Benefits of Bodhicitta

For your own benefit and happiness, develop precious bodhicitta. For other’s benefit and happiness, develop precious bodhicitta. To honor and serve the Dharma, develop precious bodhicitta. If you desire the path to happiness, develop precious bodhicitta. If you wish that all be benefitted, you need bodhicitta. If you wish for plentiful caring friends, you need bodhicitta. If you wish to earn the trust of all, you need bodhicitta. If you wish to be an advisor to all, you need bodicitta. When you are forlorn, remember bodhicitta. When you are afraid, remember bodhicitta. When times of pain and sorrow are before you, remember bodhicitta. When times of joy and happiness are before you, remember bodhicitta. ~Khunu Lama Tenzin Gyaltson~

If you wish to be an advisor to all, you need bodhicitta. Geshe Jinpa Sonam recently quoted this verse from In Praise of Bodhicitta during his Sunday Teaching Series while stressing the importance of cultivating bodhicitta. Geshela explained that bodhicitta is a positive emotion that if cultivated and aroused, sees to the purification of the mindstream- purifying that which obscures us from Enlightenment. When the mind is imbued with bodhicitta while experiencing the perception of emptiness, both factors are present that are needed for the ultimate purpose of full Enlightenment. He stated that all the great accomplished practitioners and masters of the past relied on bodhicitta to attain Buddhahood. Geshela went on to explain that apart from playing a major role in our own Awakening, bodhicitta serves us in a temporary sense in this world as well- and went on to quote this verse.