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Practicing Wisdom: The Perfection of Shantideva's Bodhisattva Way
Like the bestselling A Flash of Lightning in the Dark of the Night, Practicing Wisdom focuses on Shantideva's Way of the Bodhisattva. While the former includes only a brief introduction to Shantideva's complex and crucial ninth chapter on insight, Practicing Wisdom is a full and detailed follow-up commentary, making it an invaluable statement on the fundamental concept behind Buddhist thought and practice.
Shantideva says at the beginning of the final chapter of his Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life: "All branches of the Buddha's teachings are taught for the sake of wisdom. If you wish to bring an end to suffering, you must develop wisdom." Shantideva's ninth chapter is revered in Tibetan Buddhist circles as one of the most authoritative expositions of the Buddha's core insight, and all other Buddhist practices are means to support the generation of this wisdom within the practitioner. In Practicing Wisdom, the Dalai Lama reaffirms his reputation as a great scholar, communicator, and embodiment of the Buddha's Way by illuminating Shantideva's verses, drawing on contrasting commentaries from the Nyingma and Gelug lineages, and leading the reader through the stages of insight up to the highest view of emptiness. These teachings, delivered in southern France in 1993, have been masterfully translated, edited, and annotated by Geshe Thupten Jinpa, the Dalai Lama's primary translator and founder of the Institute of Tibetan Classics.
Shantideva says at the beginning of the final chapter of his Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life: "All branches of the Buddha's teachings are taught for the sake of wisdom. If you wish to bring an end to suffering, you must develop wisdom." Shantideva's ninth chapter is revered in Tibetan Buddhist circles as one of the most authoritative expositions of the Buddha's core insight, and all other Buddhist practices are means to support the generation of this wisdom within the practitioner. In Practicing Wisdom, the Dalai Lama reaffirms his reputation as a great scholar, communicator, and embodiment of the Buddha's Way by illuminating Shantideva's verses, drawing on contrasting commentaries from the Nyingma and Gelug lineages, and leading the reader through the stages of insight up to the highest view of emptiness. These teachings, delivered in southern France in 1993, have been masterfully translated, edited, and annotated by Geshe Thupten Jinpa, the Dalai Lama's primary translator and founder of the Institute of Tibetan Classics.
194 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 25, 2012
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About the author
Dalai Lama XIV
1,554 books6,207 followersJetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso (born Lhamo Döndrub), the 14th Dalai Lama, is a practicing member of the Gelug School of Tibetan Buddhism and is influential as a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, the world's most famous Buddhist monk, and the leader of the exiled Tibetan government in India.
Tenzin Gyatso was the fifth of sixteen children born to a farming family. He was proclaimed the tulku (an Enlightened lama who has consciously decided to take rebirth) of the 13th Dalai Lama at the age of two.
On 17 November 1950, at the age of 15, he was enthroned as Tibet's ruler. Thus he became Tibet's most important political ruler just one month after the People's Republic of China's invasion of Tibet on 7 October 1950. In 1954, he went to Beijing to attempt peace talks with Mao Zedong and other leaders of the PRC. These talks ultimately failed.
After a failed uprising and the collapse of the Tibetan resistance movement in 1959, the Dalai Lama left for India, where he was active in establishing the Central Tibetan Administration (the Tibetan Government in Exile) and in seeking to preserve Tibetan culture and education among the thousands of refugees who accompanied him.
Tenzin Gyatso is a charismatic figure and noted public speaker. This Dalai Lama is the first to travel to the West. There, he has helped to spread Buddhism and to promote the concepts of universal responsibility, secular ethics, and religious harmony.
He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, honorary Canadian citizenship in 2006, and the United States Congressional Gold Medal on 17 October 2007.
Tenzin Gyatso was the fifth of sixteen children born to a farming family. He was proclaimed the tulku (an Enlightened lama who has consciously decided to take rebirth) of the 13th Dalai Lama at the age of two.
On 17 November 1950, at the age of 15, he was enthroned as Tibet's ruler. Thus he became Tibet's most important political ruler just one month after the People's Republic of China's invasion of Tibet on 7 October 1950. In 1954, he went to Beijing to attempt peace talks with Mao Zedong and other leaders of the PRC. These talks ultimately failed.
After a failed uprising and the collapse of the Tibetan resistance movement in 1959, the Dalai Lama left for India, where he was active in establishing the Central Tibetan Administration (the Tibetan Government in Exile) and in seeking to preserve Tibetan culture and education among the thousands of refugees who accompanied him.
Tenzin Gyatso is a charismatic figure and noted public speaker. This Dalai Lama is the first to travel to the West. There, he has helped to spread Buddhism and to promote the concepts of universal responsibility, secular ethics, and religious harmony.
He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, honorary Canadian citizenship in 2006, and the United States Congressional Gold Medal on 17 October 2007.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 3, 2016
Deep wisdom explained in an accessible and practical way.
January 10, 2015
It's quite technical, diving into rather deep philosophical territory. So it may not be for everybody. But for people interested in these topics, the book is a helpful guide.
July 8, 2017
Very scholarly, slow reading, but some good gems of wisdom.
December 6, 2022
Excellent! I have wanted to read the “hidden” ninth chapter for years! A friend got me this book and so grateful because HH the Dalai Lama is absolutely the person to take one threw the ineffable. Clear and generous explanation of the importance,path and definition of emptiness.
May 18, 2021
Well above my philosophy grade but interesting nontheless.
December 3, 2021
No puedo resumirlo, pero si necesitas de leer un libro que te ayude a entender la filosofía del budismo en un contexto de sabiduria este es muy bueno.
October 12, 2024
cognition
relentless is defilement of tribal idealism so it will take one courage to put such in timeout to entertain what wisdom is being revealed here
relentless is defilement of tribal idealism so it will take one courage to put such in timeout to entertain what wisdom is being revealed here
November 5, 2025
Tenzin Gyatzo (XIV Dalai Lama), no es la mejor fuente para el estudio del budismo. No es el peor, pero hay mejores. Es muy poco lo que se puede extraer de este libro que sea realmente útil y práctico para el budista o persona promedio. La desgastante mayoría del libro es una cansina repetición de la idea del vacío según el Vajrayana que bien pudo haber sido explicado claramente en un solo capítulo. En resumen es una constante repetición de la explicación del vacío basándose en un texto de Shantideva que honestamente no solo no dice nada nuevo ni ingenioso, sino que está cargando de argumentos arbitrarios y circulares sostenidos básicamente en el estatus de su autoridad mientras también desprecia y desacredita a otras tradiciones budistas, especialmente la ortodoxa. Tenzin Gyatzo es un excelente diplomático, pero como maestro espiritual no tiene mucho que ofrecer a cualquiera que no practique budismo tántrico tibetano occidental, que entre otras cosas ya tiene poco en común con el antiguo budismo de los Himalayas.
August 26, 2015
Excellent commentary on the ninth chapter of Shandideva's text. I really like the meditation suggestions at the end of each chapter. Very helpful.
Nagarjuna states that the root of enlightenment is bodhichitta. And the root of this altruistic mind is karuna, great compassion, whose complementary and enhancing factor is the wisdom of realizing emptiness. The practice of these three leads to the awakened mind. This book will help in the mental training needed to awaken.
Nagarjuna states that the root of enlightenment is bodhichitta. And the root of this altruistic mind is karuna, great compassion, whose complementary and enhancing factor is the wisdom of realizing emptiness. The practice of these three leads to the awakened mind. This book will help in the mental training needed to awaken.
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December 29, 2012This one stays on my bedside table so that I can attempt to understand Shantideva...
December 19, 2014
profound reading
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews