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 ...

Text Section 287 / Stanza 29

Beings are rich in misery and impoverished in happiness. Destitute [phongs ba] means to be poor in the sense of being without happiness [bde ba] and the causes for happiness [bde ba’i rgyu]. The causes for happiness are roots of virtue [dge ba’i rtsa ba], which beings lack. On top of that, they are endowed with suffering [sdug bsngal] and the causes for suffering [sdug bsngal gyi rgya]. The causes for suffering are negative deeds [sdig pa] and non-virtuous actions [mi dge ba]. Of these beings have plenty.

Therefore, such beings must be called miserable ones [nyams thag pa]. These are the object of focus [dmigs yul] for the bodhisattva, since bodhicitta can bring all states of happiness to beings and cuts them loose from the stream of suffering in this and all future lifetimes. Bodhicitta grants temporary happiness [gnas skabs kyi bde ba], which refers to rebirth in the higher states of saṃsāra, in the realms of humans and gods. It also grants ultimate happiness [mthar thug gi bde ba], which refers to the attainment of complete enlightenment. The ultimate happiness and bliss is an unchanging bliss [mi ’gyur ba’i bde ba], also called supreme bliss [mchog tu gyur ba’i bde ba].

Thus, with great kindness [byams pa chen po] and love [brtse ba] bodhicitta cares for all these miserable ones, satisfying them with temporary and ultimate happiness. To satisfy [tshim par byed pa] beings with ultimate bliss means to establish them on the level of buddhahood [sangs rgyas kyi go ’phan la bkod pa]. With great compassion [snying rje chen po] bodhicitta cuts through the stream of suffering.

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