Tag: padmaloka

A Bodhisattva's Mindfulness - Bodhicaryavatara Chapter 5

‘One should speak confident, measured words, clear in meaning, delighting the mind, pleasing to the ear, soft and slow, and stemming from love’

In his fifth talk devoted to the Bodhicaryavatara, Padmavajra explores chapter five ‘The Guarding of Total Awareness’. In this chapter Shantideva makes vividly clear the importance of mindfulness and awareness of purpose in the Bodhisattvas life. Shantideva tells us about the centrality and power of the mind and the need for scrupulous attention to every detail of our lives.

His discussion...

A Feast of Happiness for the Caravan of Famished Beings - Bodhicaryavatara Chapter 3

“For the caravan of famished beings wandering the road of existence, hungry for the enjoyment of happiness, this is a feast of happiness offered as refreshment to all who come”.

In his third talk on the Bodhicaryavatara, Padmavajra explores themes from the third chapter, ‘The Full Acceptance of the Bodhicitta’, in which Shantideva describes the wonder of the arising of the Bodhicitta, the profound selflessness of the Bodhisattva Vow and the pride of being born as a Buddha son. The talk was...

Bodhicitta - The Highly Potent Elixir of Transformation

“Taking this image of the human form the Bodhicitta transmutes it into the priceless image of the Jewel of the Conqueror. Grasp tightly this highly potent elixir, known as the Bodhicitta, which must be thoroughly worked.”

In his first talk on Shantideva’s Bodhicaryavatara, given on a day retreat to the Padmaloka community, Padmavajra speaks of Sangharakshita’s evocation of the Bodhicitta. He goes on to talk about his discovery of the Bodhicarayavatara and what is known of the life of Shantideva. The main...