Compassion in Our Day: Learning from Shantideva
From Bodhicitta
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Compassion in Our Day: Learning from Shantideva
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Description
The eighth century work of Shantideva is, in many ways, as fresh and as relevant today as it was when written. In this work, he used various psychological methods to inculcate Buddhist principles. These methods are of interest but the essence of his work lies in philosophy and ethics, including the madhyamika philosophy, which is taught today by the Dalai Lama. Shantideva's treatise on compassion, based on a view of interdependence rather than individual competition, takes us beyond the boundaries of psychology. His work is worth serious study for those interested in comparative religion. The ideal of the way of the Bodhisattva resonates with Christian teaching. Psychologists have much to gain from a study of works like this, if taken as inspiration beyond or supplementary to their own subject rather than trying to colonise or appropriate.
Citation
Blows, Mark. "Compassion in Our Day: Learning from Shantideva." In The Relevance of the Wisdom Traditions in Contemporary Society: The Challenge to Psychology, edited by Mark Blows, Soroja Srinavasan, Johanna Blows, Peter Bankart, Michael DelMonte, and Yutaka Haruki, 53–67. Delft, Neth.: Eburon Academic Publishers, 2004
