The central purpose & practice in Mahayana is bodhicitta. Literally meaning "enlightened mind", it is an altruistic motivation to help all beings & oneself become Buddhas. It is the most powerful spiritual force for goodness known.
Here is an excerpt from a scripture:
Quote:
Desiring to know all Buddhadharmas,
One should quickly bring forth the Bodhi mind!
This mind amongst all merit and virtue, is the most supreme.
One will certainly obtain the Thus Come One’s unobstructed wisdom.
The activities in the minds of living beings can be calculated and known;
Lands’ particles of dust are the same way.
The limits of space can readily be measured,
Yet the merit and virtue from bringing forth the mind cannot be fathomed.
Bodhicitta produces all Buddhas of the three periods of time;
It achieves all the happiness of the worlds.
Increasing all supreme merit and virtue,
It forever cuts off all doubts and delusions.
Revealing and proclaiming all wondrous states,
Exhaustively doing away with all obstructions,
It brings to completion all pure kshetras,
And produces the wisdom of all Thus Come Ones.
If one wishes to see all Buddhas of the ten directions,
If one wishes to give an inexhaustible treasury of merit and virtue,
And if one wants to put an end to living beings’ sufferings and afflictions,
One should quickly bring forth the Bodhi mind!
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