The Lazy Lama Looks At Bodhichitta: Awakening Compassion And Wisdom

by Ringu Tulku

Bodhichitta literally means 'mind of awakening'. It is the awakening of compassion and wisdom - the great compassionate wish for the wellbeing of all sentient beings, combined with the understanding of how that wish may be fulfilled. Ringu Tulku discusses the profound ideal of bodhichitta in an accessible and friendly way that brings it within everyone's reach. He points out that bodhichitta is a natural extension of our innate wish to work for our own wellbeing and holds out hope for each one of us to awaken our Bodhichitta within.

74 pages, Paperback

First published May 31, 2001

About the author

Karma Tsultrim Gyurmé Trinlé (Tibetan: ཀརྨ་ཚུལ་ཁྲིམས་འགྱུར་མེད་ཕྲིན་ལས་, Wylie: kar+ma tshul khrims 'gyur med phrin las)—more commonly known as Ringu Tulku (Tib. རི་མགུལ་སྤྲུལ་སྐུ་, Wyl. ri mgul sprul sku) for the Ringu Monastery with which his incarnation line is associated—is a lama of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism and proponent of the Rimé (non-sectarian) movement. In 1975 he was awarded the academic title of Khenpo, and in 1983 the that of Dorje Lopön Chenpo (Sanskrit: mahavajracarya; equivalent to a PhD). He served as Professor of Tibetology in Sikkim for 17 years, and since 1990 has been traveling and teaching Buddhism and meditation at more than 50 universities, institutes and Buddhist centers in Europe, USA, Canada, Australia and Asia.

Reviews

[Derek Baldwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

To some extent the simplicity of what is discussed here may seem trite, and the text a little bit of an anticlimax. I read the whole book in a dentist waiting room (which is another story). Then, the following day, I read it again and the profound nature of this lesson was clearer. I found the discussion of Bodhisattva vows especially helpful, the importance of rejoicing, being mindful of the shock that evil can engender. In answer to a questioner Ringu Tulku points out that when bad things happen that is news because the rest of the time, thankfully, bad things do not happen. If good things happening became news, chicken crossed road safely, for example, that would suggest the world were in a very bad way. If you wish to follow the Buddhist path I suggest you read and reread these words, and take them into your heart.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the clearest Buddhist texts I ever read.