Today, we continue our discussion on the teaching of generating bodhicitta (the mind of enlightenment), and will explain two methods of mind training. Previously, we discussed the method of cultivating the mind through the « Seven Causes and Effects. » Today, we will introduce the approach of mind training through « Equalizing and Exchanging Self and Others. »
First, let us explain the meaning of the words in « Equalizing and Exchanging Self and Others. »
- « Self » refers to oneself.
- « Others » refers to other sentient beings, whose mental continua differ from our own.
- « Equal » or « mutual » indicates that we should understand that self and others are in a relationship of equality. In what way are we equal? We and all sentient beings equally desire happiness and wish to avoid suffering. Fundamentally, we are completely equal in this regard. Thus, « equal » means understanding this fundamental equality.
- « Exchange » refers to replacing our habitual self-cherishing attitude (« self-grasping ») with a heartfelt care and affection for others (« cherishing others »). This is the core meaning of « Equalizing and Exchanging Self and Others. »
Lineage
The method of mind training through « Equalizing and Exchanging Self and Others » is generally believed to have been transmitted by the great master Atisha. This differs slightly from the more commonly known « Seven Causes and Effects » teaching. The latter is a public and widely taught method of cultivating bodhicitta, accessible to most practitioners.
However, the practice of « Equalizing and Exchanging Self and Others » — as stated in The Bodhicaryāvatāra (A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life) :
« One should train in the supreme secret instruction known as ‘Exchanging Self and others.' »
— was already discussed in the time of the bodhisattva Shantideva. This method was not originally taught openly to the general public, but was transmitted secretly through oral instructions, passed only among courageous and sharp-minded practitioners.
We know that when Atisha taught in Tibet, he emphasized teachings on refuge and karma, which he propagated widely. However, regarding the practice of generating bodhicitta through « Equalizing and Exchanging Self and Others, » he transmitted it as a secret lineage, passing it only to Dromtönpa. Dromtönpa then passed it to Potowa, who in turn transmitted it to Langri Thangpa and Sharawa. Langri Thangpa is the author of the Eight Verses for Training the Mind .
Later, Sharawa passed this teaching to Geshe Chekhawa. From Geshe Chekhawa onward, he openly taught both the « Equalizing and Exchanging Self and Others » and the « Seven Causes and Effects » methods, allowing both to coexist in the lineage and be widely studied.
Geshe Chekhawa’s Spiritual Journey
Geshe Chekhawa was born into a Nyingma family. He was highly learned, well-versed in the five sciences, and deeply studied tantric scriptures. Yet he was not satisfied. He understood that the essence of practice lies in transforming one’s own mindstream, and thus he continued seeking a more profound method of mind training.
Later, he read The Eight Verses for Training the Mind by Langri Thangpa. When he came upon the line:
« Victory to others, defeat to myself, »
he was profoundly moved. This means: dedicating all benefits and victories to others, while willingly accepting all losses and suffering for oneself. After reading this, he developed a strong determination and set out to meet Langri Thangpa in person.
However, by the time he arrived, Langri Thangpa had already passed away. Though disappointed, his longing for the Dharma was so great that he inquired who still held this lineage. He eventually learned that Sharawa still taught it, so he traveled a great distance to receive the teaching.
Geshe Chekhawa took Sharawa as his root teacher and began studying and practicing the method of « Equalizing and Exchanging Self and Others. » After several months of practice, he experienced no special realization, so during an outdoor meeting, he asked the master whether there was a deeper instruction.
Sharawa replied: « Everything I have taught from the throne is all I know—there is nothing I have withheld. » Yet Geshe Chekhawa remained unsatisfied. He could not forget the line from Eight Verses :
« Victory to others, defeat to myself, »
and so he earnestly asked: « If I focus solely on practicing this one line, can I attain the path? »
Validation and Open Transmission of the Dharma
This moment highlights the importance of a qualified spiritual teacher and a pure lineage in practice. From Shakyamuni Buddha down through the two main Madhyamaka lineages (Prāsaṅgika and Svātantrika), each generation of masters has been a realized being. Only by relying on such authentic teachers can our own mindstream truly transform. If we rely solely on books and self-study, there is no guarantee of genuine realization.
Sharawa responded to Geshe Chekhawa: « Yes, this is pure Dharma. »
He praised him for aspiring to practice this way, and emphasized: « Anyone who wishes to attain Buddhahood must rely on this essential instruction. » He then cited teachings from Nāgārjuna’s Precious Garland (Ratnāvalī) to confirm the purity and excellence of this method.
Inspired by this validation, Geshe Chekhawa developed deep faith. He practiced under Sharawa for twelve years and finally gave rise to genuine bodhicitta within his own mindstream. Moved by the preciousness of this teaching, he felt it would be a great loss if it remained secret, so he began openly teaching the method of « Equalizing and Exchanging Self and Others. »
At that time, leprosy was spreading widely in Tibet. Geshe Chekhawa applied the practice of « Equalizing and Exchanging Self and Others » and taught it extensively to many people.
As a result, numerous leprosy patients who practiced this method naturally recovered. Thus, the practice of « Equalizing and Exchanging Self and Others » came to be known as the « leprosy-healing method »—a metaphorical expression praising the extraordinary power and merit of this practice.
The Seven Points of Mind Training
Later, Geshe Chekhawa compiled the essential instructions of « Equalizing and Exchanging Self and Others » into a famous text known as The Seven Points of Mind Training .
The text outlines seven key points of mind training:
First Point: Preliminary Practices
Before practicing bodhicitta, one must first establish the necessary foundation—i.e., the preliminary practices (ngöndro).
These include the practices of the « common lower scope » and « common middle scope » as taught in the Stages of the Path (Lamrim) . Since these have already been explained earlier, we will not elaborate here.
Second Point: Cultivating the Two Types of Bodhicitta
The second point in The Seven Points of Mind Training is cultivating the « two types of bodhicitta »: ultimate bodhicitta and conventional (or relative) bodhicitta .
Ultimate bodhicitta refers to the realization of emptiness, or prajñā (wisdom). This will be discussed in detail later in the section on the Perfection of Wisdom (Prajñāpāramitā).
Therefore, here we will focus on the method and stages of cultivating conventional bodhicitta .
Five Key Aspects of Conventional Bodhicitta
According to the traditional lineage, the practice of conventional bodhicitta can be divided into five key aspects:
- Equalizing self and others
- Contemplating the faults of self-cherishing from many angles
- Contemplating the benefits of cherishing others from many angles
- The actual practice of Exchanging Self and others
- Practicing the method of giving and taking (tonglen)
1. Equalizing self and others
The first step in cultivating conventional bodhicitta is to practice equalizing self and others .
As taught in a verse commonly recited in Guru Yoga practices:
« Not even the slightest pain is ever desired;
Even great happiness is never enough.
What difference is there between me and others?
Seeing others’ joy, may I rejoice—grant me this blessing. »
This verse guides us to reflect on the fundamental equality between self and others. We naturally dislike even the smallest suffering and never feel satisfied with happiness. But this attitude is not unique to us.
All sentient beings are the same: they wish for happiness and seek to avoid suffering. Therefore, at the most fundamental level, we are completely equal with all beings.
In fact, with even a little observation, it’s easy to see this truth. Even an ant or a tiny insect strives to avoid pain and seek pleasure. Thus, the practice of equalizing self and others is a foundational element in cultivating bodhicitta.
It is worth noting that while the « Seven Causes and Effects » and « Equalizing and Exchanging Self and Others » share some common points—such as « recognizing all as mother, » « remembering their kindness, » « repaying their kindness, » « aspiring attitude, » and « bodhicitta »—they differ in how they cultivate loving-kindness and compassion , resulting in different depths of experience.
2. Understanding the Faults of Self-Cherishing
Once we have some experience of « equalizing self and others, » the next step is to deepen our understanding of « Exchanging Self and others. » The key here is to contemplate deeply the faults of self-cherishing (self-grasping) .
Why is it so difficult to achieve equality with others or to practice Exchanging Self and others? The root cause is our intense attachment to ourselves—what we call self-cherishing .
To overcome this, we must first understand exactly how much suffering and obstruction self-cherishing brings.
So, what exactly is « self-cherishing »? Simply put, it is the mind that regards oneself as the most important and most worthy of care. This attachment constantly seeks to bring all benefit and happiness to oneself, placing oneself above others.
For example: when we see a rare treasure, our mind naturally thinks, « I want to possess it. » If the treasure has different grades, we naturally want the highest quality one. This thought, focused solely on personal gain, is a manifestation of self-cherishing.
On a deeper level, self-cherishing arises from self-grasping (ātma-grāha) —the belief in a real, inherent self. This is the root of all samsaric afflictions.
As stated in The Bodhicaryāvatāra :
« All suffering in the world arises from seeking pleasure for oneself. »
And as the Guru Yoga teaching says:
« Seeing that self-cherishing is the source of all unwanted suffering,
Hold it as an enemy, destroy it with fierce determination—
Grant me the strength to eliminate the great demon of self-grasping. »
Here, self-cherishing is likened to the very doorway to all disasters and illnesses—revealing how deeply it harms our practice.
Thus, scriptures repeatedly emphasize: all worldly suffering ultimately stems from the self-cherishing mind within our mental continuum.
When we deeply love someone, we naturally wish them happiness and freedom from suffering. If we redirect that same deep love from ourselves to others, we will naturally generate the wish for others to be happy and free from suffering.
This transformation is the foundation and essence of the « Equalizing and Exchanging Self and Others » practice.
The Faults of Self-Cherishing
If we have strong self-cherishing, we will naturally be intensely attached to our own happiness and averse to suffering. Because of this, we pursue external conditions we believe will bring happiness—such as food, clothing, shelter, wealth, etc. Believing these can bring us pleasure, we develop attachment and craving for them.
Thus, self-cherishing is the root of all suffering . Because of it, we crave pleasure and avoid pain; to gain pleasure, we develop desire for pleasurable conditions. This leads to unwholesome actions. For example, if we believe eating meat brings pleasure, we may commit the karma of killing; if we are greedy for wealth, we may lie, steal, or cheat to obtain it.
Moreover, to avoid suffering, we develop hatred toward those we see as enemies, leading to further negative actions. These karmas, born of attachment and hatred, ultimately lead us to rebirth in the three lower realms:
- Hell beings : tormented by extreme heat and cold
- Hungry ghosts : suffering from constant hunger and thirst
- Animals : enduring ignorance and servitude
In short, all suffering traces back to self-cherishing.
Consider another example: some people are gluttonous. Eating begins as a desire for pleasure, but without moderation or proper food choices, it may cause illness—such as high blood pressure or diabetes—leading to great suffering.
We sought pleasure through food, but ended up in pain. The root cause is still the desire for happiness, driven ultimately by self-cherishing .
Some suffering comes from external forces—such as harm from spirits or enemies. But even this, upon deeper analysis, results from past negative karma created under the influence of self-cherishing.
In the past, due to self-cherishing, we harmed other beings, and now karmic creditors or enemies arise to harm us. So, in truth, all external suffering and harm we experience in this life are results of self-cherishing.
Sometimes we perform rituals to subdue spirits or offer food to hungry ghosts. The true purpose of such practices is not merely to repel external forces, but to use their power to destroy the self-cherishing within our own mind.
This is where such practices become truly effective. For what we truly need to confront is the self-cherishing within our own continuum.
Another clear example: the suffering caused by political power struggles. Many officials fiercely compete for high positions, driven by thoughts like: « I am more important, » « I am superior, » « I deserve higher status. »
From this mindset, they boast about themselves, belittle opponents, and even plot to ruin others. The karma created affects not only individuals, but sometimes entire groups—such as political parties or millions of supporters.
Even if they succeed and attain high office, they may live in constant fear: afraid of assassination when going out, fearing poison in their food, requiring constant guards, living in anxiety and hyper-vigilance. All of this stems from regarding oneself as supremely important—rooted in self-cherishing.
The Root of Samsaric Suffering
These examples show how deeply self-cherishing brings suffering.
In summary, we must deeply recognize that self-cherishing is the root cause that has kept us bound in samsara since beginningless time. It drives us to create endless karma, which in turn leads us to repeatedly fall into the three lower realms, enduring endless suffering.
Scriptures liken self-cherishing to an executioner who personally cuts off our access to higher rebirth and liberation.
Self-cherishing is the fundamental obstacle to generating bodhicitta. It causes us to view enemies as harmful, giving rise to hatred. All past negative actions stem from self-cherishing. Moreover, it is this very self-cherishing that destroys the wholesome roots we have accumulated in the past.
Scriptures compare self-cherishing to a thief who steals the merit and virtue we have gathered, which could have led to future happiness.
Another metaphor: self-cherishing is like a farmer sowing seeds in a field of ignorance. When we plant wholesome seeds in our mind, self-cherishing turns them into seeds of negative karma, causing us to experience suffering in the future.
Additionally, self-cherishing is like a shameless person . When someone makes a mistake, instead of admitting fault, they blame enemies, neutral parties, or even their own friends and teachers. Similarly, though self-cherishing is the root of all faults, we always blame others.
Another metaphor: self-cherishing is the true culprit who turns us into beggars and wanderers. Why? Buddhas, bodhisattvas, shravakas, pratyekabuddhas, and arhats possess infinite merits, yet we cycle endlessly in samsara, enduring boundless suffering, unable to attain even a fraction of their qualities, while our minds are filled with negativity and afflictions—all due to self-cherishing.
In conclusion, all suffering—great or small—stems from self-cherishing. Consider how we often become suspicious when criticized, jealous of those better than us, competitive with equals, and arrogant toward those weaker. All these afflictions arise from self-cherishing.
Thus, as The Bodhicaryāvatāra says:
« All suffering in the world arises from seeking pleasure for oneself. »
The root of all suffering is self-cherishing.
3. The Merits and Benefits of Cherishing Others
Having deeply contemplated the faults of self-cherishing, we now turn to the third key point: contemplating the benefits of cherishing others —that is, understanding the immense benefits and merits that arise when we sincerely care for others.
As Shantideva says in The Bodhicaryāvatāra :
« All happiness in the world arises from wishing happiness for others. »
And as the Guru Yoga teaching states:
« To care for all mother beings and bring them happiness is seen as the gateway to boundless merit. »
These teachings show that both temporary happiness and ultimate liberation arise from the sincere, compassionate mind that cherishes all beings.
If we develop cherishing others (other-cherishing) , we naturally create many wholesome actions that lead to happiness. For example, seeing a destitute person, if we feel compassion and love, we naturally wish to give charity—this is a virtuous action.
It is like a loving mother who, upon seeing her child hungry, immediately offers food; or when the child is cold, she quickly provides warmth. If we can generate such love and compassion for all beings, our care for others transforms into concrete actions—such as generosity, ethical discipline, and patience.
The simplest definition of cherishing others is: the wish for all beings to have happiness and its causes. With this mind, we naturally do not wish to see others suffer. We will avoid killing, slandering, or insulting others, and uphold precepts that protect life.
Ethical discipline is the source of virtue, leading to rebirth in the human or divine realms. Thus, cherishing others is the foundation of all happiness .
Furthermore, with cherishing others, we wish all beings to have happiness and its causes. So when someone harms us—such as by insults—we do not retaliate or respond in anger. This is the actual practice of patience (kṣānti-pāramitā) .
Moreover, to bring ultimate happiness to all beings, we will diligently study and practice the six pāramitās and countless bodhisattva deeds. These virtuous actions become the essential provisions for attaining Buddhahood.
Altruism: The Key to Worldly and Transcendent Success
If we must choose between self-interest and benefiting others, choosing others gives us an advantage not only in Dharma practice, but even in worldly success.
Imagine a person who always considers others’ well-being and feelings in everything they do. Such a person will naturally become more and more beloved. In contrast, someone who is always self-centered and profit-driven will eventually alienate others and be avoided.
This is already evident in everyday life—how much more so in Dharma practice? If we truly act from the motivation of benefiting others, then both temporary happiness in this and future lives, and ultimate happiness in attaining Buddhahood, can be fully accomplished.
Therefore, the line from The Bodhicaryāvatāra :
« All happiness in the world arises from wishing happiness for others, »
reveals the profound truth: the mind of cherishing others is the true root of all happiness.
