The Śāntideva Passage: Bodhicaryāvatāra VIII.90–103

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The Śāntideva Passage: Bodhicaryāvatāra VIII.90–103
Chapter in a Book
The Bodhisattva Path According to Śāntideva


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Description

The passages from the Bodhicaryāvatāra (BCA) on "exchanging self and other" have been a center of debate in the study of Buddhist ethics; they play a major role in this volume, and are read very differently by different Cowherds. In this chapter, we consider these passages, their role in the BCA, three ways in which they might reasonably be interpreted, and what hangs on their interpretation. We direct the reader, in particular, to Chapters 7 and 8 of this volume for alternative readings, and we encourage the reader to consult the translation of Prajñākaramati's commentary on these verses, included as an Appendix to his volume. First, we offer some comments on the composition of the whole text and on its author or authors. Next, we consider the central passage at issue. We then turn to a discussion of the three possible interpretations. We close with a few comments on what is at stake.
Citation
Garfield, Jay L., Stephen Jenkins, and Graham Priest. "The Śāntideva Passage: Bodhicaryāvatāra VIII.90–103." In Moonpaths: Ethics and Emptiness, edited by The Cowherds, 55–76. New York: Oxford University Press, 2016.
Interconnections
1 Chapter or part of
Books2016About this item
Contains essays exploring a variety of ways in which to understand important Buddhist texts on ethics and Mahayana moral theory.
1 Scholarship on
Classical WorksAbout this item
An "Introduction to Bodhisattva Practice," the Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra is a poem about the path of a bodhisattva, in ten chapters, written by the Indian Buddhist Śāntideva (fl. c. 685–763). One of the masterpieces of world literature, it is a core text of Mahāyāna Buddhism and continues to be taught, studied, and commented upon in many languages and by many traditions around the world. The main subject of the text is bodhicitta, the altruistic aspiration for enlightenment, and the path and practices of the bodhisattva, the six perfections (pāramitās). The text forms the basis of many contemporary discussions of Buddhist ethics and philosophy.