When your mothers, who have loved you since time without beginning, are suffering, what use is your happiness? Therefore, to free limitless living beings, develop the altruistic intention. This is the practice of Bodhisattvas. 

Most people have a strong bond with their mother, and even if they do not, we can all appreciate the fact that our mother gave birth to us, fed us, potty-trained us, taught us how to speak, and everything else. We moved in after birth as a total stranger and stayed for the next forty years (it used to be eighteen, but now kids stay home a lot longer). If our birth mother could not take care of us, she made provisions for somebody else to do it, because she wanted us to thrive and become contributing members of society. 

Considering that all sentient beings have been our mothers since beginningless time, we think that we have this kind of relationship with all other living beings. Then instead of feeling left out, ignored and unloved, we realise we have received a lot of kindness and affection from others, and a wish to repay them naturally arises. When we reflect on how they too are going around and around in samsara under the influence of afflictions and karma, we will not be satisfied and content with just our own liberation. Working for personal liberation alone does not seem right because the whole reason we have the opportunity to practise the Dharma is that other people have helped us in the past. 

Our practice takes on a whole different flavour when we develop the altruistic intention of bodhicitta, which is the mind that seeks to attain full awakening as soon as possible, to benefit all sentient beings most effectively. When we take the Bodhisattva vow, we commit ourselves to doing this, and this wonderful long-term motivation helps us overcome frustration and obstacles along the path. Thinking this way is very helpful for dealing with a two-year-old mind of attachment that whines, “I want this, I want that,” or a rebellious teenager mind that snaps, “Who are you to tell me what to January | 45 do?” Turning your mind towards bodhicitta inspires you to drop whatever ignorance, anger, or attachment you are stuck in at the moment. 

“365 Gems of Wisdom” First Volume (January — March) e-book is out now!