Shantideva’s Bodhisattvacharyavatara
Commentary
by the Venerable Lobsang Dorje
Translated
by Sandup Tsering
Status: 2025-05-23 14:35 {t.0}
Correct Motivation; Why study A Guide to the
Bodhisattva Way of Life?; Integrating hearing, contemplating and meditating;
Meaning of the Title; Translator’s homage; Meaning of the text; Engaging in the
presentation of the stages of the Mahayana path; Expression of homage. {t.+0}
The promise to compose. {t.+0}
Chapter 1
vv. 4, 5. {t.0}
vv. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. {t.0}
vv. 11, 12, 13, 14. {t.0}
vv. 15, 16. {t.0}
Bodhicitta and its causes; Benefits of bodhicitta; Analysing the meaning of directly conjoined by or engaging in any of the six paramitas. {t.+0}
vv. 17, 18, 19. {t.0}
Benefits of bodhicitta; Differences between wishing and engaging bodhicitta; Analysis. {t.+0}
v. 20. {t.0}
Meditation to cultivate concentration and get rid of disturbing thoughts; Two types of bodhicitta; Causes and benefits of bodhicitta; Scriptural source for the benefits of wishing bodhicitta. {t.+0}
vv. 21, 22, 23. {t.0}
Breathing meditation and its benefits; Cultivating bodhicitta. {t.+0}
vv. 24, 25, 26, 27, 28. {t.0}
vv. 29, 30. {t.0}
vv. 31, 32, 33. {t.0}
Breathing meditation. {t.+0}
Good listeners; The true cause of happiness and
suffering lies within us on the mental level; Self-cherishing and cherishing
others; Benefits of bodhicitta. {t.+0}
v. 34. {t.0}
Bodhisattvacharyavatara, Chapter 1; The heaviness of harming bodhisattvas; How do we know who is a bodhisattva? {t.+0}
vv. 35, 36. {t.0}
Nine-round breathing meditation. {t.+0}
Benefits of breathing meditation. {t.+0}
Chapter 2
Unowned and owned objects. {t.+0}
v. 5. {t.0}
Laxity; Remedying the two obstacles; Chapter 2: Disclosure of Evil; Owned and unowned objects of offering; The purpose of making unowned offerings. {t.+0}
Why meditate?; How to meditate?; The two types of
meditation practice; Analysing anger and attachment; The I: the root of all our
problems; View of selflessness. {t.+0}
What is bodhicitta?; How to generate bodhicitta?;
Love and compassion; Mind training. {t.+0}
v. 7. {t.0}
Synopsis of the first chapter of A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life; The second chapter; The branch of offering; Mind training; Removing obstacles; Three types of offering objects; Offering actually arranged objects; Offering of unowned objects. {t.+0}
vv. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14,
15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22. {t.0}
The offering of the mentally imagined or manifested objects. {t.+0}
vv. 23, 24. {t.0}
Benefits of offering prostration; How to prostrate?; Prostration by speech; Prostration by body. {t.+0}
v. 26. {t.0}
Taking Refuge in the Three jewels: the Three Causal Refuge Objects; Three Resultant Refuge Objects. {t.+0}
vv. 27, 28, 29, 30, 31,
32. {t.0}
The importance of generating bodhicitta; Purifying the seeds of suffering; How we create karma. {t.+0}
vv. 33, 34, 35, 36, 37. {t.0}
vv. 38, 39. {t.0}
The Power of Regret; Questions and Answers. {t.+0}
vv. 40, 41, 42, 44. {t.0}
What does purification practice mean?; How do we accumulate negative karma?; Karma and free will; The power of regret; What will happen if we don’t purify negativities? {t.+0}
vv. 45, 46. {t.0}
Breathing meditation and benefits; Incorporating the Small and Middling Path into the Great Path; Life after and before. {t.+0}
vv. 47, 48. {t.0}
The power of basis. {t.+0}
vv. 49, 50, 51, 52, 53. {t.0}
The benefits of bodhicitta; The perfect opportunity; Generating bodhicitta; The power of the basis. {t.+0}
Bodhicitta is key; Love and compassion; A seed
for great compassion; There is no limit to mental development; Love and
compassion enhance peace and happiness; What is bodhicitta and its causes. {t.+0}
vv. 54, 55, 56. {t.0}
Stages of the path; Bodhicitta is the supreme teaching; Love and compassion for all sentient beings; Factors which affect our practice of bodhicitta; Power of the basis; Power of the antidote. {t.+0}
Making breathing meditation virtuous; The four
levels of aspiration; Bodhicitta and compassion; Recognising the real cause of
suffering; Anger: an example of the real enemy; Blame the affliction, not the
person. {t.+0}
vv. 57, 58, 59. {t.0}
Generating bodhicitta; The power of purifying the basis; The power of remedy. {t.+0}
v. 60. {t.0}
Three doors of action – mind is primary; Dependent origination; The altruistic mind of bodhicitta; The four purifying powers. {t.+0}
Applying mindfulness; Potential of the human
mind; Expectations in meditation; First stage of mental development; Second
stage of mental development; Third stage of mental concentration; Fourth mental
stage of development. {t.+0}
v. 61. {t.0}
Mental sinking and mental excitement; Subtle form of mental sinking; Coarse and subtle excitement; The fourth power of purification; Questions and answers. {t.+0}
Obstacles in meditation practice; Counteracting
disturbing thoughts; Stages of mental development; Overcoming subtle mental
thinking. {t.+0}
vv. 62, 63, 64. {t.0}
Cultivating bodhicitta; The power of resolution. {t.+0}
Creating the causes for bodhicitta; Natural vs
prescribed negativities; Karmic imprints can be purified; Purifying power of
the object; Power of the promise; Putting the teaching into practice. {t.+0}
Preliminary practices – eight branches; Rejoicing
– the antidote to jealousy. {t.+0}
Chapter 3
vv. 1, 2. {t.0}
What to rejoice in; Gaining merit by rejoicing in the virtue of others. {t.+0}
Overcoming jealousy; The practice of rejoicing. {t.+0}
vv. 3, 4. {t.0}
The seven branches; The branch of prostration; The branch of offering; The branch of confession; The branch of rejoicing; The practice of rejoicing; The branch of requesting to turn the wheel of dharma the text then progresses to the next branch or practice called the branch of requesting to turn the wheel of dharma. The branch of supplicating and the branch of dedication; Question and answer. {t.+0}
v. 5. {t.0}
The branch of requesting; Purifying the negativity of abandoning the dharma; The branch of supplicating. {t.+0}
v. 6. {t.0}
The bodhicitta mind; Great compassion; Two main instructions for cultivating great compassion; Counteracting afflictive emotions; Supplicating the guru to not pass into parinirvana.; Direct engagement in the branch of supplication; A cause for the guru to live longer. {t.+0}
vv. 7, 8, 9, 10. {t.0}
The branch of dedication; Disadvantages of not dedicating virtue; How to practise the branch of dedication; Is anger the only affliction that can destroy virtue? {t.+0}
Seventh branch: dedication; How do these seven
branches counteract afflictions?; How does dedication counteract anger?; What
about other mental afflictions?; Why is anger singled out?; Dedicating for the
benefit of others. {t.+0}
v. 11. {t.0}
The perfection of giving; Questions and answers. {t.+0}
The disadvantages of miserliness; The practice of
giving; The objects we can give; How does dedication amplify virtue? {t.+0}
vv. 12, 13, 14, 15. {t.0}
Suffering results from negative thinking; Counteracting miserliness; Recognising the benefits of giving; Virtue and merit. {t.+0}
v. 16. {t.0}
Giving is based on love and compassion; The practice of giving – things to consider; Practice giving to achieve complete enlightenment; Pray from the depths of your heart; Different buddhas have different ways of benefiting. {t.+0}
vv. 18, 19, 20, 21, 22. {t.0}
The importance of motivation; Thinking of others benefits us; Objects of giving; Giving the dharma is the highest form of giving; Giving protection from fear; Dedicating through prayers; How to pray; Different types of prayers. {t.+0}
Chapter 4
First explore the benefits of cultivating
bodhicitta; We need to make a fundamental change; Sevenfold cause and effect
method. {t.+0}
What is the bodhicitta mind?; A bodhicitta mind
is a cause for achieving buddhahood; Conscientiousness; Safeguarding
conscientiousness; Vigilance and awareness is crucial; Always sustain the
bodhicitta mind. {t.+0}
vv. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. {t.0}
The correct way to train in bodhicitta. {t.+0}
What is meant by generating a positive state of
mind?; Our mind can be developed; Closing all the doors to negativity; Actively
thinking about how we can benefit others; Committing to preserving the
bodhicitta mind; Purification practices. {t.+0}
vv. 8, 9. {t.0}
The three stages of the path; Ensure there is no selfish purpose in our motivation; Overcoming unwanted problems with bodhicitta; Conscientiousness. {t.+0}
vv. 10, 11. {t.0}
Never disparage or belittle others; Losing the bodhicitta mind; Don’t obstruct a bodhisattva’s practice. {t.+0}
vv. 12, 13. {t.0}
The bodhisattva vows; Why take the bodhisattva vows?; The benefits of taking the vows. {t.+0}
v. 14. {t.0}
We must understand cause and effect; Bodhicitta is the remedy to mental afflictions; Ask yourself why we need to cultivate bodhicitta; First generate bodhicitta towards those close to us; We also generate bodhicitta for our own benefit; Developing faith in the law of karma; Karma’s influence on our lives; Purifying negative karma; Keeping the bodhisattva vows intact. {t.+0}
vv. 15, 16. {t.0}
We rely on other sentient beings; Don’t waste your life on meaningless activities; Leisure and endowments; The rarity of a human life of leisure and endowments; Human life is the most conducive for attaining spiritual goals. {t.+0}
vv. 17, 18, 19. {t.0}
Bodhicitta and the different levels of happiness; Questions and answers. {t.+0}
vv. 20, 21. {t.0}
Giving and taking; The preciousness of this human life; What makes a human life so precious?; Recognising the preciousness of this human life; It is extremely rare to find a human life again. {t.+0}
vv. 22, 23. {t.0}
Mental happiness is the most important; Enhancing our mental qualities to achieve inner happiness and peace; The precious human life; Questions and answers. {t.+0}
vv. 24, 25, 26, 27. {t.0}
It’s great ignorance to waste the chance to practice the dharma. {t.+0}
vv. 28, 29. {t.0}
The value of this precious human life; Identifying the causes that hamper our dharma practice; The afflictive emotions; How afflictive emotions cause suffering. {t.+0}
vv. 30, 31, 32. {t.0}
How to achieve happiness; The true causes of suffering; The true enemy is our internal enemy; Afflictive emotions are the true enemy. {t.+0}
vv. 33, 34, 35. {t.0}
Giving and taking meditation; Chapter 4: conscientiousness. {t.+0}
vv. 36, 37. {t.0}
vv. 39, 40, 41, 42. {t.0}
vv. 43, 44, 45, 46, 47. {t.0}
Our problems arise from afflictive emotions; Overcoming afflictive emotions requires effort; How should we counteract the afflictions?; Never give in to afflicted emotions; We must eliminate rather than subdue afflicted emotions; The wisdom of emptiness banishes afflictive emotions; Extinguishing doubts about completely eliminating afflictive emotions? {t.+0}
v. 48. {t.0}
First means: overcoming afflictions by applying the antidotes; Second means: eliminating afflictions at the root. {t.+0}
Chapter 5
vv. 1, 2, 3. {t.0}
The relationship between conscientiousness and alertness; Engaging in the six perfections; The shortcomings of afflictive emotions; Keeping our bodhicitta commitment; The application of alertness is important; The shortcomings of not guarding the mind; Bringing the mind under control. {t.+0}
vv. 4, 5. {t.0}
The analogy of a crazed elephant; The power of memory or mindfulness; Understanding the workings of cause and effect. {t.+0}
Mindfulness and alertness; Two obstacles: mental
excitement and over thinking; Excitement; Laxity; Choosing an object of
meditation; Sitting posture. {t.+0}
vv. 6, 7, 8. {t.0}
Resting our mind is essential; Alertness and introspection. {t.+0}
v. 9. {t.0}
Dependent arising; Cultivating love and kindness; Karma as the root cause; Our lives depend on others; What causes us to create karma; Six perfections; The state of enlightenment depends on the mind; The mental capacity of giving. {t.+0}
v. 10. {t.0}
Moral ethics; Engaging in the six perfections; The perfection of giving; Achieving the perfection of giving; Our motivation for giving is crucial. {t.+0}
vv. 11, 12, 13, 14. {t.0}
The six perfections; The practice of moral ethics; Motivation determines the outcome of our practice. {t.+0}
vv. 15, 16. {t.0}
The fourth perfection: joyous effort; The fifth perfection: concentration. {t.+0}
vv. 17, 18. {t.0}
Reflect on the shortcomings of negative actions; Two types of self-grasping; Defilements do not stain the actual nature of the mind. {t.+0}
vv. 19, 20, 21, 22, 23. {t.0}
We each have the capacity for happiness; The fundamental nature of mind; Mindfulness and alertness in day-to-day life. {t.+0}
vv. 24, 25, 26, 27, 28,
29. {t.0}
Applying mindfulness to subdue the mind. {t.+0}
vv. 30, 31, 32. {t.0}
Staying close to a spiritual teacher; Bad friends can influence us negatively; Developing a sense of shame. {t.+0}
vv. 33, 34, 35, 36, 37,
38. {t.0}
The law of karma; Can negative karma be
purified?; Seeing our real situation; Seeking refuge and the four powers; For
our practice to be effective; Having faith in our practice. {t.+0}
We should strive to be the third type of
practitioner; Motivation and dedication; Dedication protects the merit we
create; The importance of a perfect spiritual teacher; The most effective way
to dedicate our merit. {t.+0}
How to begin spiritual practice; Why a bodhicitta
motivation is important; Temporary vs. Lasting happiness; The three levels of
happiness on the path; Listening with bodhicitta; Everyone is different;
Knowledge is the best wealth. {t.+0}
What is bodhicitta or the altruistic mind of
enlightenment?; Cherishing others more than ourselves; The uncontrived mind of
bodhicitta; Cultivating a deep sense of connection and love for others; The
causes for developing love and compassion; Contemplate on how self-cherishing
leads to faults and suffering. {t.+0}
Meditation in daily life; We all want happiness
and to avoid suffering; Adopting the right mental attitude; Compassion; How to
cultivate compassion; The sevenfold cause and effect method; The method of
equalising and exchanging self for others; How are the two methods different? {t.+0}
Types of bodhicitta; Increasing our intention to
benefit others; Examining our own experiences; What is the bodhicitta mind?;
True bodhicitta; Developing the mind. {t.+0}
We need to train in positive mental attitudes;
Generating a bodhicitta mind; Recognising and understanding the value of
bodhicitta; Obstacles to bodhicitta need to be removed; Create merit and purify
negativities; Making offerings to increase merit; Combining bodhicitta with
purification and the accumulation of merit; Conscientiousness; Mindfulness and
introspection. {t.+0}
v. 42. {t.0}
Introspection and alertness; It all depends on how we think; How do we apply mindfulness and alertness?; Karma manifests as our own experience; How spiritual progress is measured. {t.+0}
vv. 43, 44, 45, 46, 47. {t.0}
Mindfulness and alertness in daily life; The time to apply mindfulness and alertness is now; Completing one thing at a time; Take care with your speech and ‘mindless’ habits. {t.+0}
vv. 48, 49, 50. {t.0}
Alertness; Discipline your own mind; Pride. {t.+0}
vv. 51, 52. {t.0}
There is no limit to how much we can train our mind; The need for mindfulness; Recognising other forms of afflicition. {t.+0}
vv. 53, 54, 55. {t.0}
Two main means of seeking happiness; Our mind is luminous and clear; Training and developing the mind; Applying mindfulness and alertness; Three types of laziness. {t.+0}
What brings happiness and suffering?; There are
many different states of mind; Cultivating a strong recognition of downfalls. {t.+0}
vv. 56, 57. {t.0}
The law of karma; The result of karma; Overcoming mental afflictions; Maintaining a pure mental attitude; The precious human rebirth. {t.+0}
v. 58. {t.0}
Realising our full potential; Meditating on this precious human rebirth; A verse for contemplation; Rare and fleeting opportunity. {t.+0}
We need to put the instructions into practice;
Meditation helps to stop distractions; The precious human rebirth; Clarifying
the words ‘attachment and desire’; Attachment is a harmful state of mind. {t.+0}