Why Humans Should Embrace Bodhichitta — The Ultimate Compassion

An inspired guide on how Bodhichitta can be a force for good and happiness

Martin Luther King once said, “Cowardice asks the question, “Is it safe?” Expediency asks the question, “Is it politic?” Vanity asks the question, “Is it popular?” But, conscience asks the question, “Is it right?”

What then, would compassion ask?

Often, in self-help and spiritual growth literature, we hear about the merits of virtues like charity, inner peace, mindfulness, grit etc. For instance, in this article they say giving back might lower your stress level, ward off depression or boost your quality of life in general.

And these, mostly, are true.

But these are cultivated aspects of life, the nitty-gritty that improves our well-being, bite-sized. In this article, I argue that there is an over-arching motivation, over these qualities, that in general will fill your life with purpose and direction over time.

That cultivated motivation is Bodhichitta, or what I call, the Ultimate Compassion, for all things and all beings. Let us explore what it means.

1. Introduction

Unlike the usual act of compassion as we know, such as the phrase ‘love thy neighbour as thyself’ or the idea of helping people in times of need, Bodhichitta is more. The Bodhichitta is an active and persistent intent or impulse on wishing the utmost happiness and positive outcome on any sentient conscious being.

Perhaps, when visiting a hospital, you are inspired to pray for all the patients, hoping they may all recover and be free from suffering.

Perhaps, when told the success and happiness of a relative or friend, you share and bask in the joy of the moment and empathy.

Perhaps, you saw someone perform acts of generosity, and we felt a sense of happiness, agreement and camaraderie.

Or, perhaps, you witness an ex-criminal turn over a new leaf, become righteous, and you felt a sense of awe.

Instead of feeling just the usual sense of respect and idolatry for someone who has gained wealth or promotion, or received an academic honour, Bodhichitta is an innocent yet subtle hope for everyone to be well and happy.

To inspire the heart of Bodhichitta, we should direct our minds to be empathetic and sensitive towards both the suffering and joy of others. Occasionally, but spontaneously, we bring to mind the intention:

I pray and will for all suffering to dissipate and happiness to increase in every corner of the world. May all beings, including myself, be well and happy.

Sounds noble. Sounds altruistic. But what good is Bodhichitta? However, before we go on, allow me to introduce how the concept comes about.

2. Bodhichitta — Buddhist Roots

The idea of Bodhichitta has roots in Buddhism. To start off, there are two main branches of Buddhism — Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism. Allow me to explain.

The term Bodhichitta comes from Mahayana Buddhism, and is translated as the ‘enlightenment-mind’, that strives towards awakening, empathy and compassion for the benefit and well-being of all beings. And anyone who embraces Bodhichitta can be called a Bodhisattva.

However, the idea is sometimes contentious, especially from a Theravada Buddhist viewpoint. This is further propagated by the fact that modern Buddhist scholars have debated the authenticity of Mahayana scriptures, which appeared more flowery, much different and later than Theravada scriptures.

Theravada Buddhists maintained that the historical Buddha did not teach about Bodhichitta, but instead taught the path to freedom and awakening to his disciples through the Noble Eightfold Path and right meditative techniques. The more theoretical Mahayana Buddhists, however, argued that the historical Buddha, being self-taught, must have arisen through karmic conditions in the first place, which is seeded with the inception of Bodhichitta. And thus the historical Buddha must have taught about it.

Fortunately, in more recent years, the oldest Buddhist scriptures (Gandhāran Buddhist texts) that have been uncovered contain Mahayana text, lending support to the authenticity of the Bodhichitta idea.

3. Bodhichitta can be Embraced by Everyone

Like Breath Meditation, which was championed by Theravada Buddhism and has been assimilated by the secular society, Bodhichitta can also be adapted in a non-religious way.

Whether Mahayana Buddhism is ultimately the truth in Buddhism is a debate for another day. But here is the deal: Bodhichitta can be translated into non-religious life and bring huge benefits to the individual and collective society.

On the societal level, with Bodhichitta, we can each be inspired to be our best possible self, with the end goal being the gradual shift towards collective happiness and peace, mutual care, warmth and respect.

Rather than worshipping endless growth, materialistic improvements, economic, and technological gains.

While growth is desirable, as evidenced by improved healthcare, technological convenience etc, it should be and can be motivated by a humane touch instead of a cold capitalist drive.

On the individual level, Bodhichitta can form a holistic purpose in our life. And some have identified that having a strong purpose in life could be a core pillar for happiness:

In addition, in my personal experience, when the thought of Bodhichitta arises in my mind, I will always, without fail, experience a rush of sublime, awe-inducing sensation and Oxytocin (happiness and love hormone), which goes a long way in lifting the mood and motivation over time.

Furthermore, when placed under the microscope, we can see the Bodhichitta encompasses all charity, inner peace, mindfulness, grit — you name it. It encourages us to give and care at a personal, authentic level. It motivates us to be tolerant when others are nasty to us, and thrive under conditions of adversity. Etc.

4. Bodhichitta as a Source of Personal Empowerment

Yet, embracing Bodhichitta is not about being a saint. Like anything we do in life (failing examinations etc), we are allowed to make errors, even serious errors in life that could make people turn away from us. The key to Bodhichitta is our subconscious intent. While we may make errors, sometimes out of ignorance, sometimes out of experimentation, that subconscious intent would eventually ride us out of the stormy seas over time.

In summary, we learn from mistakes. We internalize it and grow our wisdom.

“Fail again, fail better” — Samuel Beckett

Again we see that embracing Bodhichitta is a very human endeavour.

All in all, through the process of trial and error with the right frame of mind, gradually, we can develop our emotional quotient and adversity intelligence, which increase our personal empowerment.

We also can see Bodhichitta as a marriage of compassion and wisdom. Although I termed it the Ultimate Compassion, it does not mean that we should donate everything we have to the poor and live miserably thereafter. In fact, embracing Bodhichitta encourages us to work harder and smarter in life, such that we may provide more for our family and help others when we are in a position of abundance.

In realizing our interdependence, Bodhichitta strives and provides the zeal for mutual and collective happiness.

5. Final Thoughts

Relatively unknown, the Bodhichitta ideal is a powerful force for good in society and a recipe for purpose-driven life of warmth. It has already been championed by some Buddhists, notably by the monk Matthieu Ricard in his book Altruism:

Nonetheless, we see that Bodhichitta should be not exclusively Buddhist, and has the potential to change the world. Hence, this article is an invitation to anyone, regardless of personal beliefs, to contemplate the promise of this sublime and altruistic ideal — Bodhichitta.

Finally, thanks for reading! I hope this article has been inspiring, food for thought for everyone and a force for a better living. Cheers! _/\_

P.S. If you like this article, you may also be interested in another comprehensive guide on Happiness and Personal Well-Being:

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