Zen in Ten: "God of Peace"
The Big-Hearted Wisdom of Shantideva & Pema Chödrön
“Shantideva was a scholar in the eighth century from the monastic university Nalanda, one of the most celebrated centers of learning in ancient India. His name means “God of Peace.” According to legend, Shantideva was greatly inspired by the celestial bodhisattva Manjushri, from whom he secretly received teachings and great insights. Yet as far as the other monks could tell, there was nothing special about Shantideva. In fact, he seemed to do nothing but eat and sleep. In an attempt to embarrass him, the monks forced Shantideva's hand by convincing him to publicly expound on the scriptures. To the amazement of all in attendance that day, Shantideva delivered the original and moving verses of the Bodhicharyavatara [The Way of the Bodhisattva]. When he reached verse thirty-four of the ninth chapter, he began to rise into the sky, until he at last disappeared. Following this, Shantideva became a great teacher.”1
Boldfaced quotes are Shantideva’s verse, and the other ones are Pema Chodron’s commentary.
“Those who wish to overcome the sorrows of their lives, And put to flight the pain and suffering of beings, Those who wish to win such great beatitude, Should never turn their back on bodhichitta.” v.1.8
In the first two lines, Shantideva addresses Buddha’s main teaching of ending personal suffering and the Mahayana bodhisattva vow of freeing “everyone without exception from pain.”
“Should bodhichitta come to birth In one who suffers in the dungeons of samsara, In that instant he is called the buddhas’ heir, Worshipful alike to gods and men.” v.1.9
“Even when we feel trapped in repetitive habits, we can feel kindness and empathy for others. . . . Everything in the dungeons of samsara is a candidate for awakening a compassionate heart.”
“All other virtues, like the plantain tree, Produce their fruit, but then their force is spent. Alone the marvelous tree of bodhichitta Will bear its fruit and grow unceasingly.” v.1.12
“Bodhichitta is compared to a wish-fulfilling tree that produces fruit forever. If our help is motivated by the longing to free [someone] from confusion, it will bear fruit until they attain enlightenment. A simple act of kindness with bodhichitta intention can open us to this expansive possibility.”
“Bodhichitta, the awakening mind, In brief is said to have two aspects: First, aspiring, bodhichitta in intention; Then, active bodhichitta, practical engagement.” v.1.15
“Intention bodhichitta is a powerful way to work with situations we don’t feel ready to handle. For example, by simply aspiring to give away something we’re attached to, we train our fearful mind to let go. Then active bodhichitta—in this case, the ability to literally give—will come about in time. If we equated ‘giving’ with ‘freedom from craving,’ then we become more eager to act, even if it causes some pain.”
“Bodhichitta in intention bears rich fruit For those still wandering in samsara. And yet a ceaseless stream of merit does not flow from it; For this will rise alone from active bodhichitta.” v.1.17
“Aspiration bodhichitta brings enormous benefit. . . . At the level of intention, we begin with what’s manageable and let our understanding evolve. By the time we’re able to act on our intention, we have realized something profound: we’ve understood that selfless action liberates us from fear and sorrow.”
“For beings do not wish their own true good, So how could they intend such good for others’ sake? This state of mind so precious and so rare Arises truly wondrous, never seen before.” v.1.25
“When Shantideva talks about those who do not wish their own true good, he’s referring to most of us. Working with habitual patterns is not usually our priority. Most of us are not impassioned about deescalating our emotions and prejudices or awakening bodhichitta. This true good is not our main focus. . . .[The] opportunity to awaken bodhichitta is so precious and so rare. To experience something that liberates us from the narrow-mindedness of our biases and preconceptions is truly wondrous.”
“For beings long to free themselves from misery, But misery itself they follow and pursue. They long for joy, but in their ignorance Destroy it, as they would a hated enemy.” v.1.28
“Although we long to free ourselves from misery, it is misery itself we follow and pursue. We may assume we do crazy things intentionally, but in truth these actions aren’t always volitional. We long for joy and do the very things that destroy our peace of mind. If we’re going to help other people get free, we have to work compassionately with our own unfortunate tendencies.”
“What need is there to speak of those Who constantly bestow on boundless multitudes The peerless joy of blissful buddhahood, The ultimate fulfillment of their hopes?” v.1.32
“When we give money to homeless men and women, we could aspire for them to be free of all their pain. We could aspire to extend our own comfort and happiness to them and to homeless people everywhere. Even more to the point, we could recognize how much we have in common and give freely without resentment or condescension.”
“And those who harbor evil in their minds Against such lords of generosity, the Buddha’s heirs, Will stay in hell, the Mighty One has said, For ages equal to the moments of their malice.” v.1.34
“To understand this reference [to hell] from a Buddhist perspective, we look to cause and effect and the way we continually imprint our minds. We sow the seeds of our future hells or happiness by the way we open or close our minds right now. . . . Hell is the manifestation of the vindictive mind. . . . Harboring hatred toward anyone produces an anguished frame of mind. We remain in this hellish state for ages equal to the moments of our wrath—in other words, for as long as we hold on to our hatred, instead of letting it go.”
“By contrast, good and virtuous thoughts Will yield abundant fruits in greater measure. Even in adversity, the bodhisattvas Never bring forth evil—only an increasing stream of goodness.” v.1.35
“Virtuous thoughts, on the other hand, bring us happiness. Instead of separating us and making us feel more cut off and afraid, they bring us closer to others. . . . When hard times make us more selfish and withdrawn, we could see this as our moment of truth. Transformation can occur right in this painful place. Instead of the evil of more neurosis and harshness, adversity can bring about humility and empathy.”2
https://www.shambhala.com/authors/o-t/shantideva.html
Chodron, Pema. No Time to Lose: A Timely Guide to the Way of the Bodhisattva. Boston & London, Shambhala, 2007.
I love that selfless action liberates us from fear and sorrow!
Hi Patient Condor (I love this name, BTW!), when we are liberated from the constrictions of an independent, solid self, then fear for sure slowly melts away. I think sorrow, if it's a sadness that feels the cries of the world, can be helpful for cultivated compassion and empathy. However, if it's a "poor me" sorrow, then that's the constriction self asking for some gentle, loving attention so it can be released and transformed. Bows.