Shantideva

Shantideva

Eighth-century Indian Mahayana Buddhist monk-scholar at the great university of Nalanda and author of the Bodhicaryavatara (The Way of the Bodhisattva), the most widely-studied text on the bodhisattva path in Tibetan Buddhism. The traditional account holds that Shantideva appeared lazy and ordinary at Nalanda — eating, sleeping, defecating, and seeming to do little else — until challenged to recite teachings before the assembly, at which point he composed the Bodhicaryavatara extemporaneously, rising into the air as he reached the final chapter on emptiness, his voice growing more distant until it could no longer be heard. The Dalai Lama has called the Bodhicaryavatara the most important book on the bodhisattva path ever written.

107

quotes in library

Quotes by Shantideva

107 quotes

“The Buddha did not awaken alone. The Buddha awakened for all beings.”

awakeningThe Way of the Bodhisattva

“In the field of bodhichitta, every action bears fruit.”

actionThe Way of the Bodhisattva

“To take refuge in the Three Jewels is to take refuge in awakening itself.”

refugeThe Way of the Bodhisattva

“In the practice of patience, all the wealth of the bodhisattva is gathered.”

patienceThe Way of the Bodhisattva

“Whoever wishes to protect themselves should protect all beings.”

protectionThe Way of the Bodhisattva

“The mark of a true practitioner is humility, not display.”

humilityThe Way of the Bodhisattva

“In the silence of meditation, the mind reveals its own nature.”

meditationThe Way of the Bodhisattva

“Do not waste effort on what does not lead to awakening.”

focusThe Way of the Bodhisattva

“Possessions cannot accompany you to death. Awakening can.”

impermanenceThe Way of the Bodhisattva

“To one who has tasted the joy of bodhichitta, all other pleasures pale.”

joyThe Way of the Bodhisattva

“The bodhisattva does not seek personal liberation. The bodhisattva seeks the liberation of all.”

liberationThe Way of the Bodhisattva

“In the heat of anger, remember: the enemy is the emotion, not the person.”

angerThe Way of the Bodhisattva

“Generosity that expects return is a transaction. True generosity expects nothing.”

generosityThe Way of the Bodhisattva

“In every difficult moment, ask: how can this be a teaching?”

learningThe Way of the Bodhisattva

“The path to enlightenment is paved with patience.”

patienceThe Way of the Bodhisattva

“Pride blinds the practitioner to her own faults.”

prideThe Way of the Bodhisattva

“Examine your motivations carefully. They shape every action.”

motivationThe Way of the Bodhisattva

“The Buddha taught for forty-five years. The teaching is the same: end suffering.”

teachingThe Way of the Bodhisattva

“In the noble eightfold path, every step matters.”

pathThe Way of the Bodhisattva

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