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The Way of the Bodhisattva
The Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra, or The Way of the Bodhisattva, is considered to be one of the most influential Buddhist classical writings. Combining highly inspirational exhortations and incisive philosophical arguments in an evocative poetic language, the book, it is safe to claim, has shaped the lives of millions throughout the centuries. "If studying The Way of the Bodhisattva has not changed a person for the better, there is not much hope," goes a saying among Tibetan Buddhist readers of the book in order to illustrate the powerful impact it has on people's minds. "So simple an instruction which strikes the point, there is no other text like The Way of the Bodhisattva in India or Tibet," goes another praise of the book, often attributed to Patrul Rinpoche, a nineteenth-century master who championed the promotion of The Way of the Bodhisattva and its message. Due to its powerful and comprehensive presentation of the Mahāyāna path, it is perhaps the most widely read, studied, and commented upon text in the Tibetan tradition and one that is also used as a textbook for edification and as an instruction manual for contemplative practices.
The Way of the Bodhisattva is a composition in verse made up of ten chapters and some 913 verses. It begins with a praise of bodhicitta, or the thought of awakening, in chapter 1. Chapters 2 and 3 contain the common Mahāyāna Buddhist practice of what is known as the seven-limb worship, which includes prostration, offering, confession, rejoicing, requesting to live long, requesting to teach Dharma, and dedication of merits, before it presents the actual ritual of taking the bodhisattva vow to save all sentient beings from suffering. Having taken the bodhisattva vow, chapter 4 deals with vigilance, and chapter 5 addresses the mindfulness and introspection needed in order to observe the precepts associated with Mahāyāna path. Chapters 2 and 3 are considered to cover the first perfection of giving, and chapters 4 and 5 are said to cover the second perfection of discipline, although these perfections are not explicitly mentioned. Chapter 6 explicitly deals with the perfection of patience, chapter 7 with diligence, chapter 8 with the perfection of meditation or concentration, and chapter 9 with the perfection of wisdom. In this way, The Way of the Bodhisattva has the six perfections of the Mahāyāna system as its main content.
The Way of the Bodhisattva
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