Customer Reviews

Meaningful to Behold: The Bodhisattva's Way of Life

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

I was at the course taught by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso at Manjushri Institute in Ulverston, England, that served as the basic text of this book. The state of mind of a fully enlightened Buddha is not truly known by many of us in the West; we just don't have living examples among us demonstrating for each living being, the exact same heartfelt love in action that a mother has for her child. In giving this commentary, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso provided the living example one could refer to in oneself becoming a Buddha. Meaningful to Behold is therefore more than an exquisitely clear and precise compilation of method. It is more than a step-by-step manual for the highest personal attainment. It is the expression of pure love expecting nothing in return that inspires us to become the best and happiest people that is possible for us. Nothing inspires us like absolute kindness; this is absolute kindness in its most helpful and instructive form. It shows us how to be happy beyond anything we can now imagine. A very worthwhile book.

Geshe Kelsang Gyatso has written an incredible commentary to Guide to the Bodhisattva's way of life, extracting the essential meaning of Shantideva's precious text and making it applicable to Western practioners in today's modern world.

Geshe Kelsang explains the complete path to enlightenment focusing specific chapters on how to successfully cultivate peaceful states of mind that ensure long-lasting happiness, and how to effectively eradicate negative states of mind that cause suffering and harm to others.

He explains in detail how to cultivate bodhichitta, the spontaneous mind that wishes for all living beings to be free from suffering and why that mind is so important for ourselves and others.

Geshe Kelsang also describes how to overcome our attachment and increase our love as well as other virtuous minds such as: patience , effort, concentration, and wisdom. He also gives an in-depth analysis of what the ultimate nature of reality is and why if we understand it, we can experience unlimited happiness.

This is an advanced text on Buddhist thought and meditation for the serious spiritual practitioner interested in deepening his/her insight into some of the more challenging tenents of Buddhism. It is incredibly inspiring and demonstrates clearly that the author Geshe Kelsang Gyatso is an extraordinary being.

This book is my favourite of all the books by this author. Chapter 8 is sublime as it explains how to develop love to its fullest potential. The whole theme of the book is that a highly advanced Buddhist monk is giving himself a teaching, often scolding himself & it is entertaining as well as inspiring.

This huge tome is a commentary on the 8th century master Shantideva's "Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life." It provides a step-by-step methodology in near-infinite detail. It's a definitive text. Interestingly, the Dalai Lama provides commentaries on two somewhat shorter texts (one by Asanga and one by Nagarjuna) on the same subject in his "Illuminating the Path to Enlightenment." This is a free book published by Ranjung Yeshe Publications. I have attended a weekend with Kelsang Gyatso including empowerments. It was certainly beneficial. This was the first of his books that I've read. It's one of the best of the 5 I've now read. It does, however, include list after list of entries in a very tightly organized outline-like format. I find such lists rather mythical because I believe the number in the list more important (and symbolic) than the list itself. Frequently such lists vary between authors and the entries don't seem to hang together too well. Nevertheless, this is a a fine commentary to one of (if not THE) classic text on the Bodhisattva Path.

The reversal in our way of thinking engendered by this book is not be underestimated. Geshe Kelsang Gyatso's commentary to Shantideva's Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life inspires me to emulate the actions and reactions of a compassionate being. It is a celebration of the virtues of selflessness.

As is often the case in Geshe Kelsang's books, original and often complex Sutras are explained quickly and simply. The original cannot otherwise be understood at all in this latter-day age.

You will find reading this is like grasping the ideas of a Buddhist practitioner of 1000yrs ago. Surprisingly forceful for a book mainly about compassion - a timeless treasure available to us for the first time.

This is the companion commentary to Shantideva's 'Guide To The Bodhisattva's Way of Life.' While there are several good commentaries to this Buddhist classic, it is as if this particular one were written by Shantideva himself! It's that good.

I recently bought this book and am now studying it through my local NKT Kadampa Center study programs. Meaningful to Behold is the commentary to Shantideva's 8th century poem "Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life." The poem is very profound, and it is very good luck for us in the modern world to have authentic commentary! And anyway, who does not wish to become a friend of the world? Imagine if everyone decided to do that.

The product description says:

"A verse-by-verse commentary on Shantideva's Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life, this exploration illustrates how to engage in a Bodhisattva's actions by transforming daily activities through a strong, compassionate wish to benefit others."

Considering the plethora of books commenting on Shantideva's very important book, one would be better served by reading any one of those versus this nonsense. The author of this book is the same rigid character who claims swatting a mosquito in anger will result in eons in the hell realm without any discussion of purification or karma in another one of his books, The New Meditation Handbook. He has a tendency to ignore some sides of an important issue like this.

Of note, is the across-the-board 5-star reviews. Where is the critical thinking? The Buddha said to use your wisdom. Did that mean almost cult-like fervor for the author? Remember, the author calls himself a Geshe even though he refused to take the Geshe test when offered. Would you buy a book about medical health self-help from a self-proclaimed "doctor" without a medical diploma? The same theory applies to the author of this book. Gyatso refused the Geshe test and is not a Geshe, period. Therefore, he is no more an authority on this subject than any other lay person.

The presently reviewed title suffers from the same problem. Comparing this interpretation to genuine and authentic Buddhist authors will instantly reveal the inadequacies of this volume. It reads like "pop" Buddhism for the "new age" Western Buddhist mind rather than as a serious commentary, which it purports to be.

Again, with all the other commentaries available on the Bodhisattva's Way of Life, pick a title written by a genuine and authentic Buddhist author instead of this cloudy book.

Postscript: I bought this book by Gyatso (and many others) when deeply into the New Kadampa Tradition. After April 22, 2008 (Google the date and the Dalai Lama), I came to realize the true nature of NKT and walked away from it.