Bodhicitta (Link #772)

Speaker: Bob Reid. Following up on two LINKs from August 2024, Bob talks about the four immeasurables practice with a focus on loving-kindness. He describes loving-kindness as the sense of care, warmth and tenderness that we feel towards others in our life as well as to ourselves. He goes on to explain how it is the care towards oneself that is particularly difficult for westerners who have become accustomed to a competitive culture based on comparison and critique. Bob stresses how we all equally wish for happiness and to obtain the causes and conditions of happiness. He suggests we can be curious and investigate with an open mind when thoughts of being hard on ourselves arise, allowing ourselves to be fully present with our minds while also not believing our thoughts. Finally, as practitioners, we can open our hearts to the three jewels and surrender to Guru Rinpoche. In doing so our heart can recognize that our nature is the same as the deity's.