No edit summary |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 24: | Line 24: | ||
The way praised as the most effective in protecting this merit is to dedicate it all, without any thought of our own reward, for the welfare of all beings, for both their temporary and ultimate happiness. | The way praised as the most effective in protecting this merit is to dedicate it all, without any thought of our own reward, for the welfare of all beings, for both their temporary and ultimate happiness. | ||
Here, at the end of the text, there is a series of extremely beautiful verses dedicating all of this virtue for the welfare of all the different kinds of living beings. These verses contain a series of dedicated vows (Skt. '' | Here, at the end of the text, there is a series of extremely beautiful verses dedicating all of this virtue for the welfare of all the different kinds of living beings. These verses contain a series of dedicated vows (Skt. ''praṇidhāna''), almost like empathic prayers, that hope for the relief of other beings’ suffering and the accomplishment of their wish for all forms of happiness. | ||
Śāntideva takes each realm of existence, starting with those reborn in the lower realms, and dedicates his merit to the beings in each of these realms so that they may immediately find relief from those particular sufferings. | Śāntideva takes each realm of existence, starting with those reborn in the lower realms, and dedicates his merit to the beings in each of these realms so that they may immediately find relief from those particular sufferings. | ||
| Line 120: | Line 120: | ||
When someone is incapable of ceasing the seed of objectifying the three as real—the person who relinquishes, what objects of abandonment he relinquishes, and in relation to which sentient beings he relinquishes—such morality is described as mundane perfection. If that very morality is free of attachment to these three spheres in the form of perceiving them as real— that is to say, if it is sustained by uncontaminated wisdom realizing them as not perceivable—it is supramundane perfection. Hence, by this distinction, morality is twofold.<ref>Thupten Jinpa, trans., ''Illuminating the Intent: An Exposition of Candrakīrti's Entering the Middle Way'', by Tsongkhapa (Somerville, MA: Wisdom Publications, 2021), 126–27.</ref> | When someone is incapable of ceasing the seed of objectifying the three as real—the person who relinquishes, what objects of abandonment he relinquishes, and in relation to which sentient beings he relinquishes—such morality is described as mundane perfection. If that very morality is free of attachment to these three spheres in the form of perceiving them as real— that is to say, if it is sustained by uncontaminated wisdom realizing them as not perceivable—it is supramundane perfection. Hence, by this distinction, morality is twofold.<ref>Thupten Jinpa, trans., ''Illuminating the Intent: An Exposition of Candrakīrti's Entering the Middle Way'', by Tsongkhapa (Somerville, MA: Wisdom Publications, 2021), 126–27.</ref> | ||
}} | }} | ||
This may sound a little strange to us, but his point is that, as much as possible, our positive actions should be informed with the understanding of the lack of intrinsic reality of these three spheres at the time of performing the action and not thinking about emptiness at a later time, only after the action is already complete. | |||
Crosby and Skilton explain that the verses of this tenth chapter are written in the form of a series of dedicatory vows (Skt. ''praṇidhāna''). These are empathetic prayers wishing that the positive karmic energy we have built up is used for the fulfillment of the happiness of beings. This kind of dedicatory vow is first seen in chapter three. | |||
{{PullBcaVerses|3.7}} | |||
In that chapter Śāntideva makes vast but much more general dedications, that any virtue accrued may completely dispel every single suffering of every living being.<ref> Crosby and Skilton, ''Bodhicaryāvatāra'', 133.</ref> | |||
We may wonder why there is a need to again mention the process of dedication at the end of the text when it has already been covered in earlier chapters. Indeed, why dedicate an entire chapter to dedication? Is this not unnecessary repetition? There are several reasons for this. Crosby and Skilton point out that in the third chapter what is being dedicated is the merit which arises from developing aspirational bodhicitta, whereas here, in the last chapter, having worked our way through the practices which actually implement the perfections, the merit that is being dedicated is that which arises from engaged bodhicitta [Link to GLOSSARY].<ref>Crosby and Skilton, ''Bodhicaryāvatāra'', 134.</ref> | |||
The purpose of this website is to provide a resource hub for trustworthy information for learning about and teaching Bodhicitta ("bodhichitta") and Śāntideva's ("Shantideva's") related texts. Unique content will be shared here and the site will act as a broker for other projects and authors that have already created quality materials, which we will curate for a wide range of audiences.
See General disclaimer for more information.