Shantideva

Shantideva was an 8th-century Indian Buddhist scholar and adherent of the Prasangika Madhyamaka philosophy, renowned as the author of the Bodhicaryavatara

Bodhicaryavatara

Chapter 3
Online text at bodhicitta.net

• In the spiritual energy that relieves
  The anguish of beings in misery and
  Places depressed beings in eternal joy
  I lift up my heart and rejoice.

• In the ocean-like virtue of the Bodhimind
  That brings joy to all beings
  And in accomplishing the well-being of others,
  I lift up my heart and rejoice.

• To the Buddhas of the ten directions
  I join my hands in respect
  Let blaze the light of Dharmas truth
  For the beings lost in darkness

• To the Buddhas considering parinirvarna
  I join my hands in prayer
  Do not abandon the beings in sorrow
  But remain and teach for countless ages.

• May any spiritual energy thus generated
  By my devotion to the enlightened ones
  Be dedicated to dispelling the misery
  Of living beings without exception.

• As long as diseases afflict living beings
  May I be the doctor, the medicine
  And also the nurse
  Who restores them to health.

• May I fall as rain to increase
  The harvests that must feed living beings
  And in ages of dire famine
  May I myself serve as food and drink.

• My body, every possession
  And all goodness, past, present and future
  Without remorse I dedicate
  To the well-being of the world.

• Suffering is transcended by total surrender
  And the mind attains to nirvana.
  As one day all must be given up,
  Why not dedicate it now to universal happiness?

• May no one who encounters me
  Ever have an insignificant contact.

• Regardless whether those whom I meet
  Respond towards me with anger or faith,
  May the mere fact of our meeting
  Contribute to the fulfilment of their wishes.

• May the slander, harm
  And all forms of abuse
  That anyone should direct towards me
  Act as a cause of their enlightenment.

• May I act as the mighty earth
  Or like the free and open skies
  To support and provide the space
  Whereby I and all others may grow.

• Until every being afflicted by pain
  Has reached nirvanas shores,
  May I serve only as a condition
  That encourages progress and joy.

• They who out of wisdom
  Have seized the supreme Bodhimind
  Praise, glorify and rejoice in it,
  That it may grow to fulfilment.

• Like a blind man fumbling in garbage
  Happens to find a rare and precious gem,
  Likewise I have discovered
  The jewel of the precious Bodhimind.
  Thus was found this supreme ambrosia to dispel
  The Lord of death, destroyer of life;
  An inexhaustible treasure able to cure
  The poverty of all sentient beings.

• The Bodhimind is a great radiant sun
  To disperse the darkness of unknowing,
  And it is the very essence of butters
  Gained from churning the milks of Dharma.
  For all guests on the roads of life
  Who would take the very substance of joy,
  Here is the actual seat of true happiness,
  A veritable feast to satiate the world.

• Thus today in the presence of all awakened Ones
  I invite every living being to this festival
  Giving both immediate and lasting joy.
  May the gods and all others rejoice.

Perfection of Forbearance

• His the knife, and mine the body
  the twofold cause of suffering.
  He has grasped the knife, I my body.
  At which is there anger?

• Those who injure me are really impelled by my actions.
  For this they will go to the realms of hell.
  Surely it is they who are harmed by me?

Attributed

• For as long as space remains
  And as long as sentient beings remain
  Until then may I too remain
  To dispel the suffering of all beings.

• If you can solve your problem, then what is the need of worrying?
  If you cannot solve it, then what is the use of worrying?

• If you have not even dreamed
  Of benefiting yourself
  Before dreaming of this for sentient beings,
  How could you be of benefit to others?

• What need is there to say more?
  The childish work for their own benefit,
  The buddhas work for the benefit of others.
  Just look at the difference between them.

• Whoever wishes to quickly afford protection
  To both himself and others
  Should practice that holy secret:
  The exchanging of self for others.

• You are not here to change the world. The world is here to change you.