Meaningful to Behold: The Bodhisattva's Way of Life

This is the companion commentary to Shantideva's 'Guide To The Bodhisattva's Way of Life.' While there are several good commentaries to this Buddhist classic, it is as if this particular one were written by Shantideva himself! It's that good.

Geshe Kelsang Gyatso has written an incredible commentary to Guide to the Bodhisattva's way of life, extracting the essential meaning of Shantideva's precious text and making it applicable to Western practioners in today's modern world. Geshe Kelsang explains the complete path to enlightenment focusing specific chapters on how to successfully cultivate peaceful states of mind that ensure long-lasting happiness, and how to effectively eradicate negative states of mind that cause suffering and harm to others. He explains in detail how to cultivate bodhichitta, the spontaneous mind that wishes for all living beings to be free from suffering and why that mind is so important for ourselves and others. Geshe Kelsang also describes how to overcome our attachment and increase our love as well as other virtuous minds such as: patience , effort, concentration, and wisdom. He also gives an in-depth analysis of what the ultimate nature of reality is and why if we understand it, we can experience unlimited happiness. This is an advanced text on Buddhist thought and meditation for the serious spiritual practitioner interested in deepening his/her insight into some of the more challenging tenents of Buddhism. It is incredibly inspiring and demonstrates clearly that the author Geshe Kelsang Gyatso is an extraordinary being.

This huge tome is a commentary on the 8th century master Shantideva's "Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life." It provides a step-by-step methodology in near-infinite detail. It's a definitive text. Interestingly, the Dalai Lama provides commentaries on two somewhat shorter texts (one by Asanga and one by Nagarjuna) on the same subject in his "Illuminating the Path to Enlightenment." This is a free book published by Ranjung Yeshe Publications. I have attended a weekend with Kelsang Gyatso including empowerments. It was certainly beneficial. This was the first of his books that I've read. It's one of the best of the 5 I've now read. It does, however, include list after list of entries in a very tightly organized outline-like format. I find such lists rather mythical because I believe the number in the list more important (and symbolic) than the list itself. Frequently such lists vary between authors and the entries don't seem to hang together too well. Nevertheless, this is a a fine commentary to one of (if not THE) classic text on the Bodhisattva Path.

I was at the course taught by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso at Manjushri Institute in Ulverston, England, that served as the basic text of this book. The state of mind of a fully enlightened Buddha is not truly known by many of us in the West; we just don't have living examples among us demonstrating for each living being, the exact same heartfelt love in action that a mother has for her child. In giving this commentary, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso provided the living example one could refer to in oneself becoming a Buddha. Meaningful to Behold is therefore more than an exquisitely clear and precise compilation of method. It is more than a step-by-step manual for the highest personal attainment. It is the expression of pure love expecting nothing in return that inspires us to become the best and happiest people that is possible for us. Nothing inspires us like absolute kindness; this is absolute kindness in its most helpful and instructive form. It shows us how to be happy beyond anything we can now imagine. A very worthwhile book.

This book is my favourite of all the books by this author. Chapter 8 is sublime as it explains how to develop love to its fullest potential. The whole theme of the book is that a highly advanced Buddhist monk is giving himself a teaching, often scolding himself & it is entertaining as well as inspiring.