Bodhichitta — The Mind of Enlightenment
Khenpo Sodargye Rinpoche talks about Mahayana bodhicitta and being vegetarian in this talk. Human beings all want to be happy without suffering, that’s why we promote equality amongst people. Other sentient beings feel the same and deserve to be treated equally as well, therefore it’s a good practice to be vegetarian.
The Shared Desire Regardless of Race
Excerpt 1: The Shared Desire Regardless of Race
Whether we are from the east or the west, we all want to be happy and be free from any mental or physical suffering. We are not different from each other in this regard. As we all share the same desire, we ought to protect others in the same way we would protect ourselves. This is a very fundamental principle.
Excerpt 2: Bodhicitta in Aspiration and Bodhicitta in Action
Bodhicitta includes aspirational bodhicitta and engaging bodhicitta. Aspirational bodhichitta is the intention to liberate innumerable sentient beings from now on, and help each of them attain the ultimate realization of Buddhahood. When this aspiration is established, we then take actions through the diligent practice of the six paramitas of generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and wisdom, in order to fulfil this aspiration; this is called engaging bodhicitta, i.e., putting into practice or action. If you have established the Mahayana aspiration, you would have abandoned self-interest. As such you won’t indulge in personal enjoyment or fall prey to laziness and sluggishness which arise from self-interest.
Excerpt 3: The Essence of Bodhicitta Teaching
For someone practicing bodhicitta, it makes no sense to pursue his or her individual happiness or well-being during his or her lifetime. The real bodhicitta is to help all sentient beings achieve the ultimate kind of happiness. That is the essence of bodhicitta teaching.
Excerpt 4: Getting Used to Vegetarian Diet
If one finds being a strict vegetarian too challenging, he or she should try to take vegetarian meals once a week, four or fifteen days a month. In this way, we can train and eventually change our habit of eating meat. According to Surangama Sutra and Mahaparinirvaṇa Sutra, eating meat is equivalent to depriving them of their lives.
The Shared Desire Regardless of Race
Whether we are from the east or the west, we all want to be happy and be free from any mental or physical suffering. We are not different from each other in this regard. As we all share the same desire, we ought to protect others in the same way we would protect ourselves. This is a very fundamental principle.
Getting Used to Vegetarian Diet
If one finds being a strict vegetarian too challenging, he or she should try to take vegetarian meals once a week, four or fifteen days a month. In this way, we can train and eventually change our habit of eating meat. According to Surangama Sutra and Mahaparinirvaṇa Sutra, eating meat is equivalent to depriving them of their lives.
“Bodhicitta is the essence of all 84,000 teachings given by Shakyamuni Buddha. All the 84,000 teachings could be summarized into one word, which is bodhicitta.”
