The Aspiration to Awaken

This book is based on Aspiration to Generate Bodhicitta, Utterly Pure and Supreme, composed by the great nineteenth-century master Patrul Rinpoche. Although the prayer is brief, it presents the essential stages of the path to awakening. Beginning with the generation of bodhicitta—the heartfelt aspiration to attain complete enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings—it gradually unfolds through the bodhisattva path before introducing the profound aspirations of the Vajrayāna. For this reason, the prayer has long been treasured in the Nyingma tradition and many other Buddhist lineages as a concise guide to the entire path of awakening. Next, the verses introduce the distinctive aspirations of the Vajrayāna: entering the vajra vehicle, attaining buddhahood within a single lifetime, realizing the inseparability of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa, cultivating the path of bliss and emptiness, and recognizing the mind's original, uncontrived nature. The concluding verses touch upon the view of Dzogchen and end with aspirations for a meaningful life, a peaceful death, and freedom from fear in the intermediate state (bardo). Although these profound topics are presented in the form of aspiration rather than detailed instruction, together they reveal the complete vision of the Nyingma path—from the first arising of bodhicitta to the realization of the true nature of mind. In his teachings on which this commentary is based, Khen Rinpoche Kunsang Dechen presents this aspiration prayer not simply as words to be recited, but as a practical guide for daily practice. Through explanation and reflection, he shows that bodhicitta is not merely an aspiration generated during formal meditation, but a way of living that gradually transforms the way we think, speak, and act. It is an aspiration to cultivate within our own minds the essential points of practice—from the lower vehicles of the Śrāvākas and Pratyekabuddhas to the Great Perfection (Dzogchen), the pinnacle of all vehicles—and ultimately to perfect all the qualities of the paths and stages of both S¹tra and Tantra, thereby attaining the state of perfect buddhahood, in which all faults are exhausted and all qualities are perfected. Because this profound aspiration is concise in words yet vast in meaning, those who recite it regularly while contemplating its significance will naturally give rise to the precious mind of bodhicitta—the source of both temporary well-being and ultimate awakening—and allow it to grow ever stronger within their own minds. The book is divided into two parts. The first, The Seed of Bodhicitta, explores the foundations for generating bodhicitta through stories, teachings, and reflections. These include cultivating compassion, developing humility, relying on a qualified spiritual teacher, establishing the proper motivation for practice, and preparing the mind to receive the Dharma. The second, Developing Aspirational and Engaged Bodhicitta, follows Patrul Rinpoche's prayer verse by verse, explaining each verse in its broader context and showing how its teachings can be integrated into everyday life. May this book help the seed of bodhicitta take root and flourish in the minds of all who read, reflect upon, and recite this aspiration prayer, guiding them step by step along the path to awakening for the benefit of all sentient beings.