Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra

The Bodhisattvacharyāvatāra or Bodhicaryavatāra, sometimes translated into English as A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life, is a famous Mahāyāna Buddhist text written in Sanskrit verse by Shantideva (Śāntideva), a Buddhist monk at Nālandā Monastic University in India around 700 A.D. It has ten chapters dedicated to the development of bodhicitta (the mind of enlightenment) through the practice of the six perfections (Skt. Pāramitās). The text begins with a chapter describing the benefits of the wish to reach enlightenment. The sixth chapter on the Pāramitā of patience, (Skt. , kshanti), is considered by many Buddhists to be the pinnacle of writing on this subject and is the source of numerous quotations attributed to Śāntideva. Tibetan scholars consider the ninth "Wisdom" chapter to be one of the most succinct expositions of the Madhyamaka view. The tenth chapter is used as one of the most popular Mahāyāna prayers. 
Many Tibetan scholars have written commentaries on this text. 
==Chapter summary==
* 1. The benefits of bodhicitta (the wish to reach full enlightenment for others)
* 2. Purifying bad deeds
* 3. Adopting the spirit of enlightenment
* 4. Using conscientiousness
* 5. Guarding awareness
* 6. The practice of patience
* 7. The practice of joyous effort
* 8. The practice of meditative concentration
* 9. The perfection of wisdom
* 10. Dedication
==Exegetical discourse and commentary==
Many Tibetan scholars have written commentaries on this text, such as Ju Mipham, for example.
===Mipham's Commentary to Chapter Nine===
Pettit (1999: p. 129) holds that 'apperception' (Wylie: rang rig) is key to Mipham's (1846–1912) system of epistemology and hermeneutics and that apperception is central to his commentary to the ninth chapter of the Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra.
==Translations==
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===Commentaries & Studies in English===
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==References==
==External links==
*The Bodhicaryavatara at BuddhaNet
*Engaging in Bodhisattva Behavior - Shantideva english pdf at The Berzin Archives
*Shantideva Online
*Bodhicharyavatara Series - Lotsawa House
*Translation of five chapters of a famous Tibetan commentary by Khenpo Kunpal
*Bodhicaryavatara: Sanskrit
*Extract from the Benefits of Bodhichitta (Chapter One) by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso and Neil Elliott
Category:Mahayana texts
Category:Tibetan Buddhist texts
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