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of the Bodhicaryavatara.Richmond, UK: Curzon, 1998.
PAULWILLIAMSBODHICITTA (THOUGHT
OF AWAKENING)
The English phrase “thought of awakening” is a me-
chanical rendering of the Indic term bodhicitta.The
original term is a compound noun signifying “thought
directed at or focused on awakening,” “a resolution to
seek and/or attain awakening,” or “the mind that is
(virtually or intrinsically) awakening (itself).” The
concept is known in non-Mahayana sources (e.g.,
Abhidharmadlpa,pp. 185–186, 192) and occurs in
transitional texts such as the MAHAVASTU, but gains
its doctrinal and ritual importance in MAHAYANAand
tantric traditions.
Technical definitions
In its most common denotation the term bodhicitta
refers to the resolution to attain BODHI(AWAKENING)
in order to liberate all living beings, which defines and
motivates the BODHISATTVA’s vow. However, even this
simple definition entails several layers of meaning and
practice. The resolution to attain awakening can be
seen as a state of mind or a mental process, but it is
also the solemn promise (the vow as verbal act) em-
bodied or expressed in particular ritual utterances,
acts, and gestures (recitation of the vows, dedication
of merit, etc.). Bodhicittais also the motivating thought
and sentiment behind the spiritual practice or career
(carya) of the bodhisattva; as such, it is the defining
moment and the moving force behind the course of
action that follows and enacts the initial resolution (the
first appearance of the thought, known as bodhicittot-
pada). As moving force and motivation it is also the
mental representation of the goal (awakening) and the
essential spirit of the practice (a usage sometimes ren-
dered in English as “an awakened attitude”). Finally,
the culmination of the intention of the vow and of the
subsequent effort in the PATH—that is, awakening
itself—may also be regarded as technically bodhicitta.
As a further extension of this usage, the term bodhicitta
may also refer to the fundamental source or ground
for the resolution, namely, innate enlightenment.
In a narrow psychological sense, bodhicittais the
first conscious formulation of an aspiration: to seek
full awakening (buddhahood) in order to lead all SEN-
TIENT BEINGSto liberation from DUHKHA(SUFFERING).
Conceived as a wish, as an intention that arises or oc-
curs in the mind, the bodhicittais a sort of decision;
but in the traditional Buddhist view of mental culture,
feelings and wishes can be fostered or cultivated. Ac-
cordingly, the bodhicittais generally believed to require
mental culture and self-cultivation, perhaps as an in-
tegral part of the purpose it embodies. The continued
cultivation of the intention, the practice or exercise of
the thought of awakening, helps develop a series of
mental states and behavioral changes that gradually ap-
proximate the object of the wish: full awakening as a
compassionate buddha or bodhisattva.Ritual uses and meanings
This practice of the thought of awakening begins with
a RITUALenactment, usually as part of the so-called
sevenfold supreme worship (saptavidha-anuttarapuja),
which includes, among other things, the rituals of tak-
ing the bodhisattva vows and the dedication of merit.
Some Indian authors (e.g., ARYAS ́URA and Can-
dragomin) composed their own ritual for the produc-
tion and adoption of the bodhicitta.In these liturgical
settings the bodhicittaappears prominently as the fo-
cus of the ritual of the bodhisattva vow, which in many
Mahayana liturgies replaced or incorporated earlier
rituals for the adoption of the PRECEPTSor rituals
preparatory for meditation sessions. Such rituals pro-
liferated in East Asia and Tibet.
Although the model for many Tibetan liturgies was
arguably a reworking of ritual elements in the
S ́iksasamuccayaand the BODHICARYAVATARAof S ́ANTI-
DEVA(ca. seventh century C.E.), the tradition com-
bined a variety of sources in developing a theology and
a liturgy of the thought of awakening. The Thar pa rin
po che’i rgyanof Sgam po pa (1079–1153 C.E.) distin-
guishes the ritual based on S ́antideva’s teachings from
the rituals from the lineage of Dharmakrti Suvarna-
dvpin of Vijayanagara (fl. ca. 1000 C.E.)—presumably
received through ATISHA(982–1054 C.E.).
Most Mahayana traditions consecrate the initial
thought as the impetus and hence the most important
moment in the bodhisattva’s career: the breaking forthBODHICITTA(THOUGHT OFAWAKENING)