who was Shantideva?

Shantideva (Eng. ‘God of Peace’) AD 687—763, was a renowned Indian Buddhist master who from a very young age had a deep connection with the Wisdom Buddha Manjushri and profound spiritual insight. He studied and practised at the great monastic university of Nalanda, where he was sarcastically nicknamed ‘Three Realizations’ by the other monks. The reason for this was that he engaged in his Spiritual practices secretly at night and rested during the day; so it appeared to others that he was engaged in only three activities — sleeping, eating and going to the toilet — when in fact he was a great master and yogi.

Thinking they would expose his lack of understanding, the monks requested Shantideva to give a public discourse. However, Shantideva amazed the audience with his teachings which, when written down, became known as the Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life (Skt. Bodhisattvacharyavatara). A Bodhisattva is a friend of the world who, motivated by compassion, spontaneously seeks enlightenment to benefit all living beings. Shantideva’s Guide is still considered the best set of instructions for becoming a bodhisattva ever written. This text gives clear and practical advice how we can first prepare our mind, then generate and maintain the precious mind of bodhichitta (a bodhisattva's intention) and finally fulfil all our spiritual hopes through the practices of the six perfections — giving, moral discipline, patience, effort, concentration and wisdom. Over the generations countless people have found inspiration and have been able to progress along the path to enlightenment by relying upon Shantideva’s explanations.

At Shantideva Centre we have a sincere wish to take the essence of Shantideva’s example to heart by training in the Bodhisattva’s way of life and dedicating ourselves to benefiting others by making Buddha’s liberating teachings available to everyone throughout the region. We sincerely hope and pray that this Centre will always be a place of peace for all who visit and stay here; and that peace will prevail throughout our world.

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