Becoming Bodhisattvas

by Pema Chodron

  Enjoying more than godlike strength and beauty,

  May buddhahood for them be swiftly gained.

  10.48

  Again and yet again may sentient beings

  Make offerings to all the buddhas.

  And with Buddha’s unimagined bliss

  May they enjoy undimmed and constant happiness.

  10.49

  May all the bodhisattvas now fulfill

  Their high intention for the sake of beings,

  And sentient beings likewise now receive

  The good the buddhas have in store for them.

  10.50

  And may the arhats and pratyekabuddhas

  At length attain their perfect happiness.

  Our greatest suffering is sometimes caused by rejecting kindness and support. We may perceive this help as negative or suspicious and, because of our paranoia, be unable to benefit from it. This is almost a definition of being in a lower realm. Shantideva wishes that sentient beings be open enough to receive all blessings and good fortune.

  10.51

  And may I also, through Manjushri’s kindness,

  Reach the ground of Perfect Joy,

  And throughout the stream of all my lives

  Embrace monastic ordination.

  10.52

  Thus may I abide, sustained

  By simple, ordinary fare.

  And in every life obtain

  A dwelling place in perfect solitude.

  10.53

  Whenever I desire to gaze on him

  Or put to him the slightest question,

  May I behold the unobstructed vision

  Of Manjughosha, my protector.

  10.54

  To satisfy the needs of beings

  Dwelling in the ten directions, to the margins of the sky,

  May I reflect in every deed

  The perfect exploits of Manjushri.

  Our own happiness is sometimes the hardest thing to wish for. But in these verses, Shantideva dedicates the merit for his own well-being. In verse 51, he aspires to have a direct experience of emptiness. This is traditionally called the realization of the first bhumi, the ground of Perfect Joy.

  10.55

  And now as long as space endures,

  As long as there are beings to be found,

  May I continue likewise to remain

  To drive away the sorrows of the world.

  10.56

  The pains and sorrows of all wandering beings—

  May they ripen wholly on myself.

  And may the virtuous company of bodhisattvas

  Bring about the happiness of beings.

  Verse 55 is said to be a favorite of the Dalai Lama. It summarizes better than any other stanza the longing and spirit of the bodhisattva path.

  An example of the kind of thinking expressed in verse 56 is the practice of tonglen.

  10.57

  May the Doctrine, only remedy for suffering,

  The source of every bliss and happiness,

  Be nurtured and upheld with reverence,

  And throughout a vast continuance of time, endure!

  The Buddhist teachings have endured for over twenty-five hundred years. They lasted until the eighth century, so Shantideva could benefit from them; and they lasted from the eighth century until now, maybe because of aspirations like this. The Buddha taught, however, that everything is impermanent and that even his teachings will be lost. Hearing this makes me think we’d be wise to make good use of them while they last.

  10.58

  And now to Manjughosha I prostrate,

  Whose kindness is the wellspring of my good intent.

  And to my virtuous friends I also bow,

  Whose inspiration gave me strength to grow.

  This last verse is a recollection of the kindness of the bodhisattvas and spiritual friends who’ve helped us on the path—a final expression of gratitude and veneration. According to tradition, it is said three times.

  This concludes chapter 10 and brings us to the end of Shantideva’s teachings. May you find these teachings as inspiring and supportive as I have and use them to inform your life.

  Although composed long ago, these instructions could make a significant difference in how each of us works with the challenges of these times. They could help us realize our full potential and support us in becoming peacemakers: effective, responsible, and compassionate citizens in a turbulent world.

  We can consider Shantideva’s words as pith instructions for working with difficulties still to come. If learning to not make matters worse isn’t a skill we all need to develop rapidly, I don’t know what is. And Shantideva doesn’t stop there. He gives us precise teachings on how to develop compassion for even our “enemies” and how to foster love instead of hatred.

  Trungpa Rinpoche devoted the last years of his life to giving teachings for creating an enlightened society, calling these “Shambhala Vision.” This lineage of teachings is still being presented today by his son, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. The message is simple yet profound. We all have the inborn wisdom to create a wholesome, uplifted existence for ourselves and others. Shantideva’s words further support this message. We can think beyond our own little cocoon and try to help this troubled world. Not only will our friends and family benefit, but even our “enemies” will reap the blessings of peace.

  If these teachings make sense to us, can we commit to them? In these times, do we really have a choice? Do we have the option of living in unconscious self-absorption? When the stakes are so high, do we have the luxury of dragging our feet? In the spirit of friendship, as members of the same family and passengers on the same boat, I share these concerns with you. May these teachings help each of us to make a difference. Following the example of my teachers and Shantideva himself, I wish us all good fortune—and good luck!

  May bodhichitta, precious and sublime,

  Arise where it has not yet come to be;

  And where it has arisen may it not decline,

  But grow and flourish ever more and more.

  Acknowledgments

  MY PRIMARY INSPIRATION comes as always from my teachers: the Vidyadhara Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche; His Holiness the Sixteenth Karmapa; the Seventeenth Karmapa, His Holiness Ogyen Trinley Dorje; His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche; Venerable Thrangu Rinpoche; Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche; and my principal teacher at this time, Venerable Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche.

  The writings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama have done more to familiarize the general public with Shantideva than any other teachings. I am indebted to his commentaries and especially to his book Healing Anger, which gives line-by-line instruction on the sixth chapter of The Way of the Bodhisattva. The oral teachings of Venerable Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche on chapters 1 through 7 were a primary source of information and inspiration. I also relied heavily for chapter 1 on the commentaries of Khenpo Kunpal and Khenpo Choga, translated by Andreas Kretschmar.

  In my studies, I have referred repeatedly to the various translations of this text and would like to especially thank the Padmakara Translation Group. The introduction to the Padmakara translation was particularly helpful. I have also consulted transcripts of teachings given by Venerable Ponlop Rinpoche at Gampo Abbey. I would also like to express gratitude to Kokai Roberts, whose teachings on chapter 6 were a major influence, and to Tim Olmsted, for his excellent teachings on chapter 8.

  Finally, my heartfelt appreciation to all the good people who worked so hard to bring this book to fruition: Gigi Sims, who transcribed my oral teachings; Sue Keeley, who typed, researched, traveled, and encouraged; Warner Keeley, who compiled the glossary; Clare Ming, Glenna Olmsted, and Margaret Jones Callahan, who typed the manuscript; Helen T
workov, whose valuable insights considerably improved the manuscript; Eden Steinberg of Shambhala Publications for her suggestions and support; and finally, my editor, Helen Berliner, who did the heroic job of creating a finished book from the original transcripts.

  Appendix

  STUDY GUIDELINES

  HERE ARE SOME SUGGESTIONS for studying The Way of the Bodhisattva alone or in a group.

  Reading Out Loud

  Traditionally The Way of the Bodhisattva is read out loud. This is done so that it can be heard by as many sentient beings as possible, including children going off to school, the squirrels and dogs, and all the little bugs. They may not truly hear it now, but it may seep into their pores and somehow affect them in a positive way.

  Patrul Rinpoche frequently taught outside, and the text would be read so that all the birds and animals and anyone passing by could hear and benefit from it. That’s the general idea. It’s the attitude of opening your doors to all sentient beings.

  Memorizing

  As you read each chapter, try to memorize at least one stanza. You can write it down on an index card and put it up where you can see it. Say it over and over until you remember it. This will definitely be of benefit.

  Journaling

  Whether you’re in a group or individual study situation, it is helpful to keep a notebook where you can record your experience of a particular stanza. For example, after reading or memorizing a verse, just walk around with it for awhile. See what it means to you and write that down, even if it’s brief. Later, after you’ve gone to a class or discussion group, or just lived with it a bit longer, you might want to write more. The life experience of just a day or two can be significant.

  Dedicating the Merit

  If you wish to, when you finish a session of reading, you can conclude by dedicating the merit of your study. One way to do this is to chant one or more verses of dedication from Shantideva’s tenth chapter. The verses of dedication can then be followed by the visualization practice below.

  A Visualization for Ending a Session of Study

  After dedicating the merit, you could end with the following visualization. With eyes closed, visualize in front of you the text of Shantideva’s The Way of the Bodhisattva. It can be in the form of this book or a traditional text wrapped in cloth. You can regard this as an embodiment of compassion, loving-kindness, and wisdom. The text also represents your longing to alleviate your own suffering, so that you can do your part to alleviate the suffering of the world.

  Seeing this in front of you, visualize that the book turns into light. You can imagine this any way you wish. The light radiates out and then dissolves into you. You can imagine that it fills your body and makes you feel very happy, which is to say, you actually feel the bodhichitta qualities of love, compassion, and an open, unfettered heart and mind. End by radiating this light out to everybody in your immediate space and then to all beings in your town, state, country, and the whole world.

  Glossary

  ALL CROSS-REFERENCES appear in small capitals. The abbreviation “Skt.” stands for Sanskrit and “Tib.” stands for Tibetan.

  ARHAT (Skt.) A practitioner at the highest stage of spiritual attainment on the foundation yana (or hinayana) path. See also YANAS, THREE.

  BHUMIS, TEN (Skt.) Each of the ten stages that the bodhisattva must go through to attain Buddhahood: perfect joy, stainless, luminous, radiant, difficult to conquer, face-to-face, far-reaching, immovable, having good intellect, and cloud of dharma.

  BODHICHITTA (Skt.) Awakened heart or mind. Relative bodhichitta is our aspiration and perseverance to become awakened so we can be of benefit to all suffering beings. Absolute bodhichitta is our awakened mind, free from concepts, that sees the emptiness of all phenomena.

  CHARNEL GROUND Historically, charnel grounds were places in ancient India where dead bodies were left to be devoured by wild animals. In contemporary society, a charnel ground could be anywhere that does not hide the truth of suffering and therefore has a desperate, hopeless, or terrifying quality. Bodhisattvas are not afraid of these situations and are inspired to work with such chaos.

  DHARMA (Skt.) Generally speaking, dharma is any truth, norm, or law. From the Buddhist point of view, Dharma refers to the teachings of the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni. Also referred to as buddhadharma.

  KLESHAS (Skt.) Sometimes translated as “neurosis,” “afflictions,” or “defiled emotions.” Strong emotions that reliably lead to suffering: aggression, craving, ignorance, jealousy, arrogance, pride, and all their offspring.

  MAHAYANA BUDDHISM The “great vehicle” of bodhisattvas. This path emphasizes the practice of compassion and cultivation of the wisdom of emptiness, the ultimate nature of self and all phenomena. With the motivation to deliver all beings from the suffering of the unenlightened state, it leads to the attainment of buddhahood for the sake of others. Mahayana Buddhism flourished in the northern Asian countries of China, Korea, Japan, Mongolia, and Tibet. See also YANAS, THREE.

  NIDANA(S) (Skt.) The twelve links that form the chain of conditioned arising: (1) ignorance, (2) formations or impulses, (3) consciousness, (4) name and form, (5) the six realms of the senses, (6) contact, (7) sensation, (8) craving, (9) clinging, (10) becoming, (11) birth, and (12) old age and death.

  PARAMITA(S) (Skt.) The six practices of the mahayana path: generosity, discipline, patience, exertion or enthusiasm, meditation, and wisdom. They are called “transcendent” because they carry us across the river of confused existence to “the other shore” of enlightenment.

  RINPOCHE (Tib.) An honorific meaning “precious one”; a title given to revered teachers of Tibetan Buddhism.

  SAMSARA (Skt.) The vicious cycle of suffering caused by a constant search for security.

  SANGHA (Skt.) The community of the followers of the Buddhist path.

  SHAMATHA (Skt.) “Calm abiding” meditation. One of the two main Buddhist meditation practices, shamatha focuses on calming the mind and developing mindfulness.

  SHENPA (Tib.) Usually translated as “attachment” or “fixation,” it is the nonconceptual feeling of being hooked; it is the charge behind emotions, and more fundamentally, the charge behind the sense of “me.”

  SHRAVAKA(S) (Skt.) Literally, “hearers.” Those who hear the Buddha’s first-turning (hinayana) teachings and apply them to their lives, with a focus on individual liberation. See also YANAS, THREE.

  SIX REALMS According to Buddhist teachings, these are six broad categories of experience into which samsaric beings are born as a result of past karma, or actions. In the three “lower realms” of animals, hungry ghosts, and hells, suffering predominates. In the three “higher realms” of the mundane gods, asuras or demigods, and human beings, suffering is mitigated by temporal pleasures.

  SUTRA(S) (Skt.) Buddhist sutras refer to the teachings attributed to Shakyamuni Buddha. These took the form of discourses and dialogues with students.

  TONGLEN (Tib.) Sending and taking practice. A meditation practice that develops equanimity and compassion by taking in the suffering of others, and giving away all that is positive and good.

  YANAS, THREE (Skt.) The three developmental stages, or “vehicles,” for traveling the road to enlightenment, known in Tibetan Buddhism as “hinayana,” or foundation yana, “mahayana,” and “vajrayana.” Each has a specific view of the journey and a specific body of knowledge and practice.

  Bibliography

  Translations & Commentaries

  Batchelor, Stephen, trans. A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life. Dharamsala: Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, 1979. Few notes; but elegant, poetic language and an extensive analysis of chapter 9, the “wisdom chapter.”

  Crosby, Kate, and Andrew Skilton, trans. The Bodhicharyavatara: The Guide to the Buddhist Path to Awakening. Birmingham, England: Windhorse, 2002. This is a reprint of the acclaimed 1995 Oxford University Pres
s edition. Extensive scholarly notes.

  Dalai Lama. A Flash of Lightning in the Dark of Night. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 1994. An abbreviated commentary on the entire text.

  ———. Healing Anger. Ithaca: Snow Lion Publications, 1997. This is a commentary on the sixth (patience) chapter only.

  ———. Transcendent Wisdom: A Commentary on the Ninth Chapter of Shantideva’s Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life. Trans. B. Alan Wallace. Ithaca: Snow Lion Publications, 1988.

  Elliott, Neil, trans. Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life: A Buddhist Poem for Today. Ulverston and Glen Spey: Tharpa Publications, 2002. A clear translation with an excellent glossary and few buzzwords.

  Padmakara Translation Group, trans. The Way of the Bodhisattva. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 1997. A beautiful, authoritative translation, with extensive explanatory notes and background material. (This is the translation of the text used in this book.)

  Wallace, Vesna A., and B. Alan Wallace, trans. A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life. Ithaca: Snow Lion Publications, 1997. A prose translation with a brief introduction and translators’ notes.

  Related Readings

  Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism. Berkeley: Shambhala Publications, 1973. See particularly the section called “Styles of Imprisonment” for a description of hell as a psychological state.

  ———. Training the Mind and Cultivating Loving-Kindness. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 2003. An excellent companion to The Way of the Bodhisattva.

  Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche. It’s Up to You. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 2005.

  Pema Chödrön. The Places That Scare You. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 1997. Gives pertinent practices that complement The Way of the Bodhisattva.