Bodhicitta literally means "enlightened mind" but normally specifically refers to the state of heart and mind that is developed by wishing to seek full enlightenment for the sole purpose of working for freedom from suffering for all sentient beings. It is a state of being that holds unconditional concern for all foremost in mind; it is the awakened heart of compassion.
On Bodhicitta, the great Indian saint, Shantideva, writes:
It is the supreme ambrosia
That overcomes the sovereignty of death.
It is the inexhaustible treasure
That eliminates all poverty in the world.It is the supreme medicine
That quells the world's disease.
It is the tree that shelters all beings
Wandering and tired on the path of conditioned existence.It is the universal bridge
That leads to freedom from unhappy states of birth.It is the dawning moon of the mind
That dispels the torment of disturbing conceptions.It is the great sun that finally removes
The misty ignorance of the world.
Norbu