Etymologically, the word is a combination of the Sanskrit words bodhi and citta. Bodhi means "awakening" or "enlightenment". Citta is derived from the Sanskrit root cit, and denotes "that which is conscious" – mind or consciousness. Bodhicitta may be translated as "awakening mind" or "mind of enlightenment". So, the term bodhicitta in its most complete sense would combine both: * the arising of spontaneous and limitless compassion for all sentient beings, and * the falling away of the attachment to the illusion of an inherently existent self.