t include all beings, it won”t help. Just taking the vows, just generating the thought won”t help sentient beings. One has to actually keep working at it so that one can actually help others. So the two aspects are called "to maintain” and “to enhance or increase it."
How does one maintain and increase the Bodhisattva commitment
What can we do so that the motivation does not decrease, does not weaken in any way, rather increases further and grows more and more
This is the topic of the fourth chapter, which has the title, "Conscientiousness" or "Carefulness", almost like "attention," i.e., paying attention to and being very conscious about the commitment. The fourth chapter on conscientiousness is pided into three sections: The first section is entitled, "That which is to be accomplished" and deals with the actual training to benefit oneself, to be able to accomplish and achieve the pure motivation. The verse on training what is to be accomplished reads,
The children of the Conqueror who thus
Have firmly grasped this Bodhicitta
Should never turn aside from it
But always strive to keep its disciplines.1
Child of the Buddha (i.e., “children of the Conqueror”) is interpreted as a child of a king, someone who will eventually become a king. Child of the Buddha means that you will eventually become a Buddha who can truly benefit beings, which is what you have promised to do. If you have given rise to Bodhicitta and taken the vows, you are a child of the Buddha, since you have promised to become a Buddha in order to benefit beings. Once you have become a child of the Buddha, what do you need to do
Never relax or turn away from that commitment, never give in to distractions nor transgress training, rather diligently strive to carefully maintain and not transgress the …
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