The classic Buddhist text and “essential guidebook” on the ideal of compassion and the methods of attaining it (Pema Chödrön, author of When Things Fall Apart)
Treasured by Buddhists of all traditions, The Way of the Bodhisattva (Bodhicharyavatara) is a guide to cultivating the mind of enlightenment, and to generating the qualities of love, compassion, generosity, and patience. This text has been studied, practiced, and expounded upon in an unbroken tradition for centuries, first in India, and later in Tibet. Presented in the form of a personal meditation in verse, it outlines the path of the Bodhisattvas—those who renounce the peace of individual enlightenment and vow to work for the liberation of all beings and to attain buddhahood for their sake.
This version, translated from the Tibetan, is a revision by the translators of the 1997 edition. Included are a foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, a new translator's preface, a thorough introduction, a note on the translation, and three appendices of commentary by the Nyingma master Kunzang Pelden.
"Shantideva's work is required reading for an understanding of Tibetan Buddhism, and the clarity and crispness of this translation make it an accessible way into this world."—Publishers Weekly
"If I have any understanding of compassion and the practice of the bodhisattva path, it is entirely on the basis of this text that I possess it."—H. H. the Dalai Lama
"The Way of the Bodhisattva was composed in India over twelve centuries ago, yet it remains remarkably relevant for our times. This classic text gives surprisingly up-to-date instructions for people like you and me to live sanely and openheartedly, even in a very troubled world. It is the essential guidebook for fledgling bodhisattvas, those spiritual warriors who long to alleviate suffering, their own and that of others."—Pema Chödrön
The classic Buddhist text and “essential guidebook” on the ideal of compassion and the methods of attaining it (Pema Chödrön, author of When Things Fall Apart)
Treasured by Buddhists of all traditions, The Way of the Bodhisattva (Bodhicharyavatara) is a guide to cultivating the mind of enlightenment, and to generating the qualities of love, compassion, generosity, and patience. This text has been studied, practiced, and expounded upon in an unbroken tradition for centuries, first in India, and later in Tibet. Presented in the form of a personal meditation in verse, it outlines the path of the Bodhisattvas—those who renounce the peace of individual enlightenment and vow to work for the liberation of all beings and to attain buddhahood for their sake.
This version, translated from the Tibetan, is a revision by the translators of the 1997 edition. Included are a foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, a new translator's preface, a thorough introduction, a note on the translation, and three appendices of commentary by the Nyingma master Kunzang Pelden.
Praise
"Shantideva's work is required reading for an understanding of Tibetan Buddhism, and the clarity and crispness of this translation make it an accessible way into this world."—Publishers Weekly
"If I have any understanding of compassion and the practice of the bodhisattva path, it is entirely on the basis of this text that I possess it."—H. H. the Dalai Lama
"The Way of the Bodhisattva was composed in India over twelve centuries ago, yet it remains remarkably relevant for our times. This classic text gives surprisingly up-to-date instructions for people like you and me to live sanely and openheartedly, even in a very troubled world. It is the essential guidebook for fledgling bodhisattvas, those spiritual warriors who long to alleviate suffering, their own and that of others."—Pema Chödrön
