Customer Reviews

The Way of the Bodhisattva: A Translation of the Bodhicharyavatara (Shambhala Dragon Editions)

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Shatideva's Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life is a very practical guide for those seeking to actualize the six perfections of Buddhism. It is a book that will reward your study over and over again, and is meant to be read and studied more than once. I have read three different translations of this work. The Shambala edition is the most poetic of the three and what it gains in poetry it slightly looses in meaning. My first choice is the version published by the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives. That is not to slight the Shambala edition though, for it merely presents another view of an immense landscape. If you have any interest in Buddhism and have some background in basic Buddhist ideas, read this book, and try your best to put it into practice.

Although being a good translation of the Bodhicaryavatara, my impression is that this English translation lags behind the one from Kate Crosby and Andrew Skilton. The reason is that the authors have tried to provide a more poetic version of the text, to the detriment of the accuracy in meaning. Although such an intent is laudable, the result is mitigated. The problem comes from the language with its too different cultural roots, English appears difficult for allowing a poetic translation of a text of this nature. For exanple, the French translation from Louis Finot achieves accuracy and poetry at the same time.

Nevertheless, the translation is still very good, and the comments are sufficiently detailed for the reader to grasp all the substance from this wonderful text.

This short book is the place to start if you genuinely aspire to understand and undertake Mahayana practice. (That in itself is a wonderful aspiration, and I sincerely thank you for it.) Why this translation, though?

The Padmakara Translation Committee does great work. They have chosen the tradition of practice and practical experience as the basis of their translation over scholarly adherance to the Sanskrit original, translating from the Tibetan text, informed also by many generations of disciplined practitioners including themselves. And the poetry is as good as it can be, which helps if you want to memorize parts of the text. This translation has at its back the energy and immediate relevance of living tradition and real practice, which is priceless.

As is sometimes the case with traditional Buddhism, though, some moments give the contemporary reader pause; Shantideva's comments on women, like Milarepa's, come immediately to mind. The reader would do well to ask his or her teacher about this, IMHO, or find a teacher and ask.

Finally, a special note for those involved in Chogyam Trungpa's Shambhala community: Shantideva relies heavily on warrior imagery and metaphors of spiritual warfare that you may find illuminating in the context of Shambhala Training, Trungpa Rinpoche's comments on the warrior's practice, and Kalachakra teachings generally.

This book means so much to me. It has changed my outlook on life, and has given me a lot of comfort. I was raised Baptist and maintain a lot of the Christian values. Mahayana Buddhist values fit quite nicely. I have found a new kind of happiness and learned, or at least I try, to appreciate every experience in my life, whether it is painful or not. I know this sounds cliche, but this book has changed my life, and I think anyone with an open mind will find comfort from the verses within this text.

As a reader of just about everything that the Dalai Lama and Lama Surya Das have written this was my first venture into reading a traditional buddhist text. i agonised over the decision as to which translation to get as i was unsure whether it would be too technical for me given that the book is an ancient buddhist text. it is also written in short verses which also made it interesting from a readability point of view.

I had nothing to fear as the book is very readable and easy to understand. It provides great guidance on just about every aspect of life. I read it on the train to work every morning and it is a great way to start the day. I think it has really accelerated my understanding of buddhism and helped me incorporate the principles into my daily life. As with any dose of buddhism i have been feeling much happier and life is much more in perspective.

I have found this book an easy read and a valuable companion, if you aren't sure as to which translation to get or are a bit of a buddhist beginner I would recommend this one without hesitation.

The Padmakara translation group can be relied upon consistently to produce work of the highest standard. As the Buddhist traditions grow deeper roots in the Western world there are more scholar/practitioners capable of presenting their tradition with both scholarly rigour and the understanding that can only be gained through experience. This dual capacity is evident in Padmakara's translations of classic texts.
This present translation examplifies such excellent work. I already own a copy of Stephen Batchelor's translation of this text: "Guide to Bodhisattva's Way of Life," but am happy to have also purchased this excellent translation. As a Buddhist bibiliophile I am of the opinion that studying more than one good translation of such central texts as this aids one's understanding.
This work of Shantideva's is very highly regarded in Tibetan Buddhist traditions as offering a thorough grounding in the principles of the Mahayana. The simplest possible presentation of the content of this book would be to say that its twin foci are wisdom and compassion: the wisdom that cognises emptiness and the compassion that embraces all living beings without exception. The whole topic is unfolded through nearly a thousand four-line verses.
Thanks to the people of Padmakara for "The Words of my Perfect Teacher" as well, it has to be one of my favourite books.
Good reading, Richard Wrigley.

This book is wonderful, and this edition is very good. It is translated very well, in flowing verse. It has been a wonderful asset to my practice - not only elucidating ideas I have struggled with, but providing inspiration to keep practicing.

I highly reccommend this book as a cornerstone to Buddhist practice.

This is a great introduction into the practice of Mahayana Buddhism! Sometimes the translation seems to get in the way of the message, but this is not the case in this instance. If you want to make the world a better place, buy a copy of this book for yourself and one for a friend. I read the book through in its entirety when I first recieved it, and lately have been going back to it, opening pages at random and reading sections that stand out to me. It's almost as if relevant verses leap out of the page.

This is the best translation yet of one of the basic and most profound Buddhist texts. It can be read and re-read endlessly with new treasures uncovered each time.

People new to the Dharma should probably hold off reading this as the concepts and terminology are geared toward the committed practitioner. If you have a good grasp of boddhichitta and strong will to follow the Bodhisattva path, then this book is essential reading.