Bodhicitta (pronounced BO-dee-chit-ta) is a Sanskrit word from Mahayana Buddhism. It joins bodhi, awakening, with citta, mind or heart. It is usually translated as the awakened heart or the mind of enlightenment: the wish to awaken not for yourself alone, but for the benefit of all beings.
In Mahayana traditions, bodhicitta is the defining motivation of the bodhisattva, someone who dedicates their path to relieving the suffering of others.
Two kinds of bodhicitta
Teachers often describe two aspects:
- Relative bodhicitta is compassion in action: the wish that all beings be free from suffering, and the effort to help.
- Absolute bodhicitta is insight into the nature of reality, seeing through the idea of a separate, fixed self.
Relative bodhicitta is further divided into aspiring bodhicitta (the sincere wish to help) and engaged bodhicitta (actually doing it), a distinction made famous by the 8th-century teacher Shantideva in The Way of the Bodhisattva. He compares them to wanting to go on a journey and actually setting out.
Why it matters, even outside Buddhism
You do not need to be Buddhist to find bodhicitta meaningful. At heart, it asks a simple question: what is my practice for? When practice is only about feeling better, it can become another form of self-focus. When it includes others, it tends to grow more stable and more joyful.
Research on compassion training, including studies of loving-kindness and compassion meditation, suggests these practices can increase positive emotion and kind behaviour towards others.
Practices to cultivate bodhicitta
1. Set a motivation. Before yoga or meditation, pause and say silently: May this practice benefit me and everyone I meet today.
2. Loving-kindness (metta). Offer phrases of goodwill in widening circles: yourself, someone you love, someone neutral, someone difficult, all beings. Try the guided practice.
3. Tonglen, gently. A Tibetan practice of "taking and sending": on the inhale, imagine breathing in another person's difficulty; on the exhale, send them relief and ease. Begin with small, everyday difficulties, and stop if it feels overwhelming.
4. Dedicate the merit. At the end of a practice, wish that any good it created be shared with all beings.
A question to sit with
Who could benefit from a little more of my patience today, and what would it look like to offer it?
The bodhisattva vow
In many Mahayana communities, practitioners formally take the bodhisattva vow, committing to work for the awakening of all beings. A well-known version comes from Shantideva:
For as long as space endures, and for as long as living beings remain, until then may I too abide, to dispel the misery of the world.
The vow is deliberately vast. It is not meant to create pressure, but to stretch the heart beyond its usual boundaries. Teachers often say the vow is renewed every day, and every small act of kindness is part of fulfilling it.
Exchanging self and others
Shantideva also taught a contemplation called exchanging self and others. You imagine yourself in another person's position, especially someone you find difficult, and consider their hopes, fears and suffering as if they were your own. The aim is not to erase your own needs, but to loosen the habit of seeing yourself as the centre of everything.
A simple version:
- Bring to mind someone you are in conflict with.
- Imagine waking up in their life tomorrow: their worries, their history, their tiredness.
- Ask: What would I most need from others if I were them?
- Notice whether your feelings towards them soften, even slightly.
Bodhicitta and self-compassion
A common misunderstanding is that bodhicitta means always putting yourself last. Buddhist teachers are clear that compassion includes yourself. Exhausted, resentful helping is not bodhicitta. Many traditions begin loving-kindness practice with oneself for exactly this reason.
Psychologist Kristin Neff's research on self-compassion supports this: people who treat themselves kindly tend to be more resilient and, often, more caring towards others. Caring for yourself and caring for the world are partners, not rivals.
The six perfections
Mahayana teachings describe six qualities, or paramitas, through which bodhicitta is expressed in action:
- Generosity (dana): sharing time, attention and resources
- Ethical conduct (shila): avoiding harm
- Patience (kshanti): meeting difficulty without anger
- Joyful effort (virya): enthusiasm for doing good
- Meditation (dhyana): a stable, focused mind
- Wisdom (prajna): seeing clearly how things are
You can choose one paramita each week as a focus for daily life.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between bodhicitta and compassion?
Compassion is the wish for others to be free from suffering. Bodhicitta adds a commitment: to awaken in order to help all beings effectively. It combines compassion with the aspiration for wisdom.
Do I need to be Buddhist to practise bodhicitta?
No. Anyone can set an intention to benefit others and practise kindness, patience and generosity. Many yoga practitioners find it a meaningful motivation for their practice.
How does bodhicitta relate to yoga?
Yoga's ethical principles, such as ahimsa (non-harming), and the Bhagavad Gita's teaching on selfless action share bodhicitta's spirit. Dedicating your practice to others is a simple bridge between the two.
What is a good daily bodhicitta practice?
Start each morning by silently wishing: May what I do today benefit others. End the day by recalling one moment of kindness, given or received.
Updated 9 October 2026 by the YogiSoul editorial team. Read our editorial policy and wellness policy.