FPMT

The first is when we have a kind of wishful attitude, a totally open enlightened attitude that eliminates the self-­cherishing thought, the closed, fanatical mind. We open our mind for once; we’re beginning to think of others. It’s so worthwhile.

Think: “From the time I was born up till now, out of dissatisfaction, I’ve been crying inside for myself. All my pain comes from not understanding self-­cherishing, thinking I’m the best, holding myself dearer than anyone else. This is what creates all my problems. I have no time or space for others, not even for my own son, my own daughter. I say I love them, but when it really comes down to it, it’s I, myself, who I feel to be the most important. Similarly, I say I love my husband, I love my wife, but when it comes to the crunch and it’s a choice between me and them, I choose me, my pleasure.

“Grasping in this way has caused me continual suffering and conflict, therefore, at this time, I want to change my attitude toward others. There is no question that it is so worthwhile to do this, and I’m absolutely clean clear about it. For that reason, from now on, for the rest of my life, I will try to eliminate the self-­cherishing thought and dedicate myself to others as much as I can. I will dedicate myself not simply to bringing them the temporal pleasures of cheesecake, chocolate and the like, but to what they really need: the elimination of their confusion, dissatisfaction, ego conflict and ignorance. These are the real problem and what they mainly need help with. At first, I will help them as best I can with whatever small things they need and take it from there.”

That’s the way to generate aspiring bodhicitta and taking the bodhisattva vows in that way is in itself very, very profound. Just to have a glimpse of that attitude is super; most profound. We have never been there before. We may have mouthed the words, but we have never taken this attitude sincerely with the clean-­clear determination, “This is the thing I have to do.”

—Lama Yeshe

from *The Bodhisattva Vows* lamayeshe.com/article/chapter/16-the-bodhisattva-vows in *Clean-Clear: Refuge, Bodhicitta and the Nature of the Mind* 🙏 Polaroid of Lama Yeshe in 1982 at Institut Vajra Yogini - Centre Bouddhiste de Marzens, France.