For the Benefit of All Beings: A Commentary on the Way of the Bodhisattva

142 Pages·2011·0.65 MB·English

by  H.H. the Dalai Lama

“On many levels, the book is splendid as both an introduction to
Buddhist spirituality and an explication of Shantideva for
contemporary Westerners.”
—Library Journal
“One does not have to be a Buddhist to appreciate the beauty of the
teachings and the simplicity of the life presented here. Indeed, non-
Buddhists may discover a refreshing new approach to the doctrines of
‘love your neighbor,’ and ‘do unto others.’”
—Booklist
ABOUT THE BOOK
The fourteenth Dalai Lama, a living embodiment of the bodhisattva
ideal, presents detailed practical guidance based on sections of The
Way of the Bodhisattva by Shantideva, the best-known text of
Mahayana Buddhism. The Dalai Lama explains this classic and
beloved work, showing how anyone can develop a truly “good heart”
and the aspiration for the enlightenment of all beings. In this book, the
Dalai Lama’s profound knowledge is evident—the result of extensive
training. Here he shares his extraordinary insight into the human
condition and what it means to be a responsible and caring person.
HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA, Tenzin Gyatso, was born in
1935 in the province of Amdo in eastern Tibet. When he was two
years old he was recognized as the fourteenth in the line of Dalai
Lamas, the spiritual masters who for three centuries had governed the
country. After China invaded Tibet, the Dalai Lama took refuge in
Northern India, where he has led and inspired the Tibetan community
in exile.
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Shambhala Publications, Inc.
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© 1994 by Association Bouddhiste des Centres de Dordogne
Translation of the Way of the Bodhisattva
© 1997, 2006 by the Padmakara Translation Group.
For the Benefit of All Beings is an updated edition of a book previously published as A Flash of Lightning in
the Dark of Night (Shambhala, 1994).
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without
permission in writing from the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Bstan-’dzin-rgya-mtsho, Dalai Lama xiv, 1935–
[Flash of lightning in the dark of night]
For the benefit of all beings: a commentary on The way of the Bodhisattva / Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth
Dalai Lama, foreword by Tulku Pema Wangya; translated from the Tibetan by the Padmakara Translation
Group.
p. cm.—(Shambhala classics)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
eISBN 978-0-8348-2411-9
ISBN 978-1-59030-693-2 (pbk.: alk. paper)
1. Santideva, 7th cent. Bodhicaryavatara. 2. Mahayana Buddhism—Doctrines. I. Santideva, 7th cent.
Bodhicaryavatara. English. II. Title. BQ3147.b774 2009
BQ3147.b774 2009
294.3′ 85—dc22
2008044079
CONTENTS

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Translators’ Note

Introduction: The Way of the Bodhisattva

1. The Benefits of Bodhichitta

2. Offering and Purification

3. Embracing Bodhichitta

4. Carefulness

5. Attentiveness

6. Patience

7. Endeavor

8. Meditative Concentration
9. Wisdom

10. Dedication

Notes

Glossary

Bibliography

Index
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PUBLISHER’S NOTE
This book contains many Sanskrit diacritics and special characters. If you
encounter difficulty displaying these characters, please set your e-reader device
to publisher defaults (if available) or to an alternate font.
FOREWORD
HIS HOLINESS the Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, was born in 1935 in the province
of Amdo in eastern Tibet. When he was two years old he was recognized as the
fourteenth in the line of Dalai Lamas, the spiritual masters who for three
centuries had governed a country three times the size of France that was united
and independent throughout its two-thousand-year history.
In 1950, Communist China invaded Tibet under the pretext of bringing about
a “peaceful liberation.” In reality what this entailed was the destruction of an
entire people and its culture. Today, both are threatened with extinction.
One man, the Dalai Lama, was to become the symbol of the dramatic fight for
the survival of Tibet as a nation. Since 1959, as a refugee in Dharmasala, North
India, he has led and inspired the Tibetan community in exile. As a spokesman
for nonviolence, he has worked untiringly for world peace. As a spiritual teacher
communicating his wisdom and his experience of altruism with great simplicity,
he is universally respected and venerated by millions of Buddhists who regard
him as the Buddha of Compassion. For him, Buddhism is not a dogma or
religion but a way of life, a source of happiness, inner peace, and wisdom. It
awakens in us kindness and love, teaching us to protect every living thing on this
earth. This is why he emphasizes universal responsibility, the awareness that
each one of us, as a member of the human family, can be a worker for peace and
a protector of the environment: “Outer disarmament comes from inner
disarmament. The only true guarantee of peace lies within ourselves.”
It was in this spirit that His Holiness taught for a whole week in August 1991
in Dordogne, southwestern France. Commenting on one of the greatest poetic
works in Buddhist literature, Shāntideva’s
Bodhicharyāvatāra (The Way of the Bodhisattva), he introduced several
thousand people to the way of compassion, the path of the Bodhisattvas who,
overwhelmed by the suffering of beings, take the vow to perfect themselves in
order to liberate others. Despite the fact that His Holiness has given this teaching
many times, so truly and fully does he live this ideal that on occasion he himself
was moved to tears by the beauty of Shāntideva’s text.
Just like this great Indian master of the eighth century, the Dalai Lama talks
about human nature in simple and moving terms. He urges us to develop the
potential we all have for love and kindness. Appealing to our everyday
experience, he shows us how to become goodhearted people and give our lives