Hi Hoseki
This is a pretty important text in Tibetan Buddhism, especially in the Geluk/Gelug school and I have studied it a bit as part of that. I have read three translations I think and my preference is for the
Alan Wallace one, but most seem fine and capture the essentials of the text. I also read HH Dalai Lama's commentary on the text
A Flash of Lightning in the Dark of Night.
There is are translations of the first three chapters available from Lotsawa House:
https://www.lotsawahouse.org/topics/bodhicharyavatara/
And a full PDF of Stephen Batchelor's translation:
https://www.tibethouse.jp/about/budd...ay_English.pdf
The author of the Bodhicaryāvatāra was an Indian monk called Śāntideva (Shantideva) who lived from 685-763 CE. He was a scholar of Nagarjuna's philosophy and parts of the text are clearly based on that, especially chapter nine the wisdom chapter which is a pretty clear exposition of Nagarjuna's Madhyamaka philosophy.
There are some beautiful parts of the text on reasons to generate bodhicitta (the mind set on awakening) and on being of service to all beings, and much is based on inspiring monks and other would-be bodhisattvas to do that. It follows a quite Tibetan model of practice in terms of taking refuge, confessing, making offerings etc.
One part is preserved as a Tibetan Buddhist prayer:
May I become at all times, both now and forever
A protector of those without protection
A guide for those who have lost their way
A ship for those with oceans to cross
A bridge for those with rivers to cross
A sanctuary for those in danger
A lamp for those without light
A place of refuge for those who lack shelter
And a servant to all in need
For as long as space endures,
And for as long as living beings remain,
Until then may I, too, abide
To dispel the misery of the world.
In other places, the text reads quite conservative, especially to Zen eyes and, to me, not unlike some Biblical verses, in their exhortation to practice and trying to create fear such as these verses from the second chapter:
While I am lying in bed ,
Although surrounded by my friends and relatives,
The feeling of life being severed
Will not experienced by me alone.
When seized by the messengers of death,
What benefit will friends and relatives afford?
My merit alone shall protect me then,
But upon that I have never relied.
0 Protectors! I, so unconcerned,
Unaware of such terror as this,
Accumulated a great deal of evil
For the sake of this transient life.
Petrified is the person
Today being led to a torture chamber.
With dry mouth and dreadful sunken eyes.
His entire appearance is transfigured.
In other places there is much beseeching and torment, and reference to the hell realms! This may just be how it is translated but it seems pretty consistent across most translations so seems to be the style it was written in.
Many of the chapters deal with some of the six perfections of a bodhisattva, namely patience (chap 6), enthusiasm (chap 7), meditation (chap 8) and wisdom (chap 9). There are some wise words in there and interesting verses such as this which takes a pretty Zen view on holiness:
Should others talk badly of or even destroy
Holy images, reliquaries and the sacred Dharma.
It is improper for me to resent it
For the Buddhas can never be injured.
The legend behind the composition of the Bodhicaryāvatāra is that in his own monastery, Śāntideva was only ever seen to sleep, eat and go to the bathroom. For this reason, his fellow monks sarcastically named him 'The three realisations'.
One day he was asked to give a lecture in the dharma hall and he asked if it should be an existing text or something original. Thinking it would be humiliating for him to compose something, the monks asked for something original.
So, when the moment came, he gave his lecture and began reciting the Bodhicaryāvatāra and when he got to the ninth (wisdom) chapter, his body rose up from the dais and he disappeared into the sky.
In summary, I think this is an interesting text to read in terms of the history of the development of Mahayana Buddhism, but not really essential to Zen practice or in a style that fits our way. Tibetan Buddhism comes far more directly from texts such as that and the lojong (mind training) teachings of Atisha whereas Zen seems to come more out of the Lankavatara Sutra and Yogacara teachings initially and then the Prajnaparamita literature.
Anyway, it is not a long read so worth having a peek and you may be more enamoured with it than I am. For all of its plaudits it was never a favourite of mine.
Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday/lah-