The Way of the Bodhisattva: Revised Edition

Description

This classic text of Indo-Tibetan Buddhism has been widely acclaimed and respected for more than a thousand years. It is studied by all the schools of Tibetan Buddhism and is considered one of the great teaching texts of Mahayana Buddhism. An exposition of the path of a bodhisattva - a being who puts others before himself - this book describes the spiritual path of turning away from selfish concerns and vowing to work for the enlightenment of all beings. As such, it embodies a description of compassion raised to its highest level and lays out the methods through which such powerful loving kindness is achieved.

Shantideva was a Buddhist scholar and a member of the monastic university of Nalanda, which was one of the most celebrated centers of learning in ancient India. He is said to have been a highly unusual and independent person, impervious to social and ecclesiastical pressures, and able to pursue his insights irrespective of public opinion. The Padmakara Translation Group, based in France, has a distinguished reputation for all its translations of Tibetan texts and teachings. Its work has been published in several languages and is renowned for its clear and accurate literary style.

"Shantideva's work is required reading for an understanding of Tibetan Buddhism, and the clarity and crispness of this new translation make it an accessible way into the 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