Shanti
(By Tsem Rinpoche)
May I be a guard for those who are protectorless
A guide for those who journey on the road;
For those who wish to go across the water,
May I be a boat, a raft, a bridge.May I be an isle for those who yearn for landfall,
And a lamp for those who long for light;
For those who need a resting place, a bed;
For all who need a servant, may I be a slave.May I be the wishing jewel, the vase of plenty,
A word of power, and the supreme remedy.
May I be the trees of miracles,
And for every being, the abundant cow.Like the great earth and the other elements,
Enduring as the sky itself endures,
For the boundless multitude of living beings,
May I be the ground and vessel of their life.Thus, for every single thing that lives,
In number like the boundless reaches of the sky,
May I be their sustenance and nourishment
Until they pass beyond the bounds of suffering.– Bodhicharyavatara (“A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life”) by Shantideva
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Meaningful poem composed by the 8th century Buddhist Sage Shantideva. Shantideva’s masterpiece shows the way to transcend the limitations of selfishness and realize the boundless compassion of the Bodhisattva. The goal of a Bodhisattva is nothing less than benefiting others and helping others to achieve enlightenment . When people achieve enlightenment, they become free from samsara , rebirth and suffering. Reading this poem again tells us a thousand words, inspiration poem to ponder.
Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing.
Meaningful and thoughtful reading through this poem written by Shantideva in the book Bodhicharyavatara (“A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life”) . Shantideva was an 8th-century CE Indian philosopher, Buddhist monk, poet and scholar at the university at Nalanda. Shantideva was a prince who became a monk and studied in the legendary Nalanda university. A beautiful life story of this Indian monk.
Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing.
The Bodhicharyavatara sometimes translated into English as A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, is a Mahayana Buddhist text written c. 700 AD in Sanskrit verse by Shantideva. A beautiful poem written by Shantideva, a famous scholar and yogi of India in the 8th century. He was a prince who became a monk and studied in the legendary Nalanda university. He was devoted to Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom. According to legend, he was greatly inspired by the bodhisattva Manjushri, from whom he secretly received teachings and great insights.
Reading this poems will definitely let us think and contemplating the meaning behind it which has an effect on our mind. Very meaningful and thoughtful.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this meaningful poem.
A famous and universally loved poem for daily living composed by the 8th century Buddhist Sage Shantideva.
Which has inspired many generations of Buddhists and non-Buddhists.Reading these verses slowly, while contemplating their meaning, has a profoundly liberating effect on the mind. The poem invokes special positive states of mind, moves us from suffering and conflict to happiness and peace, and gradually introduces us to the entire Mahayana Buddhist path to enlightenment.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this fabulous peom.
Very beautiful poem!
In this poem I can only read selfless giving in every single line.
To give without reserving. Buddhas have achieved this. For we, the normal human beings, we can only work our best to give without thinking too much about benefits or pay backs. It may be hard to do this sometimes, but I feel that it is better that at least we try and hence during the process we can cultivate this good quality.
Trying is better than not doing anything at all.
When I see the word Shanti I use to think its just a word for peace. The Hindu likes to use Shanti as a name for their children or words to be used as a signing off for a prayer. Shantideva’s prayers come in the form of verses or poems. Shantideva tells us about how Boddhisattva’s way of savings people from the hell realm is to make sacrifice in savings Sentient Beings. Be it animals or human beings. Chenrezig is a Boddhisattva. She could have become a Buddha but sacrifice to stay on in Samsara to save Sentient Beings as a Boddhisattva. It is said she will not be a Buddha until all Sentient Beings in Samsara have been saved.
It reminds me of Saint Francis prayer, much loved by Mother Teresa:”Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon:
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope
where there is darkness, light
where there is sadness, joy
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Amen.”
“Mother Teresa of Calcutta made it part of the morning prayers of the Roman Catholic religious order she established, the Missionaries of Charity. She attributed importance to it when receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo in 1979 and asked that it be recited.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer_of_Saint_Francis
May all beings abide by such sublime thoughts!
Thanks Rinpoche for the Sharing.
Personally in my humble opinion, all the verses of Shantideva (also the Shantideva dedication) is very meaningful and well thought.