Week Three – Overview

At the heart of the Mahayana is the vow to help all beings attain enlightenment, called the bodhisattva vow. A bodhisattva is a “being intent upon enlightenment,” not for themselves, but for the benefit of all beings. This week explores the vow and how one fulfills it. 

This week you will

  • Explore the meaning of the bodhisattva vow as expressed in the Indian, East Asian, and Tibetan traditions
  • Learn about bodhicitta—“the mind intent upon attaining enlightenment”—in both its aspirational and applied forms
  • Cultivate an understanding of the union of wisdom and compassion
  • Learn about the six perfections and what they mean for developing insight into the ultimate truth and engaging skillfully with relative truth
  • Explore the surprising depths and benefits of the perfection of patience, as an example of the depth of the individual perfections

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