One of the great classics of Buddhist literature, the Bodhicharyavatara,or Way of the Bodhisattva, is required reading for understanding Tibetan Buddhism. Shantideva was a seventh-century Buddhist master who taught at the great monastic university of Nalanda. Presented in the form of a personal meditation in verse, the Bodhicharyavatara outlines the path of the bodhisattvas—those who renounce the peace of their own salvation, vowing instead to attain enlightenment for the sake of all others. TheDalai Lamaonce remarked that his own understanding of the bodhisattva path is based entirely upon Shantideva’s text.

As long as space endures,
As long as sentient beings remain,
May I likewise remain
To dispel the sorrows of the world.
—Shantideva

The Way of Awakening is without question the most comprehensive single commentary on this text available. Expounded by an accomplished scholar and deeply realized meditator, it is a resource for a lifetime of study. Chapter by chapter and verse by verse, it maps theBodhicharyavatara, helping us to deepen our understanding of its teachings and apply them to our lives.

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