Bodhisattvacharyavatara

by Andreas Kretschmar | 246,740 words

The English translation of the Bodhisattvacharyavatara (“entering the conduct of the bodhisattvas”), a Sanskrit text with Tibetan commentary. This book explains the bodhisattva concept and gives guidance to the Buddhist practitioner following the Mahāyāna path towards the attainment of enlightenment. The text was written in Sanskrit by Shantideva ...

Considering the relative numbers of the different kinds of beings, you come to appreciate that being born a human is hardly possible at all. The largest number of beings dwell in the hell realms. It is said that as many beings dwell in hell as there are specks of dust in the whole world [sa chen po’i rdul lta bu], that there are as many pretas as particles of sand in the Ganges [chu bo gang ga’i bye ma snyed lta bu], as many animals as ferment particles in a beer barrel [chang gi ’gag gi sbang ma lta bu], and as many asuras as snowflakes in a blizzard [kha ba bu yug ’tshub pa lta bu]. The Buddha also said that gods and humans are as few as the particles of dust you can heap on your fingernail [sen mo’i steng gi rdul lta bu].

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