The Way of the Bodhisattva: (Bodhicaryavatara), Revised Edition (Shambhala Classics)

Shantideva is a man who appears to have acquired alien like intelligence when it comes to living a selfless life. Consider this quote from his chapter on patience: "That the Buddha's heart might rejoice, henceforth I shall be the master of myself, the servant of the world. I shall not seek revenge though the crowds stomp on my head or kill me. Let the guardians of the world rejoice." I am pretty confident I will never meet someone this ethically committed to being patient--wish I had a time machine to talk with Shantideva for a day and ask him where exactly his insights came from (each verse in that book reads like a profound insight). Perhaps all his thoughts just assembled in his mind as he delivered his famous discourse to a crowd who was skeptical of his moral integrity at Nalanda. They thought he just walked around the university not caring about anything but rest and food. There are so many poetic, inspiring and beautiful verses throughout this book--however, I discourage you to take every verse literally unless you really don't mind being trampled or killed by crowds without seeking revenge. Nevertheless, a ton can be learned from this book just by leaning in the direction of the ethical path he has written. Consider another favorite verse I have from him: "There is nothing that does not grow light through habit and familiarity. Working with small trials, I train myself to handle great adversity."

honestly this is the only book you need for the rest of your life.Those of us in the West, looking for a practice, this is it. We shop around the various schools and sects,like bees buzzing around the lotuses of the various Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.May the seed in all of us sprout and blossom,may our nations bloom into a vast and limitless Dharma garden.This book is the cultivation manual & almanac for that garden,Shantideva's practice is the tending of that garden.this is the textual equivalent of a cascading waterfall,pouring over your head and cleaning the dirt from your heart.the successful surgical removal of the ignorance cataract from your wisdom eye resulting in pure vision.a wise man once said to me,"Bible means Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth."This is that, basic instructions before leaving earth."May I be a guard for those who are protectorless/A guide for those who journey on the road/For those who wish to cross the water/May I be a boat, a raft, a bridge/May I be an isle for those who yearn for land/A lamp for those who long for light/For all those who need a resting place, a bad/For those who need a servant, may I be their slave/"Amazing.Read it before you meditate, read it after, read it every day.Homage to manjushri, protector of the universe,may the head of ignorance be struck from the shoulders of my body of confusion.OM A RA PA TSA NA DHIH

This book is a wonderful guide to the developmental path of bodhissatvas. I found it very helpful to have the book taught by a teacher and senior practitioners as I could see how there could be some misinterpretation without the help of commentary (I’ve heard Pema Chodrons commentary is helpful in clearing up misperceptions). May all beings who read it be happy and free of suffering, may they all have joy awaken and attain the fortune of enlightenment!

This book does not hold back. There is no sugary coating on these words. If they are taken at face value and to the core, this is not a book for the faint of heart. It is a shot of truth in these crazy times. It tells you what needs to be done, and you can see for yourself how far from that way of life you are. Takes a brave heart to accept his words and take them to heart.

If you decide to study Shantideva's Bodhicharyavatara, you soon discover that there are a number of translations from which to choose. And you will probably find that you need to own more than one of them because there continues to be a good deal of discussion about which of the various versions of the text is closest to the original. I like this version as much as Alan Wallace's heavily annotated translation and I think both are essential if you are studying the text with a commentary.If I had to choose, I would take this version because it was translated (a) in parallel with Kunzang Pelden's beautiful commentary on the text, (b) the translation was done within the context of a traditional teacher-student relationship, and (c) the introduction gives a great overview of the translation history and textual challenges of the text.There a number of good commentaries on the text but in the Nyingma tradition, the one to read is definitely The Nectar of Manjushri's Speech by Kunzang Pelden.

Beautiful translation. I can read it over and over. Highly recommend it.

Bad news and Good news. We'll start with the Bad; this ancient fundamentalist text (like most) can be dark, negative and encumbering. Now for the good news. It's prose can be stirring and intermittently beautiful; and of all translations of this classic, this version is my favorite. That being said, if you're looking for a complete synopsise of the path to enlightenment I strongly recommend puchasing "The Heart Treasure of the Enlightened Ones." Although I'm not a fan of Dilgo Khyentse's commentary, the root text by Dza Patrul Rinpoche has been lauded by the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet as both a "...complete path..." and rather like "...an elixir for reviving the dead..." Heart Treasure is also sold by Amazon :-)

This is a very advanced teaching on loving-kindness, way beyond my actual experience. Still I was able to grasp some of the central ideas of the Bodhisattva ideal. I might be reading it again in the future and also come back fore references in some topics. Enlightening. Eye opening.

In our polarised world, this book reminds us of the need for compassion. And that we need to look at issues from both sides of the divide. Only then can issues be addressed and resolved. If only all world leaders have the wisdom and compassion.This central Mahayana text has some tenets that differ from those of the Theravada, but this should not deter one from reading this book. There are invaluable and inspirational wisdom that can be gleaned from this book. Highly recommended.

Excellent

My wife and I love this book

Recomended

H. H. the Dalai Lama has said of this work, a classic of Indo-Tidetan buddhism, "If I have any understanding of compassion and the practice of the bodhisattva path, it is entirely on the basis of this text [The Way of the Bodhisattva] that I possess it."There are a number of excellent translations of this work available but to my mind this one, translated from the Tibetan, just has the edge. Not only do I find it a most readable translation but the work also contains a fine introduction and several helpful appendices.Other fine versions of this work are  The Bodhicaryavatara (Oxford World's Classics)  translated by Andrew Skilton and Kate Crosby and  A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life  translated by V A Wallace and B Allan Wallace. Both of these works are translated from the Sanskrit with the second of the two including a comparison with the Tibetan. The Skilton/Crosby version also has a fine general introduction by Paul Williams and helpful chapter introductions. I recommend both these versions too.This version (the Padmakara Translation Group version), is also available in audio book form ( The Way of the Bodhisattva ). There is also a translation of a commentary on this work by Kunzang Pelden  The Nectar of Manjushri's Speech: A Detailed Commentary on Shantideva's "Way of the Bodhisattva"  (whose commentary is composed largely of teachings by the great Patrul Rinpoche). The translation of this commentary is by the same group who translated 'The Way of the Bodhisattva' so meshes best with this translation.There is also a translation of Shantideva's only other extant work, the Siksasamuccaya (translated as  The Training Anthology of Santideva: A Translation of the Siksa-samuccaya ), in which Shantideva collects, and comments upon, a broad range of extracts from the Sutras.I highly recommend all the works in this review. The Bodhicaryavatara (Oxford World's Classics)A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of LifeThe Way of the BodhisattvaThe Nectar of Manjushri's Speech: A Detailed Commentary on Shantideva's "Way of the Bodhisattva"The Training Anthology of Santideva: A Translation of the Siksa-samuccaya