The Story of Shantideva

In today’s Buddhist world, Shantideva is universally considered an exemplary scholar-practitioner. However, this was not always true. While living in the ancient Nalanda monastery, his peers doubted him and labeled him as lazy and uneducated. In this teaching, Mingyur Rinpoche introduces Shantideva and tells the story of why his peers looked down on him. He also shares how Shantideva’s life story — as exemplified in The Way of the Bodhisattva — can serve as an inspiration for us today.

This teaching is from Tergar’s new The Way of the Bodhisattva: Immersion online course. To learn more, click here.
 
You can discuss this teaching in the Monthly Teachings Forum under the topic The Story of Shantideva.
 

 
Looking for a translation in your own language? Click the “CC” button on the video above to turn on closed captioning.
 
Download a transcript of The Story of Shantideva [pdf]

Reflection Question

• Are there people in your life who you drew inspiration from that were not what they first appeared to be? How did your view of them inhibit your ability to see them for what they truly are? What did you learn from this experience?

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