What is the nature of Bodhicitta? Bodhicitta is divided into two, awareness mind and realised mind. Awareness means to remain in tranquillity. It also means having eliminated our selfishness and the wish for self - liberation. Realised means having arrived or achieved the mind that work only for the benefits of all sentient beings. Therefore, if we can eliminate or selfishness and work only for the benefits of all sentient beings; at the same time, generate the wish for the good of all sentient beings then this is called the realised mind. So what is the benefit of generating Bodhicitta? First of all, it can benefit oneself because we will gain peace in our mind. Secondly, we can benefit all others so that they will also gain peace in their mind. Therefore to quote the sutra; "there is only one source of happiness, that is Buddha's dharma" Happiness and benefits of all sentient beings emanate from the one source of Buddha's Dharma. Without Bodhicitta, the effects of 84,000 different methods would be useless. If we can grasp Bodhicitta then we would have all 84,000 methods to benefit all sentient beings.

-- Garchen Rinpoche