Shantidevas Bodhicharyavatara Atul Bhosekar

SHANTIDEVAS BODHICHA !AVATA A

The Bodhicharyavatara "ritten #y Acharya Shantideva is one o$ the %reatest classics o$ the &ahayana Buddhis'( The te)t is *resented in a $or' o$ *ersonal 'editation+ #ut also o$$ers in $riendshi* to "hoever 'i%ht #e interested+ an e)*osition o$ the *ath o$ the Bodhisattvas #ein%s "ho turnin% a"ay $ro' the $utility and su$$erin%s o$ the sa'sara+ nevertheless renounce the *eace o$ an individual salvation and vo" to "ork $or the deliverance o$ all #ein%s and to attain the su*re'e enli%hten'ent o$ Buddhahood $or their sake( The Author: The Bodhicharyavatara is co'*osed #y Acharya Shantideva "ho is re%arded in Ti#et as one o$ the 'ost in$luential teachers( Shantideva #elon%ed to the ,th cent( and "as the 'ost reno"ned and estee'ed $i%ures in the entire history o$ &ahayana Buddhis'( Thou%h very little is kno"n o$ the accounts o$ his li$e+ t"o #rie$ accounts are $ound in Ti#etan sources one #ein% the #io%ra*hy co'*osed #y Ti#etan scholar Buston -./ th0.1th cent(2 and the second is the account co'*osed #y another Ti#etan Buddhist scholar Taranatha -.3th0.4th cent(2( As *er the accounts+ Shantideva "as #orn in a royal $a'ily and "as destined $or the throne5 ho"ever &an6ushri and Tara #oth a**eared in his drea's and counseled hi' not to ascend throne( He le$t the kin%do' and "andered in "ilderness and devoted hi'sel$ to 'editation( He took 'onastic ordination in the "orld

Shantidevas Bodhicharyavatara Atul Bhosekar

reno"ned Nalanda

7niversity

and devoted hi'sel$

to

the

thorou%h study o$ sutras and tantras( It "as durin% this ti'e he co'*osed t"o other classic "orks Shiksasamuccaya and Sutrasamuccaya( To test his kno"led%e+ the $ello" 'onks asked hi' to recite so'e ne" co'*osition and in res*onse to this+ Shantideva chanted Bodhicharyavatara( A$ter leavin% Nalanda+ Shantideva "andered in "ildli$e and later on renounced his 'onkhood devotin% his li$e to the service o$ others( The Theme of the Text: Accordin% to one tradition+ the Bodhicharyavatara "as $irst translated into Ti#etan in the ,th cent( #y the Indian 'aster Sarva6nadeva and the Ti#etan translator 8a"a 9eltsek-: th cent(2+ usin% a 'anuscri*t $ro' 8ash'ir( It "as later re"orked #y Dhar'ashri#hadra and the translator0 inchen ;an%*o-.< th cent(2 on the #asis o$ 'anuscri*t $ro' &a%adha( A $inal revision "as 'ade #y Su'atikirti and translator N%ok =oden Shera#-.. th cent(2( In the .:th cent(+ the te)t "as $irst #rou%ht to the notice o$ scholars #y a ussian scholar &inaye$ in .,,:( It "as translated into >rench #y 9oussin in .:./ and =(>inot in .:/<( In En%lish+ Bodhicharyavatara "as translated #y =(D(Barnett in .:<:+ in ?er'any #y (Sch'idt in .:/1+ in Italian #y ?(Tucci in .:/@( The late Dhar'anand 8osa'#i translated it into ?u6rati and &arathi( The te)t o$ Bodhicharyavatara is divided into .< cha*ters containin% .@41 stanAas( Bodhicharyavatara 'eans Bentry into

Shantidevas Bodhicharyavatara Atul Bhosekar

the conduct o$ BodhisattvaC or Bthe introduction to the code o$ conduct to the realiAation o$ Bodhi -enli%hten'ent2C( The .st cha*ter s*eaks o$ the advanta%es o$ securin% the seeds o$ Bodhi or enli%hten'ent -Bodhichittanushansa2( The /nd cha*ter deals "ith the need o$ con$essin% sins - Papadeshana2( The 1rd cha*ter deals "ith 'erit and acce*tance o$ so'e underlyin% conce*ts o$ Buddhis' *ertainin% to $aith - Bodhichitta parigraha2+ the Dth e'*hasiAes "atch$ulness to *reserve and *ersevere in the ideas o$ Bodhichitta already attained - Bodhichitta pramada2+ the @th cha*ter s*eaks o$ constant vi%ilance and recollection o$ "hat the *erson under trainin% should do and "hat should not #e done and constant re$lection over the condition and #ehavior o$ 'ind and #ody -Samprajnya rakshana2+ the 3th cha*ter advocates $or#earance -Kshantiparamita2+ the 4th cha*ter s*eaks o$ constant e$$ort -Viryaparamita2+ the ,th talks o$ 'editation -Dhyanaparamita2+ the :th cha*ter s*eaks o$ the doctrine o$ void o$ all conce*ts #ased on "isdo' - Prajnaparamita2( The last cha*ter su''ariAes the su#6ect #y e'*hasiAin% the nature o$ Bodhisattva hood( Thus one can o#serve that the the'atic structure o$

Bodhicharyavatara is #ased on 3 *er$ections or *ara'itas %enerosity+ 'orality+ *atience+ Aeal+ 'editation and "isdo'( The Structure and Explanation: The 'ain su#6ect o$ this te)t is the 'otivation o$ #odhichitta and the *ractice o$ the si) transcendental *er$ections+ thus sho"in% us ho" to attain the une)celled level o$ *er$ect enli%hten'ent(

Shantidevas Bodhicharyavatara Atul Bhosekar

The vast teachin%s o$ the Buddha are included "ithin this central *ractice o$ the #odhisattva+ cultivatin% the 'otivation o$ #odhichitta and *racticin% the si) transcendental *er$ections( Bodhichitta: Eishin% to attain a *er$ect enli%hten'ent to attain enli%hten'ent+ is the %reatest "ish one can 'ake5 ho"ever "ishin% all sentient #ein%s to attain the Buddhahood is the ulti'ate hi%hest "ish( This une)celled "ish is called the Bodhichitta( Bodhichitta thus attained has t"o as*ects co'*assion and kno"led%e( Eith co'*assion+ one $ocuses on the #ene$it $or others5 "ith kno"led%e+ one $ocuses on *er$ect enli%hten'ent( Generating Bodhichitta: ?eneratin% #odhichitta 'eans to B'ake the 'ind vastC( A #odhisattva seeks to o*en his 'ind and 'ake it as vast as the s*ace( He conte'*lates to re'ove the su$$erin%s o$ all sentient #ein%s( Bodhichitta of aspiration and Bodhichitta of application: Both these ty*es o$ #odhichitta are concerned "ith 'otivation rather than the actual a**lication o$ the 3 *ara'itas or the 3 transcendental *er$ections( It is essential that one $irst %ive rise to correct 'otivation and then one can carry out any o$ the 3 transcendental *er$ections( To co''it onesel$ to the cause o$ *er$ect enli%hten'ent is kno"n as Bthe #odhichitta o$ as*iration(C

Shantidevas Bodhicharyavatara Atul Bhosekar

To

co''it

onesel$

to

the

*ractice

o$

si)

transcendental

*er$ections is kno"n as B#odhichitta o$ a**lication(C The 6 transcendental perfections: The 3 transcendental *er$ections to #e *racticed dili%ently are %enerosity+ kno"led%e( Generosity: The *ractice o$ %enerosity 'eans to cut all $i)ations and attach'ents such as clin%in% to the #ody+ 'aterial "ealth and en6oy'ents( To *ractice it+ one 'ust develo* a %enerous 'ind0set i(e( %ive a"ay thin%s that one is $ond o$ or thin%s one "ishes to *osses as "ell thin%s that one truly needs( Discipline: This 'eans to %ive u* all $i)ations on non0virtue( It is lettin% %o o$ ne%ative thou%hts+ e'otions and *atterns( Disci*line 'eans learnin% to release the ne%ativity o$ the actions o$ #ody+ s*eech and 'ind( Patience: Even i$ a$$lictions and ne%ative *atterns arise in ones 'ind and they are not acted u*on+ then one is *racticin% *atience( 9atience 'eans to actually release all $i)ations on varieties o$ 'ental tur'oil an%er+ %reed+ arro%ance+ 6ealousy+ su$$erin%+ an)iety+ etc( Diligence: Dili%ence 'eans to overco'e $i)ation on the laAy 'ind "hich $ails to *ractice dha''a( It 'eans to en6oy *racticin% the virtues( disci*line+ *atience+ dili%ence+ 'editation and

Shantidevas Bodhicharyavatara Atul Bhosekar

Ehenever one is en%a%ed in study+ conte'*lation or 'editation or any virtuous action+ one should undertake these tasks in a ha**y and ins*ired $ra'e o$ 'ind( Meditation: &editation 'eans lettin% %o o$ all $i)ations "hich involve #ein% cau%ht u* in distraction( 9eo*le are very attached to distractions( One 'ust kee* the 'ind a"ay $ro' distraction #y 'eans o$ 'editation( By 'editation+ one can train the 'ind to #e cal'+ $ree $ro' analysis and 'ental distinctions( no!ledge: The *er$ect #odhisattva has the kno"led%e and "isdo' "hich ena#le hi' to 'aintain the reco%nition o$ the Buddha0nature "hile he continues to *ractice the @ transcendental *er$ections( The kno"led%e ena#les to understand the Buddha0nature+ *ro$ound e'*tiness and non0conce*tual "isdo'( Thus one can say that kno"led%e 'eans B%oin% #eyond e%o0clin%in%C( All #ein%s naturally tend to strive $or ha**iness #ecause their very nature+ the Buddha nature+ is itsel$ endo"ed "ith ha**iness( But #ein%s lack the kno"led%e to uncover this nature(

The Bodhicharyavatara teaches us ho" to $ollo" the *ath to enli%hten'ent( It teaches us ho" to develo* Bodhichitta and ho" to *ractice the si) transcendental 9er$ections( It teaches us ho"

Shantidevas Bodhicharyavatara Atul Bhosekar

to realiAe the vie" o$ Buddha0nature and ho" to let this vie" 'ature into co'*lete enli%hten'ent( The Bodhicharyavatara teaches the actual 'ethods $or 6ourneyin% to"ard enli%hten'ent on the *ath o$ the Bodhisattva+ 6ust as Shantideva hi'sel$ *racticed the'( In this "ay the te)t re$lects Shantidevas o"n *ersonal *ractice( His li$e story tells us that he had ke*t his kno"led%e o$ the "ay o$ the Bodhisattva secret throu%hout his 'any years o$ *ractice( Thus+ it is an e'inently *ractical te)t "ritten #y a %reat 'aster $or all dhar'a *ractitioners+ #oth those o$ his ti'e and o$ the $uture(

Atul Bhosekar &(A II -Buddhist Studies2