Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life: How to Enjoy a Life of Great Meaning and Altruism

There are a few translations of Shantideva's discourse out there. I got this one because my teacher suggested it as an alternative to another which she was working from. Her purpose was to show how different scholars can offer alternative readings of the text. And that hearing or reading those alternatives can be useful in getting the essence of the teachings. As to the content of the discourse, it seems to make the most sense to me if I take it a little at a time, just two pages a day and let the meaning of those two pages sink in. If you take "Guide..." as a long poem admonishing a group of monks to stick with the precepts of their order, it really doesn't make a lot of a sense to a layperson with no background in Buddhism. On the other hand, if you have been doing a bit of meditation and have been attempting to apply that practice to your daily encounters with people and to your own habits, Shantideva's "Guide.." is a very useful book.

The GUIDE TO BODHISATTVA'S WAY OF LIFE is the ancient, 8th Century Buddhist classic that the 14th Dalai Lama says is his own most fundamental reference work for Buddhism.The copy I have of this book is a 2005 reprint (not a revised edition) of the original, 1979, English translation edition of this 8th Century classic. This version was published by the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives (LTWA). Amazon states that there have now been six printings of a revised edition of LTWA's original, 1979 edition, with presumably a fresh translation, and perhaps revised commentary. However, the only edition I have reference to is LTWA's original, 1979 edition, which I rate as three stars, i.e., "It's O.K."The original, 8th Century classic work, on which LTWA's 1979 translation is based, is in "verse," rather than in prose - and LTWA's modern, 1979 translation is likewise presented in verse, structured as stanzas.Tibetan translations of the original Sanskrit text of this work were made almost immediately (8th Century) after the original Sanskrit text became known. LTWA's 1979 edition is a translation from the Tibetan language of an 8th Century Tibetan translation, from the ancient Sanskrit language in which this poem was originally authored. Ergo, LTWA's edition is a TRANSLATION of a TRANSLATION. I do not know how different or similar the Tibetan language is to ancient Sanskrit, or how that may have affected modern, English translations. But the fact that LTWA's translation is from Tibetan may explain differences in the wording modern English translations of this work that are available on Amazon, in comparison to English translations from the original, ancient Sanskrit. The texts of the 8th Century Sanskrit versions of this classical work have survived.The brief "Forward" and the 2-page "Translator's Introduction" of LTWA's original, 1979 edition, is the least effective and informative of the prefatory, introductory material offered in the other three versions discussed here. However, that may have changed with LTWA's revised edition.Since I am unable to comment on the merits of the "revised edition" of the copy of LTWA's original, 1979, translation edition of this work, I will not speculate on the merits of LTWA's revised edition.What I can do is to note some issues regarding this ancient Buddhist classic, suggest some alternative versions, and make a recommendation.The first two alternative versions to LTWA's edition of this work are English translations from the original 8th Century Sanskrit text. Unlike LTWA's English translation, these two English translations from Sanskrit are not presented in a "verse," stanza format, but in prose.The first alternative version of this Buddhist classic is published by Snow Lion (1997), with the translators being Vesna A. Wallace and B. Alan Wallace. The literary quality of this translation is generally higher than that in LTWA's original, TRANSLATION of a TRANSLATION, reviewed above. The Snow Lion edition has other merits, such as 394 footnotes which primarily provide English translations of differences in Tibetan texts from the Sanskrit original, for comparison. Aside from the 394 footnotes, there is little commentary which, however, is excellent. I found the Snow Lion edition to be an attractive alternative, particularly because of its larger format.The second alternative version is published by Windhorse Publications (2002), which is a reprint of an edition originally published (1995) by Oxford University Press. The outstanding merits of this Windhorse edition, not shared by the two versions listed above, are (1) an excellent, authoritative General Introduction and other comments (30 pages); (2) introductory commentaries to each of the chapters of the original work; and (3) sixty-five pages of "Notes to the Text" - these are all extremely well written, informative, and very worthwhile to have. The Windhorse Publications edition of this work is entitled THE BODHICARYAVATARA: A GUIDE TO THE BUDDHIST PATH TO AWAKENING, a slight alteration in title which threw me when I was ordering Buddhist-themed books from Amazon.If you have any scholarly interest in this classic Buddhist text, then the Windhorse edition is a sine qua non. It is also the most expensive of the five versions noted here, by $ 3 to $ 4, but this is also the only edition where the book's binding is stitched - always worth a few extra dollars.Oddly, none of these versions, from various publishers, contain a subject index. However, an index may be difficult to create when dealing with an original "root" work which was written in "verse." In the absence of an index, to get your bearings with the basic text, you have to rely on the Table of Contents, which largely consists of Chapter headings to the original work, which have widely different translations in the editions of each of the four versions discussed in this review.At this juncture, I am going to really stick my neck out, make a 180 degree turn, and offer a recommendation.The last version of THE BODHICARYAVATARA which I suggest for consideration is a version authored by David Tuffley of Redland Bay, Australia - that is the only identification offered in this book. There is no publisher name, no date of publication, or, apparently, any ISBN number - nothing. No Preface, no Forward, no commentary, no notes, no bibliography - nothing, just an English "rendition" - not an academic "translation," but a rendition, or RETELLING - of the "root" text of this classic. Not withstanding the absence of publishing information about this book, I obtained my copy on Amazon, so you can too.The reason I find David Tuffley's translation to be so refreshingly attractive is the easy eloquence of its rendition of this ancient classic which, for educational reasons, I prefer to the other versions noted above. The "root" text of David Tuffley's version is unfettered by academic constraints, in varying degrees, as is the case of the English translations in the three other, academic versions listed above. However, I do value the other three versions of this classic Buddhist text, for academic and historical literary considerations. So I value these different versions for different reasons.David Tuffley's version is also the least expensive of the five versions reviewed here.David Tuffley's book does contain a one-page "Introduction," which makes these cogent and compelling remarks about his RETELLING (upper case is for emphasis): "Earlier English translations of this text are accurate but difficult to understand for many readers living in the 21st Century. The mode of expressing and the figures of speech are the product of that far-off time. This book faithfully RE-EXPRESSES in MODERN DAY LANGUAGE the underlying MESSAGE of the original text. Every effort has been made to preserve the underlying spirit of the message." This approach is in stark contrast with the academic translators, who anguish over taking any liberties with the original text, rather than effectively conveying its underlying "message." As David Tuffley appropriately says, his version of this Buddhist text is a classic "RETOLD."For certain purposes, for the general reader, the easy eloquence of this fourth and last version of this 8th Century Buddhist classic makes a more effective teaching "vehicle" than the other three, academic versions noted above, particularly if your interest is in understanding the "teachings" of Buddhist doctrine offered by this classical text, rather than an arcane, academic understanding of the literary attributes and qualities of the original Sanskrit text. This fourth and last version can also serve as sort of a "Rosetta Stone" for comparison purposes in deciphering or evaluating the English translations of the other three versions - even a general reader can gain a significant education by comparing these various versions of this Buddhist classic.There are other versions of this ancient classic offered by Amazon, one of which is published by an outstanding publisher of Buddhist titles, Shambhala - I have the Shanbhala Library version on order. I know from other publications from Shambhala that its "Padmakara Translation Group" appears to be second to none.

Great read

This is a terrific translation of Shantideva's classic poem, but, as a relative newcomer to Buddhist thought, I found it to be quite challenging. It is a text to be studied and savored. Despite its relatively short length, it still took me a couple of weeks to finish since I was constantly taking breaks to digest and interpret what was being said.I also must admit that, coming from a somewhat materialistic, Western background, it takes a shift in mental gears to focus on the needs of others as a means of gaining happiness.I'd also like to mention that this book is of a very high quality on the physical plane. The print is elegant. The texture of the paper is pleasing and the artwork is exceptional.

A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life (Bodhisattvacaryavatara) is a must have for anyone wishing to understand Mahayana buddhism, its truly a gem in the realm of spiritual texts. With this text alone one can find peace and learn how to maintain a level of equanimity during times of suffering and happiness alike. If you are just interested in a book on self help, this book is also great! There is no need to be buddhist to gain a lot of insight into human existence and our shared experience.

Clean, well packaged, arrived sooner than expected. Great source.

I have known several passages from this book. The whole book is satisfying and Batchelor makes it come alive. Very glad I bought it. Living up to it is a big ambition.

nice

This beautifully presented ancient text contains nuggets of wisdom which deserve profound meditation - probably far more profound than I can manage as yet! I am pretty new to things Buddhist and would certainly not claim to be anywhere near enlightment, but I have found this book useful as a source to dip into and savour. The presentation itself has been skillfully designed to draw the reader in to an attitude of serenity. Each section is prefaced by a beautiful line drawing which illustrates a key verse. The illustrations themselves are inspiring. The content, being ancient, is highly poetical and hence highly wordy. It is probably not the best introductory text for those unfamiliar with Buddhist thought. For those with some familiarity however it provides a clear and logical progression towards enlightenment. I am glad that I bought it and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in Buddhism seeking inspiration.

Fantastic book but one needs time and patience to digest it and practice it. I leave it and then go back to it. It will be with me until I die.

Brilliant guide, easy to understand, totally practical, really beautiful teachings. Would highly recommend.

Anything which encourages a more compassionate way of living and behaving deserves 5*s in my eyes

still pondering these great words,