The attitude behind your generosity is of the utmost importance;
giving with anger or the desire for payment isn't a good
motivation. But if you have a humble motivation to help, then
you're on your way to become a Bodhisattva.
Ethics - Knowing the basic difference between right and wrong is
imperative to generating the 6 Perfections. To practice the
perfection of ethics means to refrain from doing harm to yourself
and all those around you. Killing, sexual misconduct, consuming
harmful substances such as alcohol or drugs, being deceitful, and
using abusive language must be avoided. All harmful actions are
caused by a mind that harbors them, therefore it's highly important
to be mindful of all your thoughts.
Patience - A lack of patience is prevalent in today's society and
this will change if we want to evolve into a Bodhisattva. Patience
is the antidote to anger. In Chandrakirti's 'Supplement to the
Middle Way' he writes: "It makes us ugly, leads to the unholy, and
robs us of discernment to know right from wrong." When we become
angry, our body stiffens, our blood pressure rises, our breathing
is impaired, as is our reason. Far too many people languish in
prisons due to a few seconds when they went out of control and
their anger harmed someone. Anger directed at oneself can result in
suicide. Anger causes wars of all sizes.
Patience creates a joyousness within us. Our features become
relaxed and we can look many years younger. We are then tolerant
and happy and much further along the path of becoming a
Bodhisattva.
Effort - Enthusiastic effort is necessary if you want to achieve
anything, but for something as noble and challenging as joining the
ranks of the Bodhisattvas, effort is definitely a requirement. Who
doesn't want their efforts repaid instantly? However, the way of
the Bodhisattva is arduous and requires virtues that many of us
currently lack. Laziness is a huge fault that curtails effort.
Tomorrow never comes so your effort is needed NOW!
Concentration - Developing a calm mind through meditation will
sharpen our concentration. Being able to focus single-pointedly on
one object with a non-wavering mind will be a great advantage. The
calm-abiding mind develops clairvoyance and abilities to heal
ourselves and others. When radiating inward and outward calm,
you'll become like a lighthouse in a stormy night. You'll inspire
others with your strong mental capabilities and they in turn will
want the inner peace that you have found for yourself.
Concentration is a form of mindfulness. This means that when you
pay unwavering attention to what you're doing, you avoid many
frustrations. Lack of mindfulness in the kitchen might result in
burning a casserole, which not only wasting the ingredients, but
twice as much time will be spent cleaning up the mess. Not
practicing mindfulness when driving causes accidents. As Lama Tsong
Khapa writes in his 'Summary of the Stages of the Path':
"Concentration is a king with dominion over the mind, once placed,
immovable like the king of mountains."
Wisdom - Wisdom is the root of all great qualities we can cultivate
in this life. As the Sixth Perfection, it is the total of the other
five. Meditation on wisdom is essential for entering into the
stages of being a Bodhisattva. Buddhist texts emphasize two vital
subjects when it comes to knowledge""selflessness and impermanence.
Everything changes constantly. One day you leave work at 5:30, the
next day it's 5:45. Nothing is fixed; it's variable. As for
selflessness, we must first discover the location of the self. Is
it in the body? If so, where""the mind? The physical world and all
living beings are created by the mind. As we are the results of our
past actions, so is the world we live in. Since there are places on
earth that are like heaven, those areas where so much virtue has
settled that people travel great distances to see such wonderful
locations. Conversely, the hellish regions are dense accumulations
of non-virtue and evil thrives there, keeping people captive to the
negative states of consciousness.
To become a Bodhisattva is to be fearless. There is no aversion for
those who are hostile and there is no obsessive clinging to those
who are closest to us. There is no possessiveness, only love,
compassion and discernment into the nature of reality.
Santideva, the 8th century Bodhisattva wrote a book entitled
'Bodhisattvacharyavatara,' which is one of the most important texts
that students of Tibetan Buddhism study. The title has been
translated into 'A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life' and is
written in verse form. While there are only 10 chapters, dealing
with the 6 perfections as well as developing the spirit of
awakening, in chapter 10, verse 55 the entire essence of the
meaning of Bodhisattva is beautifully expressed:
"For as long as space endures
And for as long as living beings remain,
Until then may I too abide
To dispel the misery of the world."