A Flash of Lightning in the Dark of Night: A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life
Compassion is the guiding principle of the bodhisattvas, those who vow to attain enlightenment in order to liberate all sentient beings from the suffering and confusion of imperfect existence. To this end, they must renounce all self-centered goals and consider only the well-being of others. The bodhisattvas' enemies are the ego, passion, and hatred; their weapons are generosity, patience, perseverance, and wisdom.\ In Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama is considered to be a living embodiment...
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Compassion is the guiding principle of the bodhisattvas, those who vow to attain enlightenment in order to liberate all sentient beings from the suffering and confusion of imperfect existence. To this end, they must renounce all self-centered goals and consider only the well-being of others. The bodhisattvas' enemies are the ego, passion, and hatred; their weapons are generosity, patience, perseverance, and wisdom. In Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama is considered to be a living embodiment of this spiritual ideal. His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama presents here a detailed manual of practical philosophy, based on The Way of the Bodhisattva (Bodhicharyavatara), a well-known text of Mahayana Buddhism written by Shantideva. The Dalai Lama explains and amplifies the text, alluding throughout to the experience of daily life and showing how anyone can develop bodhichitta, the wish for perfect enlightenment for the sake of others. This book will surely become a standard manual for all those who wish to make the bodhisattva ideal a living experience. Library Journal The Dalai Lama, the leader of Tibetan Buddhism, delivered this teaching and commentary on Shantideva's The Way of the Bodhisattva (Bodhicharyavatara Sutra) for Westerners in a week-long instruction in Dordogne, France. Those who take the bodhisattva path promise to work toward attaining enlightenment and Buddhahood for the liberation of all sentient beings. The path thus involves the renunciation of self-centered goals and demands generosity, purification, attentiveness, patience, and wisdom. On many levels, the book is splendid as both an introduction to Buddhist spirituality and an explication of Shantideva for contemporary Westerners. Recommended for all libraries.
ForewordAcknowledgmentsTranslators' NoteIntroduction: The Way of the Bodhisattva11The Benefits of Bodhichitta92Offering and Purification203Embracing Bodhichitta304Carefulness355Attentiveness406Patience527Endeavor758Meditative Concentration889Wisdom11410Dedication124Notes127Glossary131Bibliography137Index139
\ Library JournalThe Dalai Lama, the leader of Tibetan Buddhism, delivered this teaching and commentary on Shantideva's The Way of the Bodhisattva (Bodhicharyavatara Sutra) for Westerners in a week-long instruction in Dordogne, France. Those who take the bodhisattva path promise to work toward attaining enlightenment and Buddhahood for the liberation of all sentient beings. The path thus involves the renunciation of self-centered goals and demands generosity, purification, attentiveness, patience, and wisdom. On many levels, the book is splendid as both an introduction to Buddhist spirituality and an explication of Shantideva for contemporary Westerners. Recommended for all libraries.\ \
