Lama Zopa Rinpoche, one of the great living masters of Tibetan Buddhism, guides us through one of the core practices of the bodhisattvas, using a classic, revered text as a guide.
The sixth chapter of Shantidevaâs classic A Guide to the Bodhisattvaâs Way of Life is a beacon of inspiration that shows what patienceâone of the essential actions of the bodhisattvasâcan really mean, leading us to profound self-realization and a heightened determination for awakened action in the world.
Lama Zopa Rinpocheâa teacher whose very name means âpatienceââexplores Shantidevaâs teachings verse by verse, unpacking their lessons for the modern reader, including:
overcoming anger, accepting suffering, and respecting others and finding happiness in their happiness.
In explaining this quintessential quality of a bodhisattva, Rinpoche shows us ordinary beings the profundity of the practice of patience and the relevance it has in our everyday lives.
âShantideva was like us, but he worked on his mind until he became completely free from delusions . . . A Guide to the Bodhisattvaâs Way of Life has inspired countless people since it was written over thirteen hundred years ago. It tells us that we too can develop our mind to the levels of realizations that the great masters have attainedâand it shows us how to do it.ââLama Zopa Rinpoche