Question asked by irene
dear rinpoche is there a practice which enables a spontaneous arising of bodhicitta? through discipline one can perform acts of generosity without any true compassion. what then is compssion? the feeling (which would be self gratifying)or the act(which benefits others)?some teachings say the act of giving is in itself a practice by which the compassion will eventually arise. but without the motivation- perceived through feelings-does the action still have any merit?
Dear Irene,
Study up on Shantideva’s treatise Bodhisattva-chai-avatara. It is a masterpiece to discover the bodhicitta within us. Combine it with the practice of Avalokitesvara in any form would be powerful.
Even if acts of generosity are done for self gratifying feeling at first,it is ok. It is better to do good acts with not so perfect motivation then to never do them.
As you perform acts that benefit others combined with study of dharma, your motivation will change naturally. Your focus from self gratification will switch to truly benefitting others. Start somewhere for now.