Bodhisattva Guides
Jul 13, 1997 02:09 PM
by Nicholas Weeks
In the past few years there have been three new english
translations of Shantideva's Guide for Bodhisattvas.
In 1995 _The Bodhicaryavatara_ trans. by Crosby & Skilton,
Oxford U. Press came out. It has much scholarly comment & notes
to each chapter and many of the verses. It is from the Sanskrit.
In 1997 _The Way of the Bodhisattva_ trans. by the Padmakara
Translation group, Shambhala. It is from the Tibetan, with
comparison with the Sanskrit. It follows the Nyingma commentary
tradition.
Also in 1997 _A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life_ trans. by
Alan Wallace, Snow Lion. He follows the Sanskrit, but give any
significant differences from the Tibetan in footnotes. Also a
traditional Indian commentary is quoted in footnotes on occasion.
To give a slight taste of the differing styles and languages
consider verses 5 & 6 from chapter one.
Crosby & Skilton:
At night in darkness thick with clouds a lightning flash gives a
moment's brightness. So, sometime, by the power of the Buddha,
the mind of the world might for a moment turn to acts of merit.
This being so, the power of good is always weak, while the power
of evil is vast and terrible. What other good could conquer
that, were there not the perfect Awakening Mind?
Padmakara:
As when a flash of lightning rends the night,
And in its glare shows all the dark black clouds had hid,
Likewise rarely, through the buddhas' power,
Virtuous thoughts rise, brief and transient, in the world.
Thus behold the utter frailty of goodness!
Except for perfect bodhichitta,
There is nothing to withstand
The great and ovewhelming strength of evil.
Wallace:
Just as lightning illuminates the darkness of a cloudy night for
an instant, in the same way, by the power of the Buddha,
occasionally people's minds are momentarily inclined toward
merit. Thus, virtue is perpetually ever so feeble, while the
power of vice is great and extemely dreadful. If there were no
Spirit of Perfect Awakening, what other virtue would overcome it?
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