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.