Bodhicitta (Buddhism)

The state of enlightenment of mind is the goal of many schools of Buddhism. In the Tibetan tradition, the enlightened mind has both relative and absolute aspects. In its relative aspect are comprised: the desire for liberation and the intention to achieve it, such desire and intent nourished by compassion; meditation as a means of attaining liberation as a [bodhisattva]

. This is the first stage on the journey towards eventual enlightenment of the bodhisattva. The absolute aspect is awareness of the true nature - emptiness - of all phenomena - [sunyata]

.