Structural Overview of the Bodhicaryavatara

  1. The purposes and connections of the text [Chapter 1, v1-3]

  2. The primary basis: the individual person [Chapter 1, v4-5]

  3. The productive cause: the generation of bodhicitta [Chapter 1, v6 - Chapter 3]

    1. Praising the benefits of bodhicitta [Chapter 1, v6-36]

    2. The ritual of generating bodhicitta [Chapters 2-3]

      1. Preliminaries [Chapter 2, v1- Chapter 3, v10]

      2. Main part [Chapter 3, v11-24]

      3. Conclusion [Chapter 3, v25-34]

  4. The cooperating condition: subsequently accomplishing the training [Chapters 4-9]

    1. Concern [Chapter 4]

      1. Briefly [v1]

      2. Extensively [v2-48]

    2. Mindfulness and clear comprehension [Chapter 5]

      1. Guarding the mind as the means of guarding training [v1-22]

      2. Guarding mindfulness and clear comprehension as the means of guarding the mind [v23-33]

      3. How to train in the conduct of guarding the mind with mindfulness and clear comprehension [v34-97]

      4. Factors which enhance the training [v98-108]

      5. Applying the key point [v109]

    3. Patience [Chapter 6]

      1. Developing motivation for patience [v1-6]

      2. Keeping in mind the skilful means for accomplishing patience [v7-134]

        1. Preventing the characteristics of anger [v7-126]

          1. The nature of its cause [v7]

          2. Striving in the means of averting that cause [v8]

          3. The means of averting that cause [v9-10]

          4. Keeping in mind the means of averting the cause of the cause [v11-126]

            1. General explanation distinguishing desirable and undesirable dharmas [v11]

            2. Ceasing anger toward the production of undesirables [v12-86]

            3. Ceasing anger towards those who obstruct desirable dharmas [v87-126]

        2. Keeping in mind the results of patience [v127-134]

    4. Effort [Chapter 7]

      1. Developing enthusiasm for effort [v1]

      2. The nature of effort [v2a]

      3. Abandoning opposing factors [v2b-30]

      4. Fully developing effort [v31-76]

    5. Meditation [Chapter 8]

      1. Abandoning contradictory factors [v8.1-84]

      2. Developing joy in solitude [v85-88]

      3. Focussing the mind on samatha [v89-187]

    6. Wisdom [Chapter 9]

      1. Explaining that wisdom is the principal [v1]

      2. It is the wisdom of the emptiness of intrinsic nature [v2-56]

      3. How to engage in meditation on emptiness [v57-110]

      4. Ceasing to grasp at true existence [v111-150]

      5. The result of meditation on emptiness [v151-167]

  5. The subsequent results of the practice: dedication of merit [Chapter 10]

    1. Dedication related to the means [v1]

    2. Dedication for the benefit of others [v2-50]

    3. Dedication for the benefit of self [v51-56]

    4. Dedication for the teachings to remain as a source of happiness [v57]

    5. Homage of remembrance of kind ones [v58]

Structural Overview of the Bodhicaryavatara

  1. The purposes and connections of the text [Chapter 1, v1-3]

  2. The primary basis: the individual person [Chapter 1, v4-5]

  3. The productive cause: the generation of bodhicitta [Chapter 1, v6 - Chapter 3]

    1. Praising the benefits of bodhicitta [Chapter 1, v6-36]

    2. The ritual of generating bodhicitta [Chapters 2-3]

      1. Preliminaries [Chapter 2, v1- Chapter 3, v10]

      2. Main part [Chapter 3, v11-24]

      3. Conclusion [Chapter 3, v25-34]

  4. The cooperating condition: subsequently accomplishing the training [Chapters 4-9]

    1. Concern [Chapter 4]

      1. Briefly [v1]

      2. Extensively [v2-48]

    2. Mindfulness and clear comprehension [Chapter 5]

      1. Guarding the mind as the means of guarding training [v1-22]

      2. Guarding mindfulness and clear comprehension as the means of guarding the mind [v23-33]

      3. How to train in the conduct of guarding the mind with mindfulness and clear comprehension [v34-97]

      4. Factors which enhance the training [v98-108]

      5. Applying the key point [v109]

    3. Patience [Chapter 6]

      1. Developing motivation for patience [v1-6]

      2. Keeping in mind the skilful means for accomplishing patience [v7-134]

        1. Preventing the characteristics of anger [v7-126]

          1. The nature of its cause [v7]

          2. Striving in the means of averting that cause [v8]

          3. The means of averting that cause [v9-10]

          4. Keeping in mind the means of averting the cause of the cause [v11-126]

            1. General explanation distinguishing desirable and undesirable dharmas [v11]

            2. Ceasing anger toward the production of undesirables [v12-86]

            3. Ceasing anger towards those who obstruct desirable dharmas [v87-126]

        2. Keeping in mind the results of patience [v127-134]

    4. Effort [Chapter 7]

      1. Developing enthusiasm for effort [v1]

      2. The nature of effort [v2a]

      3. Abandoning opposing factors [v2b-30]

      4. Fully developing effort [v31-76]

    5. Meditation [Chapter 8]

      1. Abandoning contradictory factors [v8.1-84]

      2. Developing joy in solitude [v85-88]

      3. Focussing the mind on samatha [v89-187]

    6. Wisdom [Chapter 9]

      1. Explaining that wisdom is the principal [v1]

      2. It is the wisdom of the emptiness of intrinsic nature [v2-56]

      3. How to engage in meditation on emptiness [v57-110]

      4. Ceasing to grasp at true existence [v111-150]

      5. The result of meditation on emptiness [v151-167]

  1. The subsequent results of the practice: dedication of merit [Chapter 10]

    1. Dedication related to the means [v1]

    2. Dedication for the benefit of others [v2-50]

    3. Dedication for the benefit of self [v51-56]

    4. Dedication for the teachings to remain as a source of happiness [v57]

    5. Homage of remembrance of kind ones [v58]