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Published by Wisdom Publications
Distributed by Simon & Schuster
Table of Contents
About The Book
Dive into an ocean of Buddhist wisdom with this masterful immersion in Shantideva’s well-known guide to the boundless spirit of the bodhisattva.
Shantideva’s Way of the Bodhisattva (Bodhicaryavatara) is without a doubt one of the greatest masterpieces of Indian Buddhism and the single most influential text on Mahayana ethical theory. Since it was composed in the eighth century, it has continuously animated the living tradition—especially in Tibet, but now in the West as well—as more translations have become available. Its poetic evocations of the spirit of awakening allow readers to enter the mind of the bodhisattva.
Nineteenth-century master Minyak Kunzang Sonam composed what came to be the most extensive commentary in any language on Shantideva's masterpiece. This commentary came to be known as the Great Hum because it fills the entirety of the third or hum volume of the author’s collected works. Citing hundreds of sutras, he shows how Shantideva’s verses are beautifully integrated within, and express, the Buddhist textual universe. In particular he ties Shantideva’s verses with the Anthology of Training, the thematic collection of scriptural citations also compiled by Shantideva, creating a detailed tapestry of Mahayana thought and practice. Kunzang Sonam’s commentary on the philosophically rich ninth “Wisdom” chapter was published previously as The Profound Reality of Interdependence, and this volume presents his commentary on the first eight chapters, detailing the generation of the spirit of awakening, the cultivation of positive qualities, and the practice of meditation. Embedded in the commentary is a fresh translation of Shantideva’s verses, making this an unparalleled guide to appreciating their layers of meaning and applying them in one’s practice and life.
Shantideva’s Way of the Bodhisattva (Bodhicaryavatara) is without a doubt one of the greatest masterpieces of Indian Buddhism and the single most influential text on Mahayana ethical theory. Since it was composed in the eighth century, it has continuously animated the living tradition—especially in Tibet, but now in the West as well—as more translations have become available. Its poetic evocations of the spirit of awakening allow readers to enter the mind of the bodhisattva.
Nineteenth-century master Minyak Kunzang Sonam composed what came to be the most extensive commentary in any language on Shantideva's masterpiece. This commentary came to be known as the Great Hum because it fills the entirety of the third or hum volume of the author’s collected works. Citing hundreds of sutras, he shows how Shantideva’s verses are beautifully integrated within, and express, the Buddhist textual universe. In particular he ties Shantideva’s verses with the Anthology of Training, the thematic collection of scriptural citations also compiled by Shantideva, creating a detailed tapestry of Mahayana thought and practice. Kunzang Sonam’s commentary on the philosophically rich ninth “Wisdom” chapter was published previously as The Profound Reality of Interdependence, and this volume presents his commentary on the first eight chapters, detailing the generation of the spirit of awakening, the cultivation of positive qualities, and the practice of meditation. Embedded in the commentary is a fresh translation of Shantideva’s verses, making this an unparalleled guide to appreciating their layers of meaning and applying them in one’s practice and life.
Product Details
- Publisher: Wisdom Publications (April 29, 2025)
- Length: 968 pages
- ISBN13: 9781614298731
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Raves and Reviews
“Santideva’s Way of the Bodhisattva is venerated by teachers of all the Tibetan schools, and many scholars have written commentaries on it. When I received teachings on the Way of the Bodhisattva from Khunu Rinpoché, he often mentioned the excellent commentary by Minyak Kunzang Sönam, a disciple of Jamyang Khyentsé Wangpo. I welcome this translation of that text into English.”
– His Holiness the Dalai Lama
“This volume provides an easily accessible way for any of us, no matter our level of practice or study, to immerse ourselves in Santideva’s precious teachings. You can read this from cover to cover or, as I often suggest, just open it to any page and start reading a few paragraphs. This is scholarship at its best: a thoroughly researched and highly readable book.”
– Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse
“A lucid and inspiring translation of a major commentary on the Way of the Bodhisattva by one of the great luminaries of the nineteenth century.”
– Matthieu Ricard, author of The Enlightened Vagabond
“I rejoice again and again that the famous commentary of the Way of the Bodhisattva known as the Great Hum has been translated into English and is available to great scholars, East and West, around the world. Kunzang Sönam received teachings on the Way of the Bodhisattva from Patrul Rinpoché many times, and there are unsurpassed benefits for those who read this.”
– Tudeng Nima (Alak Zenkar Rinpoché)
“I rejoice and offer flowers of praise that this has been translated into English by Professor Douglas Duckworth. I pray that this will help spread the wings of study and contemplation, by which the practice of meditation can reach the kingdom of previous victors.”
– Chokyi Nyima Rinpoché
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