Quotes:
“Bodhisattvas should develop an initial aspiration for a mind that will condition the unsurpassed Path [to Buddhahood], a mind with the mindset ‘I shall be a Buddha’; thus, the name ‘Bodhi mind.’”
The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom, Vol.41
「菩薩初發心，緣無上道：『我當作佛』，是名『菩提心』。」《大智度論》卷41
“That which is the seed for breeding all Buddhas can generate the Buddha Dharma.”
「一切諸佛種子，能生一切諸佛法。」《大方廣佛華嚴經》卷59
Remarks:
The ultimate goal of Buddhist cultivation is to attain the Buddha bodhi, the unsurpassed correct enlightenment (anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi) of a Buddha. In Vol. 41 of The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom (Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa), Bodhisattva Nāgârjuna states: “Bodhisattvas should develop an initial aspiration for a mind that will condition the unsurpassed Path [to Buddhahood], a mind with the mindset ‘I shall be a Buddha’; thus, the name ‘Bodhi mind.’” A similar teaching can be seen in Vol. 59 of the Avatamsaka Sutra: “That which is the seed for breeding all Buddhas can generate the Buddha Dharma.” “Seed” here refers to the Bodhi mind (bodhicitta), which is like a fine and rich pure dharma soil that can nurture sentient beings, as the vast lands in the secular world sustain the world.
In brief, Buddhist practitioners who aspire for a Bodhi mind must learn the teachings regarding the Path to Liberation and the Path to Buddhahood to accomplish the ultimate fruition of a Buddha. This aspiration is the starting point of the journey to pursue the great Bodhi. Fundamentally, Buddhist cultivation is a practice that benefits both oneself and others. However, it has a precondition: one’s mindset must be that of pursuing Buddhist cultivation to benefit others first; this will allow one to accumulate the corresponding merits, virtues, and wisdom, which will benefit oneself.
According to the Buddha’s teachings, on the bodhisattva path, one must cultivate the six paramitas after obtaining an aspiration for the Bodhi mind. The first two paramitas involve the fundamental practices of generosity and precept observance. In Vol. 41 of Bodhisattva Nāgârjuna’s aforementioned treatise (Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa), he states: “The notion of giving and precept observance is named the ‘Bodhi mind.’” That is, it is vital and practical for bodhisattva practitioners to gather stocks of merit and virtue by practicing these two paramitas over long eons to bring about desirable karmic fruition in the future and simultaneously enable practitioners to help others and themselves. One’s intention for cultivating both paramitas should be to form good connections with all beings so that one can eliminate all kinds of unwholesome causes and conditions one committed in the past due to grave ignorance. Furthermore, these wholesome deeds will automatically increase one’s lifespan and wealth, ultimately enabling one to obtain great wealth. They will also allow one to exit the three lower paths and help practitioners attain Buddhahood in the future.
Additionally, there are some who aspire to have a Bodhi mind with the mindset of continuing the bodhisattva lineage and eradicating other beings’ suffering and afflictions. As we now know, not all sentient beings are readily endowed with a Bodhi mind; thus, the aforementioned are unique bodhisattvas who have an expansive mindset of accommodating the dharmas and helping others achieve Buddhahood.
We can conclude that the Bodhi mind is like pure water that can cleanse away all afflictions and impurities; like the strong wind that can blow over the whole world without any obstruction; like the blazing flame that can destroy all evil views, greed, and attachments; like the clear bright sun that shines on all sentient beings; and like the cool moon that can bring all the wholesome and pure dharmas to their fullness. Thus, the precondition for attaining Buddhahood is developing an aspiration for the Bodhi mind at the initial stage of one’s Buddhist cultivation.
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