The Awakening Mind The Foundation of Buddhist Thought

by Tashi Tsering, Geshe; Rinpoche, Lama Zopa

• ISBN13: 9780861715107
• ISBN10: 0861715101
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-08-05
• Publisher: Wisdom Publications

Summary

Bodhichitta, often translated as "great compassion," is the gem at the heart of Buddhism. From this altruistic desire to serve others, all other Buddhist practices naturally flow, therefore, this state of mind is one Buddhists should understand and cultivate. In The Awakening Mind, Geshe Tashi Tsering leads us through the two main methods to develop bodhichitta that have been developed by the great Indian and Tibetan Buddhists over the centuries: the seven points of cause and effect, and equalizing and exchanging the self with others.

This is the fourth release from Geshe Tashi's Foundation of Buddhist Thought series, which individually and collectively represent an excellent introduction to Tibetan Buddhism. These unique and friendly books are based on the curriculum of a popular course of the same name, developed by Geshe Tashi himself.

Geshe Tashi's presentations combine rigor and comprehensiveness with lucidity and accessibility, never divorced from the basic humanity and warmth of his personality. In Geshe Tashi, we encounter the new generation of Tibetan monk-scholars teaching in the West who are following in the footsteps of such revered and groundbreaking teachers as Geshe Wangyal and Geshe Sopa.

Author Biography

Geshe Tashi Tsering is renowned for his ability to render Buddhist philosophy accessible and relevant to modern lives

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. xi
Preface	p. xiii
Editor's Preface	p. xvii
Awakening from the Sleep of Selfishness	p. 1
The Essence of the Buddha's Teachings	p. 1
The Benefits of Bodhichitta	p. 4
The Immediate Benefits	p. 6
The Long-Term Benefits	p. 8
Steps on the Path	p. 13
Renunciation and Stability	p. 14
Equanimity	p. 16
The Equanimity of Feeling	p. 17
The Equanimity of Application	p. 17
Immeasurable Equanimity	p. 17
The Changeable Nature of Relationships	p. 20
Lessening Our Aversion	p. 22
The Meditation on Equanimity	p. 24
The Intuitive Route to Selflessness	p. 29
The Main Mind of Bodhichitta	p. 29
The Two Mental Factors That Make Up Bodhichitta	p. 30
The Seven Points of Cause and Effect	p. 33
Establishing the Basis for Developing the Aspiration to Benefit All Beings	p. 34
All Beings Have Been Our Mothers	p. 34
Recalling the Kindness of Others	p. 37
Resolving to Repay the Kindness	p. 40
The Actual Method of Cultivating the Aspiration to Benefit All Beings	p. 42
The Cultivation of Affectionate Love	p. 42
The Cultivation of Compassion	p. 45
Special Intention	p. 47
Cultivating the Aspiration to Attain Full Enlightenment	p. 48
The Result	p. 49
Turning Self-Cherishing Around	p. 51
The Rational Route to Compassion	p. 51
Equalizing Oneself with Others	p. 53
Understanding Suffering	p. 55
The Equality of All Beings	p. 57
Exchanging Oneself with Others	p. 61
Turning Self-Cherishing Around	p. 61
Choosing to Be Selfless	p. 64
The Power of Familiarity	p. 68
The Block of Seeing Self and Others as Different	p. 70
Taking and Giving	p. 74
The Actual Meditation	p. 76
The Combination of the Two Methods	p. 78
How the Two Methods Combine	p. 80
The Four Causes, the Four Conditions, and the Four Forces	p. 81
The Four Causes	p. 81
The Four Conditions	p. 83
The Four Forces	p. 84
Enhancing the Awakening Mind	p. 89
Aspiring and Engaging Bodhichitta	p. 89
Holding Aspiring Bodhichitta with a Ritual	p. 91
The Bodhisattva Vows	p. 92
Differences Between the Three Vows	p. 93
Breaking and Restoring a Vow	p. 94
The Twenty-two Types of Bodhichitta	p. 97
Maintaining and Enhancing Bodhichitta in This and Future Lifetimes	p. 103
Maintaining and Enhancing Bodhichitta in This Lifetime	p. 103
Maintaining and Enhancing Bodhichitta in Future Lifetimes	p. 104
Maintaining Bodhichitta through Mind Training	p. 105
The Bodhisattva's Activities	p. 109
The Six Perfections	p. 110
The Perfection of Generosity	p. 113
The Three Kinds of Generosity	p. 114
The Six Extraordinary Factors	p. 117
The Main Obstacles to Practicing Generosity	p. 118
The Perfection of Morality	p. 120
The Three Kinds of Morality	p. 121
The Perfection of Patience	p. 124
The Three Kinds of Patience	p. 126
The Perfection of Joyous Perseverance	p. 129
The Three Kinds of Joyous Perseverance	p. 131
The Perfections of Concentration and Wisdom	p. 133
The Four Means of Drawing Sentient Beings to the Dharma	p. 135
Conclusion	p. 138
Eight Verses on Mind Training	p. 141
Glossary	p. 143
Bibliography	p. 151
Notes	p. 153
Index	p. 159
About the Authors	p. 167
The Foundation of Buddhist Thought	p. 169
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