Śāntideva starts his largest work, The Compendium of Training (Śikṣāsamuccaya), by giving a clear reason as to why one should listen to the teachings. One must listen to the Dharma because not hearing the Dharma results in suffering in hell, etc., and having heard it, the vigilant ones expiate past sins, avoid committing them in the future, attain happiness, and eventually obtain the supreme bliss of enlightenment. As such precious Dharma is available today, he exhorts the many kinds of sentient beings to happily come forth to listen to the Dharma.[1] This is followed by the first four verses of The Way of the Bodhisattva (Bodhicaryāvatāra), the last one of which highlights how humanhood endowed with freedom and advantages is a rare opportunity to achieve something meaningful. To this effect, Śāntideva quotes a passage from The Stem Array Sūtra (Gaṇḍavyūhasūtra).
Capitalizing on such a rare opportunity, Śāntideva argues that one must work to dispel the suffering of both oneself and others, as there is no difference between the self and others in not wanting suffering and fears. In order to end the suffering and achieve happiness for all beings, and to cultivate the intention to do so, one must first cultivate faith, which is the first main topic discussed in The Compendium of Training. Śāntideva quotes a couple pages of verses from The Dhāraṇī of the Jewel Torch (Ratnolkādhāraṇīsūtra) to underscore the importance of faith as the basis of enlightenment. He also cites verses from The Ten Dharma Sūtra (Daśadharmasūtra), Play in Full Sūtra (Lalitavistarasūtra), and Siṃha's Questions Sūtra (Siṃhaparipṛcchāsūtra) in order to substantiate the role of faith as a firm root from which the mind of awakening can arise.[2]
"Having made firm the root of faith in this manner," writes Śāntideva, "one must make firm the mind of enlightenment in order to gather all forms of merits."[3] He cites passages from The Stem Array Sūtra, comparing the mind of enlightenment to a seed from which grows all the qualities of the Buddha, to a field to grow the positive dharmas of all beings, to the earth on which the world rests, to a father who protects all bodhisattvas, to a wealth god who eliminates poverty, to a wish-fulfilling gem which grants all desires, to a wish-granting vase which fulfills all wishes, to a spear which destroys afflictive emotions, to an armor which stops inappropriate mental engagement, etc.[4]
Śāntideva points out, through citing various sūtras, that it is possible for the mind of enlightenment to arise even in ordinary beings. For example, he shows that The Basket of Jewels Sūtra (Ratnakāraṇḍasūtra) compares the mind of enlightenment in an ordinary being to the kalāpiṅka chick in an egg, as the chick is able to make the sound of the bird even before the egg has hatched. In the same way, a bodhisattva who is stuck in the shell of ignorance is still able to speak the words of the Buddha, such as teachings on emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness. Similarly, he quotes The Evaluating Whether Progress is Certain or Uncertain Sūtra (Niyatāniyatāvatāramudrāsūtra) in which the progress of some bodhisattvas of extremely inferior caliber are compared to the speed of the cattle cart to cross many universes.[5]
Furthermore, he discusses the four causes for generating the mind of enlightenment—namely, interest developed through good connections, exposure through study and hearing the benefits, compassion after seeing the suffering of the world, and joy after seeing the qualities of the Buddha. He then quotes The Stem Array Sūtra to present the two types of mind of enlightenment—the aspiring mind and the applied mind—which he also spells out in The Way of the Bodhisattva. He goes on to discuss how the generation of the mind of enlightenment and the taking of the bodhisattva vow is viable even in the case of ordinary sentient beings and the great benefit and merit accrued from merely cultivating the aspiring mind of enlightenment. The discussion includes the advice the Buddha gave to King Prasenjit on how, amid his busy royal life, he should cultivate the aspiring mind of enlightenment, or the intense wish to benefit sentient beings.[6]
The bodhisattva vow associated with the aspiring mind of enlightenment also requires one to act according to the pledge to benefit all sentient beings and not forsake a single sentient being from becoming a beneficiary of one's actions. It also requires one to eschew any evil. Given the monastic audience for his writings, Śāntideva recommends the status of a renunciate monastic for those aspiring to become bodhisattvas, citing the example of Buddha Akṣobhya, who pledged to always take up the life of a renunciate during all lifetimes.[7]
Following the discussion of the vow, Śāntideva also raises the question of what constitutes a real transgression of the vow (also called a downfall) and what could be considered an appearance of a transgression but not a real transgression. To make this distinction, he points to the general definition of a transgression or downfall. One commits a downfall when a bodhisattva does not sincerely strive to eliminate the present and future suffering of sentient beings and achieve present and future well-being for them, does not seek the conditions for this purpose, does not adopt methods for clearing away obstructions to such outcomes, does not take on minor trouble to overcome major problems, and does not disregard minor benefit for the sake of greater good. To forsake the greater good of sentient beings even for a moment amounts to a transgression. However, there is no downfall if it is beyond one's capacity. In fact, it could become a downfall if one strives for things which one is not capable of.[8]
In another attempt to summarize the extensive precept of the bodhisattvas, Śāntideva says that there are two types of transgressions for the bodhisattvas: to start or ignore something without proper examination of whether it is right or wrong and to neglect something after having properly examined it. He also cites several sūtras to highlight the vastness and complexity of the bodhisattva vows and practices to finally summarize them in the verse which forms the summarized topic of The Compendium of Training.
Know these to be the essential points,
By which one can avoid transgressions (root verse 3cd)
One's body and possessions
And the virtues accrued in the three times,
Giving them to all sentient beings
Protecting, purifying, and expanding them. (root verse 4)[9]
These four activities of giving one's body, possessions, and virtues to all sentient beings, protecting them, cleansing or purifying them, and expanding or amplifying these three form the main content of Śāntideva's Compendium of Training and the structure for its nineteen chapters.
The first chapter, however, continues discussing the vows and commitments of the bodhisattvas before delving into an elaborate presentation of the act of giving, or generosity. Śāntideva lists five immeasurable acts of bodhisattvas as follows:
- Having cultivated the mind of enlightenment, to not give rise to selfish minds of hearers and solitary realizers,
- Having generated the thought of giving away everything, to not give rise to stinginess,
- Having thought of protecting all beings, to not be discouraged or dejected about it,
- Having thought of mastering the unborn and unceasing nature of things, to not cling on to any belief or view,
- Having resolved to reach enlightenment through instantaneous pristine wisdom, to not disrupt it or discontinue it.[10]
Unlike the more commonly known five immeasurable acts which are heinous negative actions, such as matricide, patricide, killing of an arhat, hurting the Buddha, and creating schism, these five immeasurable acts are highly powerful positive actions of a bodhisattva. Given these commitments, Śāntideva writes: "Therefore, one must practice as required the giving, protection, purification, and enhancement of the body, possessions, and merits without interruption."[11]
The first chapter allocated to the practice of giving, from this point on, discusses in detail the practice of giving, including reasons for giving and the manner of giving and the various recipients and different kinds of prayers and aspirations to make when engaged in giving. He quotes sūtras containing advice that one should give to all sentient beings with the same affection as one would have toward a loving child, one should give because everything will be eventually taken away from oneself, etc. He lists the ways in which one can reprimand oneself when one fails to give and ways in which to boost one's generosity.[12]
- ↑ Śāntideva. "Bslab pa kun las btus pa." In Bstan 'gyur (sde dge), edited by Zhu chen tshul khrims rin chen, translated by Rngog blo ldan shes rab and Sna nam btsun pa ye shes sde, 111:page#s. Delhi: Delhi Karmapae Choedhey, Gyalwae Sungrab Partun Khang, 1982–1985. Accessed April 12, 2024. http://purl.bdrc.io/resource/MW23703_3940. [BDRC bdr:MW23703_3940]
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