by Pema Chodron
Taste the bliss and peace of Sukhavati.
First, Shantideva directs his compassion toward those suffering in hell. He wishes well even to those we consider despicable. The minds of beings who have done horrific things, very likely enjoying them thoroughly, project the hellish environments described here. This is the kind of scenario in which Hitler, Pol Pot, or serial killers might find themselves imprisoned.
One reason we’re taught about the hell realms is to awaken our compassion. Another reason is to shake up our hard-hearted, conventional thinking. Generally, we’re glad when abusers get what’s coming to them. However, these aspirations mark a profound change in the way we see things. We realize that if the abusers of the world could awaken bodhichitta, cruelty would be impossible. The hell realms would be emptied, and our inhumanity to one another would cease.
Many of us may not feel ready to make this wish right now. We may be in a place where resentment or bitterness prevents us from making such aspirations for those we dislike or fear. I find it humbling that Shantideva holds no such grudges. I make the aspiration that eventually we may all be able to say these words: May those in hellish states taste the bliss and peace of perceiving the world with a clear and open mind. May they perceive the world as the pure land of Sukhavati.
10.5
May those caught in the freezing ice be warmed.
And from the massing clouds of bodhisattvas’ prayers
May torrents rain in boundless streams
To cool those burning in infernal fires.
10.6
May forests where the leaves are blades and swords
Become sweet groves and pleasant woodland glades.
And may the trees of miracles appear,
Supplanting those upon the hill of shalmali.
10.7
And may the very pits of hell be sweet
With fragrant pools all perfumed with the scent of lotuses,
Be lovely with the cries of swan and goose
And water fowl so pleasing to the ear.
10.8
May fiery coals turn into heaps of jewels,
The burning ground become a crystal floor,
The crushing hills celestial abodes,
Adorned with offerings, the dwelling place of buddhas.
10.9
May the hail of lava, fiery stones, and weapons
Henceforth become a rain of blossom.
May those whose hell it is to fight and wound
Be turned to lovers offering their flowers.
10.10
And those engulfed in fiery Vaitarani,
Their flesh destroyed, their bones bleached white as kunda flowers,
May they, through all my merit’s strength, have godlike forms,
And sport with goddesses in Mandakini’s peaceful streams.
These verses refer to traditional descriptions of hell, where, similar to Dante’s Inferno, the intensity of the suffering makes it seem endless. Whether it’s the agony of cold hatred or hot hatred, Shantideva aspires that this agony be relieved.
How can hell beings come to have a shift in their hatred, a change in their aggression, a movement away from cruelty? How can a glimmer of tenderness awaken in their hearts? This rarely happens in the midst of incessant torment.
The key is the phrase from the massing clouds of bodhisattvas’ prayers.
One reason these tortured beings can have a change of heart, as unlikely as it seems, is that bodhisattvas, even people like ourselves, make aspirations on their behalf. This is the power of directing our compassion toward those trapped in mindsets that are almost impossible to escape.
Affected by our aspirations, someone trapped in a closed-hearted, closed-minded reality might suddenly feel a glimmer of kindness, a glimmer of possibility for living some other way. This person might experience this as a refreshing change in her environment. Instead of being engulfed in rivers of fire, she might find herself in the peaceful streams of the Pure Land.
10.11
“What fear is it,” they’ll ask, “that grips the henchmen of the Deadly Lord, the frightful vultures and the carrion crows?
What noble strength is it that brings us joy and drives away our dreadful night?”
And looking skyward they will see the shining form of Vajrapani.
Then may their sins be quenched in joy, and may they go to him.
10.12
And when they see the seething lava-flood of hell
Extinguished in a rain of blossoms, drenched in scented water,
At once fulfilled in bliss, they’ll ask, “How can this be?”
And thus the denizens of hell will see the One Who Holds the Lotus.
10.13
“Friends, throw away your fears and quickly gather here.
For who is it who comes to banish dread, this youth with bound up, gleaming hair,
This loving bodhisattva saving and protecting every being,
Whose power relieves all pain, increasing joy?
10.14
“Do you see the splendor of his house that echoes praises of a thousand goddesses,
The hundred gods who lay their diadems before his lotus feet,
The rain of flowers falling on his head, his eyes moist with compassion?”
Thus may those in hell cry out on seeing Manjughosha.
10.15
And likewise when, through these my roots of virtue,
They see the joyful clouds let fall their cooling scented rain,
Their obscurations cleansed by bodhisattvas like Samantabhadra,
May all those languishing in hell come now to perfect happiness.
Bodhisattvas enter into places of unspeakable darkness to help and inspire those living there. As a result, these tortured beings might well experience a newfound openness. It’s not that our buddha nature disappears when we’re in hell; it’s just very hard to access. When bodhisattvas appear in our lives, they awaken our wisdom and compassion. Whether in hell or some lesser form of torment, something resonates with our inborn strength and goodness when we’re with them.
10.16
And may the stooping animals be freed
From fear of being preyed upon, each other’s food.
And may the famished spirits have such joy
As those who dwell within the northern continent.
10.17
And may they be replete and satisfied
By streams of milk that pour
From noble Lord Avalokita’s hand,
And bathing in it, may they be refreshed and cooled.
The first lines of verse 16 address the fear and suffering of animals. The next lines, along with verse 17, refer to the hungry ghost realm, where beings are tormented by a hunger and thirst that can never be satisfied.
According to ancient Indian mythology, the northern continent is called Uttarakuru, a place of great harmony and peace. We live in the southern continent, called Jambudvipa, which is less harmonious and peaceful but still not a bad place to be born. Having addressed the suffering of the lower realms, Shantideva now shows compassion for human beings, such as you and me. He enumerates our woes and makes the wish that they all might end: may all of us be free of suffering and the causes of suffering.
10.18
And may the blind receive their sight,
And may the deaf begin to hear,
And women near their time bring forth
Like Mayadevi, free from any pain.
10.19
And may the naked now be clothed,
And all the hungry eat their fill.
And may those parched with thirst receive
Pure waters and delicious drink.
10.20
May the poor and destitute find wealth,
The haggard and the careworn, joy.
May confidence relieve those in despair
And bring them steadfastness and every excellence.
10.21
May every being ailing with disease
Be freed at once from every malady.
May all the sickness that afflicts the living
Be instantly and permanently healed.
10.22
May those who go in dread have no more fear.
May captives be unchained and now set free.
And may the weak receive their strength.
May living beings help each other in kindness.
10.23
May travelers upon the road
Find happiness no matter where they go,
And may they gain, without the need of toil,
The goals on which they set their hearts.
10.24
May those who put to sea in boat or ship
Attain the ports that they desire,
And may they safely come to shore
And sweet reunion with their kith and kin.
10.25
May those who lose their way and stray
In misery, find fellow travelers,
And safe from threat of thieves and savage beasts,
Be tireless, and their journey light.
10.26
May children and the old, the weak, protectorless,
Bewildered in the wild and pathless wastes,
And those whose minds are dulled, and all who are insane,
Have pure celestial beings as their guardians.
Shantideva aspires that all the people he can possibly think of be comfortable and at their ease. By thinking this way, genuinely and from the heart, the one making the aspiration is as blessed as those for whom it’s being made. You may ask why this is so. By feeling empathy and loving-kindness for others, we are softened and changed. In this way both giver and receiver are deeply benefited.
Studies have shown that aspirations and prayers do have a positive effect on people. Even if you’re a skeptic, just make your wish with the hope that those you have in mind receive this blessing. Then you, too, will definitely benefit from doing this practice of dedication.
10.27
May all attain the human state,
And be possessed of wisdom, faith, and love.
With perfect livelihood and sustenance,
May they have mindfulness throughout their lives.
10.28
May everyone have unrestricted wealth,
Just like the treasury of space,
Enjoying it according to their wish,
Without a trace of harm or enmity.
The aspiration may everyone have unrestricted wealth could be a dangerous one. Shantideva therefore adds an important stipulation: without it creating enmity toward anyone or triggering selfishness, greed, or meanness, may all beings have their needs fulfilled.
10.29
May beings destitute of splendor,
Become magnificent and bright.
And those worn down by toil and drudgery
Acquire great beauty and perfection.
10.30
May all the women in this world
Attain the strength of masculinity.
And may the lowly come to excellence,
The proud and haughty lose their arrogance.
May those who are exhausted by their work be restored to health and beauty. May the downcast be uplifted and the arrogant find humility, and may women attain the strength of masculinity.
To understand this last line, we have to know the context in which Shantideva was teaching. To be born a woman in eighth-century India was not an asset. Even if you were wealthy, you were valued little more than a work animal—and often treated worse. If you had spiritual aspirations to practice the dharma, your gender was a great hindrance. Even today, nuns in parts of Southeast Asia are treated very badly; because of cultural prejudice, nobody feeds them or takes care of their needs.
This is the kind of inequity that Shantideva is addressing. His aspiration is for women to be relieved of this injustice and the pain it causes, and for them to be born into a situation free of prejudice.
The message here is highly compassionate. If we suffer from any prejudice—such as gender, race, or religion—may we escape that injustice, with all its inevitable difficulties and obstacles.
10.31
And thus by all the merit I have gained,
May every being, leaving none aside,
Abandon all their evil ways
Embracing goodness now and ever more.
10.32
From bodhichitta may they never separate,
And constantly engage in bodhisattva deeds.
And may they be accepted as disciples by the buddhas,
And turn aside from what is demons’ work.
In these two verses, there is a shift. In previous and later verses, Shantideva wishes that our outer circumstances be comfortable and supportive. Here, he wishes us spiritual inspiration as well. The bodhisattva’s challenge is to work through every last prejudice and bias. Then the power of our aspiration can influence all living beings in the most positive way possible.
10.33
And may these beings, each and every one,
Enjoy an unsurpassed longevity.
Living always in contentment,
May the very name of death be strange to them.
10.34
On every side, in all the ten directions,
May groves of wish-fulfilling trees abound,
Resounding with the sweetness of the Teachings,
Spoken by the buddhas and their bodhisattva children.
10.35
And may the earth be wholesome everywhere,
Free from boulders, cliffs, and chasms,
Flat and even like a level palm
And smooth like lapis lazuli.
10.36
And for many circles of disciples,
May multitudes of bodhisattvas
Rise in every land,
Adorning them with every excellence.
10.37
From bird song and the sighing of the trees,
From shafts of light and from the sky itself,
May living beings, each and every one,
Perceive the constant sound of Dharma.
10.38
May they come into the presence of the buddhas,
And meet with bodhisattvas, offspring of the same.
With clouds of offerings unbounded,
May the teachers of the world be worshiped.
10.39
May kindly spirits bring the rains on time,
For harvests to be rich and plentiful.
May princes rule according to the Truth,
And may the world be blessed with all prosperity.
May there be good governments. May we have an enlightened society, whose rulers have everyone’s best interest in mind.
10.40
May medicines be strong and full of virtue;
May healing spells be chanted with success.
May spirits of the air that feed on flesh
Be kind, their minds imbued with pity.
10.41
And let no being ever suffer pain;
Let them neither ail nor languish, never doing evil.
May they have no fear, nor suffer insults,
And may their minds be ever free from sorrow.
The following few verses are specifically dedicated to monks and nuns, Shantideva’s sangha brothers and sisters.
10.42
In monasteries, temples, and the like,
May reading and reciting widely flourish.
May harmony prevail among the Sangha,
And may its purpose be all fulfilled.
10.43
May ordained monks intent upon the practice
Find perfect places for retreat in solitude,
Abandon every vagrant thought,
And meditate with trained and serviceable minds.
10.44
May nuns have all their wants supplied;
May quarreling, vindictiveness be strange to them.
Let all who have embraced monastic life
Uphold a pure and unimpaired observance.
10.45
May they feel regret when discipline is broken,
And always may they strive to cleanse away their faults.
May they thus obtain a fortunate rebirth,
Wherein to undertake unfailing discipline.
Shantideva aspires for wisdom to flourish in the monasteries; for the monastics to live harmoniously together; for their purpose of benefiting others to be fulfilled; and for all their necessities to be supplied. Finally, he aspires that the monastic sangha always keep their vows. As one who lives in a monastery myself, I know how important all these things are to the daily well-being of a monk or nun.
10.46
May the wise and learned be revered
And always be sustained by offerings.
With minds suffused with purity,
May their renown spread far and wide.
10.47
May beings never languish in the lower realms;
May pain and hardship be unknown to them.
