Gyalwang Karmapa teaches on the Bodhisattva Vow

December 26, 2008, report by Jo Gibson, photos taken by Tashi Paljor

Gyalwang Karmapa, accompanied by Mingyur Rinpoche and their respective entourages, graciously accepted an invitation from the Root Institute, the F.P.M.T. Dharma centre situated in pleasant gardens a short distance from Bodh Gaya.

He gave a short teaching to the centre’s staff and an international group of Buddhist practitioners, including some who were about to undertake a short retreat course on the Bodhisattva Vow.

His Holiness first focused on the preciousness of bodhichitta, the altruistic intention, and illustrated his point with a powerful image ─ if bodhichitta were to take physical form, space would be too small to contain it. Likewise, if we were able to generate bodhichitta, the power of that resolve would produce continuous benefit and virtue and would lead to abstention from harmful and non-virtuous activities, whatever we were doing, whether awake or sleeping.
He then pointed out that the characteristics of bodhichitta were sometimes misunderstood and confused with having kind thoughts towards others or common acts of kindness. In contrast, true bodhichitta was much vaster. It arose from a deep understanding of the suffering of all sentient beings, tremendous compassion, the resolve to achieve buddhahood for one’s self and the determination to work unceasingly for the benefit of all sentient beings.

There were various methods we could use to train in generating bodhichitta, such as the logical approach of the Seven Point Mind Training or tonglen (exchanging one’s self and others), but all were of equal value, and none was superior or inferior. The results depended on the individual’s capacity and determination. People usually began enthusiastically but then, if they encountered obstacles, they became discouraged, and it was crucial not to give up at that point.

People’s different capacities were reflected in the three different forms of bodhichitta: the king-like bodhichitta which strove for enlightenment for one’s self; the sailor-like bodhichitta which strove to achieve buddhahood in order to be able to help all other sentient beings safely to shore; the shepherd-like bodhichitta which postponed enlightenment until all others were safely gathered in the fold (enlightenment).

His Holiness said that those of us within the Tibetan Buddhist tradition held the lineages of all three vehicles: Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana. Consequently we have the responsibility to embrace all three, practising all the instructions and abiding by all the vows.

With regard to vows, Gyalwang Karmapa compared holding them to getting to Bodh Gaya. Having the motivation to come to Bodh Gaya was not enough, we had to take action and then, step-by-step we would get closer to Bodh Gaya. In the same way, having the aspiration to keep a vow was not sufficient – there had to be consistency, application and determination to safeguard it from deteriorating or diminishing. The Bodhisattva Vow was unusual in so far as it was possible to study its implications beforehand, unlike the Pratimoksha vows, for example. Before we took the Vow we could become familiar with its conditions, and check whether we had the determination and courage to make the resolve to keep it. If we felt we were unable to keep it at the moment, then it was possible to hold the aspiration instead.

Ethical discipline formed the foundation for observing the Vow whose essence was contained in the three trainings ─ accumulating merit by embracing all virtuous activities, working for the benefit of others, and abstaining from harming others ─ and in the six paramitas ─ Ethical Discipline, Generosity, Patience, Diligent Perseverance, Meditation and Wisdom. Quoting from Shantideva’s “Way of the Bodhisattva”, Gyalwang Karmapa reminded everyone:

All the happiness the world contains
Has come through cherishing others.
All the misery the world contains
Has come through cherishing oneself.

He commented that we were living in an age when we were faced not only with inner conflict, the mental and emotional instability of our own minds, but also with general instability caused by drastic changes and imbalance in the world. The degree of self-interest and self-cherishing in the world and its dreadful consequences were becoming self-evident. We all needed to recognize the harm generated by self-cherishing as opposed to the benefits of truly cherishing others, and examine our own duties and responsibilities in this light, not as an elusive idea or intellectual understanding, but as a living experience translated into practice in our own lives when interacting with others and the environment. We had to realize the true benefits of interdependence within society.

His Holiness pointed out that Lord Buddha himself transcended the social and cultural norms of his day in this very place in order to revolutionise people’s thinking and bestow the gift of a new consciousness, a universal means of achieving awakening. This was the incredible activity of the Buddha, and regardless of whether we followed a Buddhist path or not, there was a common humanity in his teachings that could be shared to raise consciousness and improve the quality of people’s lives.

Gyalwang Karmapa concluded by saying how happy he was to be able to visit the Root Institute again. It was an international community, following in the footsteps of the Buddha, which cut through ethnic and national divisions to provide opportunities and help to many people.