The Excellence of Bodhicitta

HOMAGE TO ALL BUDDHAS AND BODHISATTVAS.
To those who go in bliss, and the dharmakaya they possess, and all their heirs,
To all those worthy of respect, I reverently bow.
According to the scriptures, I shall now briefly describe
The practice of the Bodhisattva discipline.
Here I shall say nothing that has not been said before,
And in [...]

In the second teaching on the Bodhicharyavatara (BA2) Rinpoche explains the meaning of the title of the text and the translator’s homage, and tells the story of Shantideva.

Rinpoche continues the teaching on the first stanza of the first chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara, and explains the second and third stanzas as well. This is the fourth video teaching (BA4).

This is the fifth video teaching (BA5).

Rinpoche answers the questions of the Online Shedra students regarding the teachings on the first three stanzas of the first chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara (videos BA3 and BA4) and some other topics. This is the second questions and answers video (QA2).

Rinpoche answers the questions of the Online Shedra students regarding the teachings on the stanzas 4 and 5 of the first chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara (videos BA5 and BA6) and other topics.

Rinpoche answers the questions of the Online Shedra students regarding the teaching BA7–the sixth stanza of the first chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara–as well as other topics. This is the fourth questions and answers video (QA4).

With this fifth questions and answers video (QA5) Rinpoche kindly answers the questions of the Online Shedra students regarding the teaching BA8–the stanzas 7 and 8 of the first chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara–as well as some other topics.

In BA11 Rinpoche explains the stanzas 13 and 14, where two more examples demonstrating the benefits of generating bodhichitta are given: a heroic guard and the fire at the end of the world. Stanza 14 also refers to other examples given in other sutras.

With this teaching ( BA12) Rinpoche talks briefly about the different ways of categorizing bodhichitta and the five causes and conditions that can awaken the bodhichitta in us. The two kinds of bodhichitta– the bodhichitta in intention and the active bodhichitta–are introduced to us in stanzas 15 and 16.

Ringu Tulku Rinpoche explains in this video (BA14) the 20th stanza of the first chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara. This stanza refers to another text – the sutra requested by Subahu – where the Buddha taught the 4 limitless aspects of bodhichitta.

Rinpoche kindly explains in this teaching (BA15) the stanzas 21-26 of the first chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara. Here the limitless benefits of aspiration bodhichitta are proved by reasoning.

With this video (BA16), Rinpoche explains the stanzas 27 and 28 of the first chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara. In the previous stanzas we talked about proving the benefits of bodhichitta in intention. Now the benefits of bodhichitta in action are established through reasoning.

In this video (BA17) Rinpoche continues with proving the benefits of action bodhichitta through reasoning – why it is truly so special and why we should generate it in ourselves and help others do so too – and explains the stanzas 29 and 30 of the first chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara.

This is a set of questions you can use to self assess your knowledge and understanding of the teachings and reference material relating to the first chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara, “The Excellence of Bodhichitta”.

With this video (QA12) Rinpoche answers again some questions regarding the first chapter of the Bodhicharyavatara. These questions were collected from the Online Shedra students after teaching BA16 which covers stanzas 27-28.