Last Updated on October 9, 2022 by pg@petergamma.org
Shantideva (685 – 763) was a king’s son from southern India who became a monk in the monastery of Nalanda. Shantideva was the author of the two books “Bodhicharyavatara” (entry into the path of enlightenment) and the “Shikshasamuccaya” (collection of rules), which deal with the lifestyle and ethics of a Bodhisattva. The Bodhicharyavatara in particular is one of the classics of Mahayana Buddhism (from Wikipedia).
- Shantideva was promoting the idea that we should completely renounce all activities which are focused on this present life, and train in the discipline of training the mind.
- The monks in his monastry began to say, Shantideva realized the three wisdoms of:
1. Eating
2. Sleeping
3. Going to the bathroom
- According to Shantideva himself, he did not say anything really new. But there was something about the way he digested the teachings and lived them. It is a recipe which Pema Chodron says she is starving to eat. We also. A recipe which differs strongly from Richard Davidson’s recipe.
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