Alistair reads the 10th Chapter of Shantideva's "Way of the Bodhisattva"
Last Thursday, I recited the whole of the last chapter of Shantideva's Bodhicharyavatara for the group.
This last chapter, the dedication of the book, is widely considered to be one of the greatest masterpieces of Buddhist literature and for good reason.
It's a 54-stanza exploration of the phrase "May all beings be well". That optative case in grammar is not a desire ("I want all beings to be well") nor a command ("All beings must be well"). Rather, it is a subjectless wish ("May beings be well") which mirrors the self-less love that bodhicitta represents in Buddhism. There is no "I" straining or craving or commanding or demanding. Just the space for this vision to unfold.
Notably, Shantideva repeatedly links the fruition of this vision to his own actions and merit. It's not a remote utopia but rather a reality that is created by the actions that you and I do in the world, moment to moment.
In the legend of the composition of this work, Shantideva, who had started to levitate during the 9th "Wisdom" chapter, was now high above the crowd at Nalanda as he offered these poetic words. I like to think of him disappearing into space as he delivers the famous last few stanzas.
I hope you enjoy it as an audio recording...
The text I read is from the Padmakara Translation version published by Shambhala, and the music is Julianna Barwick's Healing is a Miracle
It's incredibly moving and thanks indeed for making us aware of it's existence 🙏