Kṣānti in the bodhisattva path of Śāntideva

Abstract

Śāntideva, an Indian Buddhist monk who flourished in the 8th century C.E., was the author of two works, the Bodhicaryāvatāra and the Śikṣāsamuccaya. These texts concern the practices of the bodhisattva and have an important place in the Mahāyāna Buddhist tradition. The Bodhicaryāvatāra has been translated from Sanskrit and Tibetan many times, but detailed study of the content of the two texts is lacking. Therefore, Śāntideva’s contribution to his tradition has not been clearly defined. This thesis investigates kṣānti in the bodhisattva path of Śāntideva and compares Śāntideva’s interpretation of kṣānti with that found in the Mahāyāna tradition. Key concepts in the description of the bodhisattva path and the models of the bodhisattva path available to Śāntideva are outlined. The bodhisattva path is presented in a variety of ways in Mahāyāna texts. Kṣānti as a pāramitā is primarily an antidote to anger, but has a number of other meanings in Mahāyāna literature. The structures of Śāntideva’s two works are examined and shown not to conform entirely to any previous models of the path. Śāntideva’s treatment of kṣānti shows his focus on the preliminary stages of the bodhisattva path and on the beginner bodhisattva. Śāntideva treats kṣānti mainly as an antidote to anger, but also as a part of developing the positive emotions of benevolence and compassion. He relies on the previous tradition, but does not draw on all aspects of kṣānti found in earlier literature.