Shantideva
Eighth-century Indian Mahayana Buddhist monk-scholar at the great university of Nalanda and author of the Bodhicaryavatara (The Way of the Bodhisattva), the most widely-studied text on the bodhisattva path in Tibetan Buddhism. The traditional account holds that Shantideva appeared lazy and ordinary at Nalanda — eating, sleeping, defecating, and seeming to do little else — until challenged to recite teachings before the assembly, at which point he composed the Bodhicaryavatara extemporaneously, rising into the air as he reached the final chapter on emptiness, his voice growing more distant until it could no longer be heard. The Dalai Lama has called the Bodhicaryavatara the most important book on the bodhisattva path ever written.
quotes in library
Quotes by Shantideva
107 quotes“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.”
“Whenever I am unhappy, it is because I expect things to be different.”
“If a problem can be solved, no need to worry. If it cannot be solved, worrying will do no good.”
“All the suffering of the world arises from the wish for happiness for ourselves alone. All the happiness of the world arises from the wish for happiness for others.”
“Anger is the poison that destroys all the merit accumulated for thousands of eons.”
“Patience is the antidote to anger.”
“My foot does not blame my hand for hurting it. So why should I blame another?”
“There is no evil greater than anger.”
“Bodhichitta is the seed of all happiness, the rain that nourishes the harvest of merit, the wish-fulfilling gem of awakening.”
“What use is it to cover the whole earth with leather? Far easier to cover one's feet with leather sandals.”
“To pacify external enemies is impossible. To pacify the internal enemy of anger is possible — and pacifies all.”
“Even the merit of the buddhas pales beside the merit of one moment of bodhichitta.”
“All beings desire happiness. None desire suffering. Why should I value mine over theirs?”
“Just as the hand reflexively shields the eye, the bodhisattva acts for the welfare of all beings.”
“In a moment of strong patience, lifetimes of negative karma are exhausted.”
“Whatever virtue I have accumulated, may it ripen for the welfare of all beings.”
“Generosity is not about how much you give. It is about the absence of grasping.”
“Hold on to ethical conduct as a precious jewel. Without it, no realization can hold.”
“All the joy the world contains has come through wishing happiness for others.”
Explore More Teachers
Discover wisdom from 500+ spiritual teachers across all traditions.
Browse All Teachers