Shantideva’s Bodhisattvacharyavatara — Chapter VIII(verses 1 to 89)

1. Having developed enthusiasm in this way,
I should place my mind in concentration.
For the man whose mind is distracted
Dwells between the fangs of disturbing
conceptions.

2. But through solitude of body and mind
No distractions will occur;
Therefore I should forsake the worldly life
And completely discard distorted
conceptions.

3. Worldly life is not forsaken because of
attachment (to people)
And due to craving for material gain and the
like;
Therefore I should entirely forsake these
things,
For this is the way in which the wise behave.

4. Having understood that disturbing
conceptions are completely overcome
By superior insight endowed with calm
abiding,
First of all I should search for calm abiding.
This is achieved through the genuine joy of
those unattached to worldly life.

5. Because of the obsession one transient being
Has for other transient beings,
He will not see his beloved ones again
For many thousands of lives.

6. Not seeing them I am unhappy
And my mind cannot be settled in equipoise;
Even if I see them there is no satisfaction
And, as before, I am tormented by craving.

7. Through being unattached to living beings
I am completely obscured from the perfect
reality,
My disillusion (with cyclic existence)
perishes
And in the end I am tortured by sorrow.

8. By thinking only of them,
This life will pass without any meaning.
(Furthermore) impermanent friends and
relatives
Will even destroy the Dharma (which leads
to) permanent (liberation).

9. If I behave in the same way as the childish
I shall certainly proceed to lower realms,
And if I am led there by those unequal (to the
Noble Ones),
What is the use of entrusting myself to the
childish?

10. One moment they are friends
And in the next instant they become enemies.
Since they become angry even in joyful
situations,
It is difficult to please ordinary people.

11. They are angry when something of benefit is
said
And they also turn me away from what is
beneficial.
If I do not listen to what they say,
They become angry and hence proceed to
lower realms.

12. They are envious of superiors, competitive
with equals,
Arrogant towards inferiors, conceited when
praised,
And if anything unpleasant is said they
become angry;
Never is any benefit derived from the
childish.

13. Through associating with the childish,
There will certainly ensure unwholesomeness
Such as praising myself and belittling others
And discussing the joys of cyclic existence.

14. Devoting myself to others in this way
Will bring about nothing but misfortune.
Because they will not benefit me
And I shall not benefit them.

15. I should flee far away from childish people.
When they are encountered, though, I should
please them by being happy.
I should behave well merely out of courtesy.
But not become greatly familiar.

16. In the same way as a bee takes honey from a
flower,
I should take merely (what is necessary) for
the practice of Dharma
But remain unfamiliar
As though I had never seen them before.

17. “I have much material wealth as well as
honor,
And many people like me,”
Nurturing self-importance in this way
I shall be made terrified after death.

18. So, you thoroughly confused mind,
By the pilling up of whatever objects
You are attached to,
Misery a thousandfold will ensue.

19. Hence the wise should not be attached,
(Because) fear is born from attachment.
With a firm mind understand well
That it is the nature of these things to be
discarded!

20. Although I may have much material wealth,
Be famous and well spoken of,
Whatever fame and renown I have amassed
Has no power to accompany me (after death).

21. If there is someone who despises me
What pleasure can I have in being praised?
And if there is another who praises me
What displeasure can I have in being
despised?

22. If even the Conqueror was unable to please
The various inclinations of different beings,
Then what need to mention an evil person
such as I?
Therefore I should give up the intention (to
associate with) the worldly.

23. They scorn those who have no material gain
And say bad things about those who do;
How can they who are by nature so hard to
get along with
Ever derive any pleasure (from me)?

24. It has been said by the Tathagatas
That one should not befriend the childish,
Because unless they get their own way
These children are never happy.

25. When shall I come to dwell in forests
Amongst the deer, the birds and the trees,
That say nothing unpleasant
And are delightful to associate with?

26. When dwelling in caves,
In empty shrines and at the foot of trees,
Never look back —
Cultivate detachment.

27. When shall I come to dwell
In places not clung to as “mine”
Which are by nature wide and open
And where I may behave as I wish without
attachment?

28. When shall I come to live without fear
Having just a begging bowl and a few odd
things,
Wearing clothes not wanted by anyone
And not even having to hide this body?

29. Having departed to the cemeteries,
When shall I come to understand
That this body of mine and the skeletons of
others
Are equal in being subject to decay?

30. Then, because of its odor,
Not even the foxes
Will come close to this body of mine;
For this is what will become of it.

31. Although this body arose as one thing,
The bones and flesh with which it was
created
Will break up and separate.
How much more so will friends and others?

32. At birth I was born alone
And at death too I shall die alone;
As this pain cannot be shared by others,
What use are obstacle-making friends?

33. In the same way as travelers on a highway
(Leave one place) and reach (another),
Likewise those traveling on the path of
conditioned existence
(Leave) one birth and reach (another).

34. Until the time comes for this body
To be supported by four pall-bearers
While the worldly (stand around) stricken
with grief,
Until then I shall retire to the forest.

35. Befriending no one and begrudging no one,
My body will dwell alone in solitude.
If I am already counted as a dead man,
When I die there will be no mourners.

36. And as there will be no one around
To disturb me with their mourning,
Thus there will be no one to distracted me
From my recollection of the Buddha.

37. Therefore I shall dwell alone,
Happy and contented with few difficulties,
In very joyful and beautiful forests,
Pacifying all distractions.

38. Having given up all other intentions,
Being motivated by only one thought,
I shall strive to settle my mind in equipoise
(by means of calm abiding)
And to subdue it (with superior insight).

39. Both in this world and the next
Desires give rise to great misfortune:
In this life killing, bondage and flaying,
And in the next the existence of the hells.

40. For the sake of (women) many requests
Are first of all made between go-betweens,
All forms of evil and even notoriety
Are not avoided for their sake.

41. I engaged in fearful deeds for them
And will even consume my wealth,
But these (very bodies of others)
That I greatly enjoy in the sexual embrace

42. Are nothing other than skeletons,
They are not autonomous and are
identityless.
Rather than being so desirous and completely
obsessed,
Why do I not go to the state beyond sorrow
(instead)?

43. In the first place I made efforts to lift (her
veil)
And when it was raised she bashfully looked
down.
Previously whether anyone looked or not,
Her face was covered with a cloth.

44. But now why do I run away
Upon directly beholding
This face that disturbs the mind
As it is being revealed to me by the vultures?

45. (Previously) I completely protected (her
body)
When others cast their eyes upon it.
Why, miser, do you not protect it now
While it is being devoured by these birds?

46. Since vultures and others are eating
This pile of meat that I behold,
Why did I offer flower garlands, sandalwood
and ornaments
To that which is now the food of others?

47. If I am frightened by the skeletons I see,
Even though they do not move,
Why am I not frightened by walking corpses
Which are moved around by a few
(impulses)?

48. Although I am attached to it when it is
covered (with skin)
Why do I not desire it when it is uncovered?
Since I have no need for it then,
Why copulate with it when it is covered?

49. Since both excrement and saliva
Arise solely from food,
Why do I dislike excrement
And find joy in saliva?

50. Cotton too is soft to the touch,
But while I find no (sexual) delight in a
pillow
I think that (a woman’s body) does not emit a
putrid odor,
Lustful one, you are confused as to what is
unclean!

51. Thinking that they cannot sleep with this
cotton
Although it is soft to the touch,
Confused, negative and lustful people
Become angry towards it (instead).

52. If I am not attached to the unclean,
Then why do I copulate with the lower parts
of others’ bodies
Which are merely cages of bones tied
together with muscles,
Plastered over with the mud of flesh?

53. I myself contain many unclean things
Which I constantly experience;
So why, because of an obsession for
uncleanliness,
Do I desire other bags of filth?

54. – But it is the flesh that I enjoy –
I this is what I wish to touch and behold,
Why do I not desire it in its natural state
devoid of any mind?

55. Furthermore, any mind that I may desire
Is unable to be touched or behold,
And whatever I am able to touch will not be
mental;
So why indulge in this meaningless
copulation?

56. It is not so strange that I do not understand
The bodies of others to be of an unclean
nature,
But it is indeed strange that I do not
understand
My very own body to be by nature unclean.

57. Having forsaken the young lotus flower
Unfolded by means of sunlight free from
cloud,
Why, with a mind craving for what is
unclean,
Do I revel in a cage of filth?

58. Since I do not wish to touch
A place that is smeared with excrement,
Then why do I wish to touch the body
From which that (excrement) arose?

59. If I am not attached to what is unclean,
Why do I copulate with the lower parts of
others’ bodies
Which arise from the unclean field (of a
womb)
And are produced by the seeds within it?

60. I have no wish for a small dirty maggot
Which has come from a pile of filth,
So why do I desire this body which by nature
is grossly unclean,
For it too was produced by filth?

61. Not only do I not disparage
The uncleanliness of my own body,
But because of an obsession for what is
unclean
I desire other bags of filth as well.

62. Even attractive things such as savory foods,
Cooked rice and vegetables,
Make the ground dirty and unclean,
Should they be spat out after being in the
mouth.

63. Although such uncleanliness is obvious,
If I still have doubts I should go to the
cemeteries
And look at the unclean bodies (of others)
That have been thrown away there.

64. Having realized that when their skin is rent
open
They give rise to a great deal of fear,
How will such things as these
Ever again give rise to joy?

65. The scents with which someone’s body is
anointed
Are sandalwood and the like, but not that of
the other’s body,
So why am I attached to others’ (bodies)
Because of scents that are other (than theirs)?

66. Since the body has a naturally foul odor,
Isn’t it good to be unattached to it?
Why do those who crave for the meaningless
things of the world
Anoint this body with pleasant scents?

67. And furthermore, if it is the pleasant scent of
sandalwood,
How can it come from the body?
So why am I attached to others’ (bodies)
Because of scents that are other (than theirs)?

68. Since the naked body (left) in its natural state
Is very frightening due to its long hair and
nails,
Its yellowish foul-smelling teeth
And its being coated with the odor of dirt,

69. Why do I make such an effort to polish it
Like (cleaning) a weapon that will cause me
harm?
Hence the entire world is disturbed with
insanity
Due to the exertions of those who are
confused about themselves.

70. When my mind rises (above worldly
concerns),
Through having behold nothing but skeletons
in the cemetery,
Will there be any joy in graveyard cities
Which are filled with moving skeletons?

71. Furthermore, these unclean (female bodies)
Are not found without paying a price:
In order to obtain them I exhaust myself
And (in future) will be injured in the hells.

72. As a child I am unable to increase my wealth,
And as a youth what can I do (being unable
to afford a wife)?
At the end of life when I have the wealth,
Being an old ma, what good will sex be then?

73. Some evil and lustful people
Wear themselves out by working all day
And when they return home (in the evening)
Their exhausted bodies lie prostrate like
corpses.

74. Some have the suffering of being disturbed
by travel
And having to go a long way from home.
Although they long for their spouses,
They do not see them for years at a time.

75. And some who wish for benefit
Due to confusion, even sell themselves for
the sake of (women and the like);
But not attaining what they wish,
They are aimlessly driven by the winds of
others’ actions.

76. Some sell their own bodies
And without any power are employed by
others.
Even when their wives give birth
Their children fall at the feet of trees and in
lonely places.

77. Some fools who are deceived by desire,
Wishing for a livelihood think, “I shall earn
my living (as a soldier);”
Then, although afraid of losing their lives,
they go to war
And become slaves for the sake of profit.

78. Some lustful people even cut their bodies,
Others impale themselves on the points of
sticks,
Some stab themselves with daggers,
And others burn themselves – such things as
these are quite apparent.

79. Due to the torment involved in collecting it,
protecting and finally losing it,
I should realize wealth to be fraught with
infinite problems,
Those who are distracted by their attachment
to it
Have no opportunity to gain freedom from
the misery of conditioned existence.

80. In the same way as animals drawing
carriages
Are only able to eat a few mouthfuls of grass,
Likewise desirous people
Have many disadvantages such as these and
little (profit).

81. And since even animals can obtain that (little
profit),
Those who are pained by their (previous)
actions
Waste these leisures and endowments so
difficult to find
For the sake of something trivial that is not
so scarce.

82. The objects of desire will certainly perish
And then I shall fall into hellish states.
But Buddhahood itself is attained
With just one millionth of the difficulty.

83. Involved in continually exhausting myself
For the sake of what is not very great.
(Hence) the desirous experience greater
misery than (those following) the Awakening
way of life –
But (for them) there is no Awakening.

84. When having contemplated the miseries of
hell,
(It will be clear that) there is nothing
comparable
To the harm caused to desirous beings
By weapons, poison, fire, ravines and foes.

85. Having in this way developed disillusion
with desire,
I should generate joy for solitude.
The fortunate ones stroll in peaceful forests,
Devoid of disputes and disturbing
conceptions.

86. (They live) in joyful houses of vast flat
stones,
Cooled by the sandal-scented moonlight,
Fanned by the peaceful, silent forest breeze,
Thinking of what is of benefit for others.

87. They dwell for as long as they wish
In empty houses, at the feet of trees and in
caves,
Having abandoned the pain of clinging to and
guarding (possessions),
They abide independent, free of care.

88. Living as they choose, desireless,
Having no ties with anyone –
Even the powerful have difficulty finding
A life as happy and content as this.

89. Having in such ways as these
Thought about the excellences of solitude,
I should completely pacify distorted
conceptions
And meditate on the Awakening Mind.

Click here to read the end of Chapter VIII

Translated into English by Stephan Bachelor

For the Library of Tibetan Works & Archives,

Dharmshala India