藏文中的「菩薩」為「蔣秋森巴」，第一個音「蔣」，指 的是淨除一切遮障，也就是淨除「我想獲得自身安樂」等 等的念頭。第二個音「秋」，指的是累積殊勝的證悟功德。 在捨棄這種「我想獲得自身安樂」的念頭之後，我們採取 的是利益一切有情眾生的發心。矛盾的是，當我們懷著想 要獲得自身安樂的念頭時，那個念頭本身正是痛苦的主 因。反之，若是承諾要為一切有情眾生帶來利益，我們就 會願意為了一切有情眾生承擔痛苦。矛盾的是，藉由承擔 他人之苦，我們卻建立了快樂之因。如此一來，我們同樣 也成就了自身的目的。

第三個音「森」，指的是心。最後的音「巴」，指的是有 如無畏之人，比如勇士。若有人能不斷串習成就他人利益 的願心，乃至願意為了解除地獄眾生之苦而置身地獄，那時，他就具有這種無畏勇士的高尚之心。彙總上述，便是 「菩薩」這個字的意思。

擁有廣大悲心的菩薩，就算要永遠都在地獄中流轉，也絕 對不會捨棄有情眾生。地獄眾生的本質並非就是地獄眾 生。眾生在輪迴中無盡流轉，儘管有情眾生不會很快就此 終盡，但即使我們無法實際讓他們全部解脫，也絕對不能 放棄這個大願。這就是菩薩永不倦怠的勇氣。

Bodhisattva in Tibetan is jangchub sempa. The first syllable, jang, refers to the purification of all obscurations - that is to say the purification of thoughts like "I want peace and happiness for myself." The second, chub, refers to the accumulation of wonderful enlightened qualities. Whenever we renounce this thought that I myself want to obtain peace and happiness, then we take on the intention, the wish, to bring benefit to all sentient beings. If we have the thought of obtaining our own peace and happiness, then that thought itself, paradoxically, is the very cause of suffering. When on the other hand, we take on the commitment to bring benefit to all sentient beings, then we are willing to take on the suffering of all sentient beings. Paradoxically, by taking on others' suffering, we establish the very cause of happiness. That is, in this way, we accomplish the purpose of ourselves as well.

The third, sem, just means mind. The last, pa, means like a fearless person, a warrior. When one has habituated the wish to accomplish others' benefit, to the point that one even could enter the hell reams in order to alleviate the suffering of those beings, one has the noble mind of this fearless warrior. To put these together is the meaning of bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva who possesses great compassion will never forsake sentient beings, even if they wander in hell forever. Hell beings are not hell beings by nature. Beings wander endlessly in samsara; sentient beings will not come to an end very soon. Even if we cannot actually free them all, we must never give up the aspiration. That is the tireless courage of bodhisattvas.