A bodhisattva is someone who has taken on the sole task of meeting the needs of others, no matter how difficult that might be. His self-centeredness has been reduced to the point where wisdom, love, and compassion arise naturally, benefiting any situation. Motivated only by concern for others, he would offer his own life without regrets if he saw it would be of help. So the mind of a bodhisattva is heroic, vast, and of limitless benefit.
We cannot say that we are true bodhisattvas when we first give rise to the altruistic wish to serve others, but that is where we start. We then strive to develop selflessness in every aspect of our lives and to eliminate everything obscuring our natural positive qualities. The end result — what we call enlightenment in the Buddhist tradition — is the ability to help anyone who sees, hears, touches or remembers us. Such benefit is spontaneous, unceasing, and unimpeded.
— Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche, Change of Heart by Lama Shenpen Drolma, editor