Sat, 30 Sep 2006
Bodhisattva Remarks
Here are my notes on the comments that Thrangu Rinpoche made before giving the bodhisattva vow/ Thrangu Rinpoche gave the bodhisattva vow last week during the phowa retreat.
I would like to say a few words about the bodhisattva vow. Sometimes people think I can't take the vow because I will get angry and break the vow and be reborn in hell. When you take the precepts, they are vows of renunciation. But the bodhisattva vow is primarily of the mind. There are many thoughts that arise in the mind and ordinary individuals do not have much control over them. That is not a problem, because we do not take the bodhisattva vow to hold it, but to familiarize ourselves with it. This is something where as we practice it it will get better and better. The precepts are like a porcelain cup that you must take care of, so it doesn't shatter. But the bodhisattva vow is like a golden vase that can be repaired if it falls and gets dents. The bodhisattva vow is not something that will be broken, but something that can be improved. So the bodhisattva vow is something that can be done again and again. It is like putting white wash on a stupa, it keeps getting whiter. So this is how all the great practitioners have understood the bodhisattva vow. The motivation you should have is just as the previous buddhas and bodhisattvas have held this motivation so will I. And as they have practiced to benefit all beings, so I will practice. The way to develop the vow is to have joy and excitement in your mind. Think that you are very fortunate. The reason we have not yet attained Buddhahood is that we have not had the mind of enlightenment. So we are fortunate to have given rise to this mind.
