His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso epitomizes the ideal of the awakened mind.

Love yourself and be awake

Today, tomorrow, always

First establish yourself in the way,

Then teach others,

And so defeat sorrow,

To straighten the crooked,

You must first do a harder thing-

Straighten yourself.

You are the only master.  Who else?

Subdue yourself,

And discover your master.

-Dalai Lama

*

*

The precious awakening mind of bodhicitta, which cherishes other sentient beings more than oneself, is the pillar of the bodhisattva’s practice – the path of the great vehicle.

There is no more virtuous mind than bodhicitta.  There is no more powerful mind than bodhicitta, there is no more joyous mind than bodhicitta.  To accomplish one’s own ultimate purpose, the awakening mind is supreme.  To accomplish the purpose of all other living beings there is nothing superior to bodhicitta.  The awakening mind is the unsurpassable way to accumulate merit.  To purify obstacles bodhicitta is supreme.  For protection from interferences bodhicitta is supreme.  It is the unique and all-encompassing method.  Every ordinary and supra-mundane power can be attained through bodhicitta.  Thus it is absolutely precious.  -Dalai Lama