Author: Shantideva
Publisher: Shambhala
Year: 1999
Language: English
Pages: 215
ISBN/UPC (if available): 1569571015
Description
Bodhicharyavatara, literally An Entry into the Activities of Enlightenment, is one of the great classics of Mahayana Buddhism. Presented in the form of a personal meditation in verse, it outlines the path of the bodhisattvas.
Originally written in Sanskrit by an Indian Scholar Shantideva, the text appeared in Tibetan translation soon after its composition in the eighth century. This English translation has been rendered from the Tibetan following a commentary by the Nyingma master Kunzang Pelden, renowned for its thoroughness, clarity, and accessibility.
Shantideva begins with a celebration of the mind of enlightenment, explaining in detail how this is cultivated. There are chapters devoted to the transcendent perfections of patience, heroic perseverance, meditation and wisdom. The celebrated ninth chapter presents the direct realization of emptiness, the perfection of wisdom.
Throughout the verses of this text, Shantideva is able to communicate the qualities of precision, contemplative experience, and lyrical beauty, which have served to inspire generations of spiritual aspirants.