The 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva

by David Tuffley

Thirty-seven Practices of a Bodhisattva is an ancient text written in the 14th Century BCE by Tokme Zangpo, a Buddhist monk and scholar who was born in Puljung, south west of the Sakya Monastery in Tibet.


Thirty-seven Practices seeks to make clear the day-to-day behavior of a Bodhisattva (an enlightened being on their way to attaining full Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings). It serves as a practical guide for those people seeking to travel the path of enlightenment. Though short in length, a person could spend a lifetime perfecting the practices.


The work can be seen as a companion to Santideva’s classic work the Bodhicaryavatara.
While there are English translations of this text, they are a little difficult to understand for many readers living in the 21st Century. The mode of expression and the figures of speech are the product of that far-off time. This book faithfully re-expresses in modern day language the underlying message of the original text. Every effort has been made to preserve the underlying spirit of the message.


While I respect the beauty of the original text, my greatest wish is to bring the even greater beauty of the underlying message to a whole new audience in the modern world who might otherwise find the original text less than easy to fully understand.


Tokme Zangpo dedicates the text to:


The Bodhisattva Lokesvara whose compassion extends to all sentient beings and whose example inspires me*.
- Those who perceive that the physical world is but an illusion and have entered the path to enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings.
- All the venerable mentors who have shown me the path to enlightenment.
- All the realised Buddhas.


To achieve the fullest realisation of the Dharma, one must live in full awareness of the correct practices that lead to such realisation. This text humbly attempts to explain what any Bodhisattva has done, and any would-be Bodhisattva must do in order to achieve enlightenment.


* Throughout this book, the first person “I” “me” and “my” refers to the author Tokme Zangpo.


Sample Practice (20)


Our inner demons are our most formidable enemy, greater than any external enemy.


Struggling with our inner enemies makes them stronger and greater in number. This is not the way to defeat them.


Until and unless we learn to master our inner enemies they will continue to thrive and they will open the way for negative forces outside of ourselves to invade us.


These enemies can only be mastered through mercy and love; therefore we work to cultivate these. When negativity arises in our mind-stream, we are mindful of its rising and immediately neutralise it with love.


This is the way of the Bodhisattva.


Commentary: The mental afflictions that derive from unevolved behavior can be neutralised by noticing when they arise, and mindfully replacing them with kindness and a loving attitude generally.


The unevolved behavior mentioned here is how our distant ancestors behaved in a savage, uncivilised world. Being proud and competitive, fighting over sexual partners, property and land was once a helpful way to survive in the distant past. Have you noticed how many people still act this way today when it is unnecessary?


This might be our instinctive behavior, but it is no help whatever for the one travelling the path to enlightenment. You must transcend this “normal” behavior and in the process transcend your base self. Identify with your highest self, not your inner caveman.

Genres: Buddhism, Spirituality, Religion, Nonfiction

44 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 25, 2011

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Ulf Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tokme Zangpo’s 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva is a brief compendium of how a Bodhisattva should view life and his or her mission written in the 14th Century CE.

The Original is a somewhat terse, bullet by bullet rundown (in effect summarizing Santideva’s Bodhicaryavatara — The Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life). Unless you’re holding onto something solid, the original might come at you a little fast, and here is where David Tuffley gives you a very nice hand.

Distilling the essential meaning of each of the thirty-seven practices, Tuffley renders them in easily understandable and current English, accessible to the average reader. Also, after each rendition, he adds his insightful and valuable comments to help you grasp what Zangpo meant to convey.

This book is not only valuable and accessible, but also affordable. I highly recommend it.

[Mckinley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short verse of the 37 practices covering the fundamentals of this practice.
(Have as a app on my tablet.)

[Francisca Villahermosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good to grasp the facts

In easy-to-use format, describes in simple and easy terms what is required to make a Bodhisattva path to enlightmen and the purpose of walking it. I read it on 37 days and reflected on each one of the practices described. It was valuable for my understanding of the matter.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was short but effective

Interesting way to put things into perspective,but it seemed a !little "this is the only way" kinda jargen. My apologies for any wrong misconceptions of this reading. I am however always trying to find the right way

[Sal Leggio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uplifting in parts, but I am not otherworldly

[John W Coghlan · Rating 5 out of 5]

To the point!

An excellent readable explanation of the Bodhisattva way.
It is a deeply penetrating study on how to live a Buddhist life

[Jarshie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neat little book

I encourage a reAding of this seminal novella, for the indulgence of the sacred texts transmitted here. Birth, life, death...

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

The translation made it a little complicated grammatically.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Tuffley provides a very straight-forward and simplified review of the 37 practices of a Bodhisattva, a 14th century BCE by Tokme Zangpo, a Tibetan Buddhist monk. Mr. Tuffley also provides current-day commentary for each practice.

Bodhisattva means "an enlightened being on their way to attaining full Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings."

I highly recommend this book.

-Tenpa Lodro