Let's do a little bit of meditation on bodhicitta.
I thought it would be helpful to do some meditation on bodhicitta to help develop that particular state of mind in ourselves.
One of the main methods for generating bodhicitta is known as equalizing and exchanging self and others.
And that's the method contained in,
For example,
Shantideva's Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life,
The Bodhicaryavatara.
And the first step in that particular method is to meditate on the equality of self and others,
Which basically means just contemplating how just as we ourselves wish for happiness and good experiences,
And we don't want any suffering,
Physical or mental,
Or any kind of bad experiences.
That's something we ourselves have in our mind.
And the same is true for every other living being.
So every sentient being is basically the same in wanting happiness and not wanting suffering.
It's a fairly simple idea,
But it's quite profound and effective to spend some time contemplating it.
So start by getting in touch with your own attitude of wanting happiness,
Good experiences,
And wanting to avoid unhappiness,
Pain,
And bad experiences.
So this attitude is there in our mind and it motivates just about everything we do,
All our actions,
Our choices,
Our decisions.
Everything we do from the time we wake up to the time we go to bed at night is in order to find happiness,
Good experiences,
And avoid unhappiness,
Bad experiences.
And it's not wrong to feel that way.
So don't feel it's selfish or deluded.
Buddhism says we deserve to be happy,
We should be happy,
And we shouldn't have to suffer.
So accept,
Acknowledge that attitude in yourself.
And now bring to mind someone you know and have a good relationship with,
Someone you care about,
Be a family member or friend.
Imagine that person in front of you and contemplate that this person is just like yourself.
Inside their mind or heart,
They have the same wish to be happy and to not suffer.
Now bring to mind another person,
This time someone you're not so close to,
For example,
A neighbor or someone at work or someone you just see in a supermarket.
Imagine that person in front of you and contemplate that this is another human being like myself.
And in their mind,
In their heart,
They have the same wish that I do to be happy,
To have good experiences,
And to not suffer,
To not have bad experiences.
Now think of someone you have difficulty with.
Better not to think of your worst enemy,
Someone who's caused you a lot of suffering,
Someone you really hate.
Just think of someone towards whom you have mild feelings of dislike,
Annoyance,
Irritation.
And when you thought of such a person,
Imagine them in front of you and then contemplate that this person is another human being,
Just like yourself and just like the last two people you thought of.
In their mind,
In their heart,
They have the wish to be happy.
They're just trying to be happy and have good experiences and trying to avoid suffering,
Problems and bad experiences.
So even the things they do that you may find annoying are simply their attempt to find happiness and avoid suffering.
Now open up your mind,
Your heart,
And think of all living beings,
All human beings and other kinds of beings,
All beings that have a mind,
Thoughts and feelings.
Contemplate that they are all basically just like me.
In their mind,
In their heart,
There's the wish to be happy,
To have good experiences and to avoid any kind of suffering or problem or bad experience.
