A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life

At the outset of this treatise, Santideva denies any originality to his work, and indeed its contents conform closely to the teachings of many of the Mahayana sutras. However, the poignancy and poetic beauty of his work belie his disavowal of any ability in composition. There is no question that the Bodhicaryavatara stands as one of the great literary and religious classics of the entire Buddhist tradition.

More poetic version done well. Made from superb quality materials.

Guide To The Bodhisattva's Way Of Life: A Buddhist Poem For Today presents the classic 8th century poem by Shantideva in a thoroughly reader accessible and elegantly translated English text which was transcribed under the guidance of Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. The poem itself offers wisdom in the art of balancing altruism with personal happiness and self-satisfaction. Shantideva's Guide To The Bodhisattva's Way Of Life is a core recommendation for dedicated Buddhist Studies collections and reading lists.

This book is about the Buddhist path to enlightenment, but contains many things applicable to improving anyone's life. It deals a lot with human suffering, and the need for people to help remove the suffering of others, as through this one's own life may be improved. Although it is presented from a Buddhist perspective, much of the teaching is a good guide to self development, the principles that it teaches are hard to fault, and it remains centered on these things throughout the book. The commentary deals with the Buddhist philosphies that Santideva uses, and explains the Buddhist principles involved, rather than explaining the teachings. It gets pretty involved, but you can take quite a lot out of it."When the mental attitude of anger is slain, then slain is every enemy"......

Shatideva's Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life is a very practical guide for those seeking to actualize the six perfections of Buddhism. It is a book that will reward your study over and over again, and is meant to be read and studied more than once. I have read three different translations of this work. The Shambala edition is the most poetic of the three and what it gains in poetry it slightly looses in meaning. My first choice is the version published by the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives. That is not to slight the Shambala edition though, for it merely presents another view of an immense landscape. If you have any interest in Buddhism and have some background in basic Buddhist ideas, read this book, and try your best to put it into practice.