The Concept of Bodhicitta in Santideva's Bodhicaryavatara

Francis Brassard

Description

This book explores an important concept within the Buddhist Mahayana tradition, bodhicitta. This term appears frequently in Sanskrit literature relating to the spiritual practices of the bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism and has been variously translated as "thought of enlightenment" or "desire of enlightenment." Francis Brassard offers a contextual analysis of bodhicitta based on the presuppositions underlying the spiritual practice of the bodhisattva. Since the understanding that emerges involves how one ought to view the process of spiritual transformation, this work contributes to Buddhist psychology and soteriology in particular, and to comparative religions in general. The book surveys the various interpretations of the concept of bodhicitta, analyzes its possible functions in the context of the spiritual path of the aspirant to enlightenment, and discusses an understanding of bodhicitta in the context of the Santideva's Bodhicaryavatara.
List of Abbreviations

Introduction

1. Bodhicitta and the spiritual path of the Bodhisattva

1. Methodological considerations
2. Santideva’s Bodhicaryavatara

i. The text
ii. Santideva
iii. Prajñakaramati

3. Review of literature

i. Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki
ii. Sangharakshita

2. Bodhicitta as a desire for enlightenment

1. The idea of desire
2. Criticism of bodhicitta as an act of will

i. Citta (mind)
ii. Citta-utpada (arising of the mind)
iii. The two types of bodhicitta
iv. The ethical aspect of bodhicitta

3. Conclusion

3. Bodhicitta as an object of concentration

1. Arguments in favor of bodhicitta as an object of concentration

i. Derivatives of the Sanskrit verbal roots √grah (to take) and √dhr (to hold)
ii. The practice of meditation
iii. Implications related to the idea of bodhicitta as an object of concentration

2. Criticism of bodhicitta as an object of concentration

4. Bodhicitta as cultivation of awareness

1. The nature of religious language

i. The functional aspect of religious language
ii. The metaphysical aspect of religious language
iii. The ethical aspect of religious language

2. The cultivation of awareness

i. Examples of the cultivation of awareness
ii. The feeling of detachment
iii. The breaking up of distinctions

3. The practice of devotion

i. Saddha/sraddha

4. Conclusion

5. The aspect of renunciation

i. The klesas (mental afflictions) and the cultivation of awareness
ii. Ksantiparamita (the Perfection of patience)
iii. The workings of the mind

6. The aspect of conversion

i. Viryaparamita (the Perfection of endeavor)

7. The aspect of contemplation

Conclusion

Notes
Bibliography
Index

Sujets

• East Asian religions
• Buddhism

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 16 février 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780791492536
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 26 Mo

Extrait

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F R A N C I S B R A S S A R D

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The Concept of Bodhicitta in ´ Sa¯ntideva’s Bodhicary¯avat¯ara

McGill Studies in the History of Religions, A Series Devoted to International Scholarship

Katherine K. Young, editor

The Concept of Bodhicitta in ´ Sa¯ntideva’s Bodhicary¯avat¯ara

Francis Brassard

STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK PRESS

Published by State University of New York Press, Albany

©State University of New York 2000

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.

For information, address the State University of New York Press State University Plaza, Albany, NY 12246

Production by Ruth Fisher Marketing by Patrick Durocher

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-PublicationData

Brassard, Francis, 1961– The concept of Bodhicitta in Santideva’s Bodhicaryavatara / Francis Brassard. p. cm. — (McGill studies in the history of religions) ISBN 0-7914-4575-5 (hc. : alk. paper). — ISBN 0-7914-4576-3 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Bodhicitta (Buddhism). 2. Spiritual life—Buddhism. I. Title. II. Series. BQ4398.5.B65 2000 294.3'422—dc21 99-41324 CIP 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

za Rinu

asaμprajanyacittasya ≈rutacintitabh¡vitam, sacchidrakumbhajalavat na smƒt¡vavati߆hate. (A person who lacks alertness cannot retain what has been heard, thought about, or contemplated just as a jar with a hole that leaks water.) Bodhicary¡vat¡ra

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List of Abbreviations

Introduction

Contents

Chapter one: Bodhicitta the spiritual path of the Bodhisattva and 1. Methodological considerations, 7 2. ˛¡ntideva’s Bodhicary¡vat¡ra,  10 i. The text, 11 ii. ˛¡ntideva, 15 iii. Prajñ¡karamati, 17 3. Review of literature, 18 i. Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki, 18 ii. Sangharakshita, 22

Chapter two: Bodhicitta  as a desire for enlightenment 1. The idea of desire, 30 2. Criticism of bodhicitta  as an act of will, 34 i. Citta  (mind), 34 ii. Citta-utp¡da of the mind), 39 (arising iii. The two types of bodhicitta,  41 iv. The ethical aspect of bodhicitta,  46 3. Conclusion, 50

vii

ix

1

7

29

viii

Contents

Chapter three: Bodhicitta an object of concentration as 1. Arguments in favor of bodhicitta  as an object of concentration, 55 i. Derivatives of the Sanskrit verbal roots √grah (to take) and √dhƒ  (to hold), 55 ii. The practice of meditation, 58 iii. Implications related to the idea of bodhicitta  as an object of concentration, 63 2. Criticism of bodhicitta an object of concentration, 64 as

Chapter four: Bodhicitta cultivation of awareness as 1. The nature of religious language, 73 i. The functional aspect of religious language, 73 ii. The metaphysical aspect of religious language, 77 iii. The ethical aspect of religious language, 80 2. The cultivation of awareness, 87 i. Examples of the cultivation of awareness, 90 ii. The feeling of detachment, 93 iii. The breaking up of distinctions, 97 3. The practice of devotion, 98 i. Saddh¡/≈raddh¡,  99 4. Conclusion, 102

Chapter five: The aspect of renunciation i. The kle≈as afflictions) and the (mental cultivation of awareness, 109 ii. Kß¡ntip¡ramit¡ Perfection of patience), 111 (the iii. The workings of the mind, 113

Chapter six: The aspect of conversion i. imar¡payr•Vt¡  (the Perfection of endeavor), 123

Chapter seven: The aspect of contemplation

Conclusion

Notes Bibliography Index

53

71

105

119

133

147

151 177 187