Shantideva's Bodhisattva-charyavatara

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wisdom
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Shantideva's Bodhisattva-charyavatara

Post by wisdom »

I found this work and I'm sure most of you are familiar with it, but its very interesting. It has extensive commentary. When I compiled the 5 PDF's it amounts to about 1500 pages. Its transliterated Tibetan and translated English as well.

http://www.kunpal.com/
[195] Going for refuge in the manner of taking the saṃgha as the guide means that one’s
friends are the noble saṃgha. For instance, if one travels to Lhasa, one follows exactly
what the tour leader [sgar dpon] does, because he is one’s guide [grogs]. All others who
do not go there (to Lhasa) or only go part of the way, are not one’s guides. Likewise, in
conversation, thinking and behavior, do not imitate [gcig tu mi byed] anyone, ordained
or lay, who distracts you into negative worldly actions of the eight worldly concerns.

[196] Even the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas are not one’s (ultimate) guides. Commit
yourself by thinking, “I will follow exactly the life (style) of the sons of the Victor, the
bodhisattvas. They are my (ultimate) guides. I will not associate myself with people
who lead me away from the path of the dharma.” In this way one goes for refuge (to
the three jewels) as the teacher, the path and the guide. This is a very sublime point.

[197] It is not enough to just know how to go for refuge. One needs to receive the refuge
precepts from a master in the right way. Having received them, one must observe the
precepts, which are twofold: the special [thun min] and the general [thun mong]
precepts. The first has three: precepts concerning prohibitions, precepts concerning
obligations, and supplementary precepts.

[198] First, (the three precepts concerning prohibitions): (1) “Having gone for refuge to the
Buddha, I will not consider saṃsāric deities as my permanent refuge and will not
present prostrations or offerings to them. (2) Having gone for refuge to the dharma, I
will refrain from harming and injuring beings, not even in dreams. I will strive to
protect them as much as I can. (3) Having gone for refuge to the saṃgha, I will not
associate myself with real tīrtikas or those who have no faith in my teacher or the
dharma and who slander them.
:buddha1:
Jnana
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Joined: Tue Nov 16, 2010 12:58 pm

Re: Shantideva's Bodhisattva-charyavatara

Post by Jnana »

A good commentary on an important text.

I wonder if Kretschmar ever plans to post more of the translation online?

BTW, the same commentary has been translated by the Padmakara Translation Group and published as The Nectar of Manjushri's Speech.
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