Bodhicitta โ€” The Awakening Mind
Buddhism

Bodhicitta โ€” The Awakening Mind

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Hexagrams:1942
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Bodhicitta is the aspiration to attain awakening for the benefit of all sentient beings โ€” the motivational engine of Mahayana Buddhism. Shantideva compared it to 'the supreme elixir that overcomes the sovereignty of death.' It has two aspects: aspiring bodhicitta (the wish) and engaging bodhicitta (the action). Hex 19 (Approach) is earth over lake: the great approaches the small with care, the teacher bends toward the student, the awakened turns toward the suffering. The I-Ching says 'great success through perseverance.' Hex 42 (Increase) adds the outward dimension: the bodhisattva's awakening increases the welfare of all beings. The vow is radical โ€” not 'may I be free' but 'may all beings be free, and may I be last.' This reversal of self-interest is the hinge on which Mahayana turns.

Cross-Tradition Resonances

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Tikkun (Repair)

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