by Pema Chodron
Thus it is that heroes in the bodhisattva path
Apply the remedies to keep a steady mind.
Shantideva summarizes the preceding verses by telling us to note all our urges, thoughts, and futile strategies and remain steady, as steady as a log. This completes the section on the first discipline, not causing harm. Starting with verse 55, Shantideva gives teachings on the second discipline, gathering virtue. Then, in verses 83 through 107, he will describe the third discipline, benefiting others.
Practicing discipline according to these guidelines can liberate us from suffering.
5.55
With perfect and unyielding faith,
With steadfastness, respect, and courtesy,
With modesty and conscientiousness,
Work calmly for the happiness of others.
These are the general instructions for gathering virtue. I notice that Western students sometimes wince at the word virtue. Virtue, here, means cultivating qualities that resonate with, rather than block, enlightened mind. Even in conventional thinking, basic warmth and open-mindedness are considered virtues. They are qualities that connect us with others rather than push us apart. Although they’re always available to us, we can help the process along by cultivating them. Sadly, we’re already quite skilled at cultivating qualities that block our basic goodness. Nevertheless we can easily become accomplished in gathering virtue.
The Tibetan word for virtue is gewa. Some common examples of gewa are nonaggression, love, and compassion. Shantideva also lists the qualities of faith, steadfastness, respect, courtesy, modesty, conscientiousness, and calmness. Some of these qualities require some explanation.
In Buddhism there are many kinds of faith. One example is “eager faith.” We all want to deescalate our suffering. When we see that we can create the causes for contentment instead of misery, we become extremely eager to do so.
Another example is “confident faith,” which is based on confidence in bodhichitta. We have faith that basic goodness is within us. This jewel may be buried, but it is always present and available to all of us. We feel confident that we can find it, nurture it, and bring it out. Confidence and eagerness work together. This is the faith, or gewa, that Shantideva refers to: the faith that we can do it.
Steadfastness is another virtue that Shantideva mentions. This is cultivated in our meditation practice. No matter what—sick or well, tired or alert, in good or bad weather—we train in being present and awake to whatever occurs. With faith and steadfastness, we stick with ourselves through all kinds of moods and states of mind.
We also develop respect and courtesy for ourselves and others. These virtuous qualities are gentle and unbiased: everything and everyone is included.
The quality of modesty, or humility, comes naturally when we’re attentive. When we see how reactive and unkind we can be, this humbles us considerably. Instead of causing despair, however, this painful realization can connect us with the tenderness of bodhichitta. Modesty, or humbleness, is the opposite of armoring ourselves: it allows us to be receptive and hear what others have to say.
Conscientiousness denotes diligence and honesty. With this virtuous quality we can work calmly for the happiness of others. Instead of working frantically, we pace ourselves and relax.
5.56
Let us not be downcast by the warring wants
Of childish persons quarreling.
Their thoughts are bred from conflict and emotion.
Let us understand and treat them lovingly.
Verse 56 makes it clear why we need to gather virtue. Virtue makes it possible for us to deal compassionately with one another. The word childish, here, is not used in a derogatory way. It conveys loving concern for those who, out of ignorance, continue to strengthen habits of suffering.
We tend to get provoked by childish persons quarreling. The energy of negativity is very seductive and draws us in. Shantideva’s instruction is to diffuse the charge by reflecting on why people do what they do. People who quarrel are slaves to their emotions. They don’t choose to get angry and yell, but, like all of us, they get overwhelmed by their kleshas and carried away. If we too get caught in the negative undertow, doesn’t that put us in the same boat? Instead of getting provoked by strife or scorn, wouldn’t it be better to break the cycle of aggression and treat people with understanding?
As we stabilize our minds, we’ll see more honestly how we get incited and how difficult it is to remain like a log. Thus when others get snared, we treat them lovingly, just as we’d want to be treated in this same predicament. Without being condescending or disapproving, we realize our sameness and communicate from the heart.
5.57
When doing virtuous acts, beyond reproach,
To help ourselves, or for the sake of others,
Let us always bear in mind the thought
That we are self-less, like an apparition.
We can also make too big a deal about doing things right. Identifying oneself as the “virtuous one” can be a problem for the bodhisattva. We might question the solidity of this identity and contemplate the Buddha’s teaching that we are self-less, like an apparition. Then, when doing virtuous acts, we could apply the instruction called “threefold purity”: make no big deal about the doer, no big deal about what’s being done, and no big deal about the result.
5.58
This supreme treasure of a human life,
So long awaited, now at last attained!
Reflecting always thus, maintain your mind
As steady as Sumeru, king of mountains.
Once again, Shantideva refers to the good fortune of a human birth. We have the advantage of hearing and understanding these teachings that can transform our lives. Having attained this supreme treasure, we’re being urged not to waste it. Use this precious opportunity, Shantideva says, to maintain mindfulness and alertness. Train in being as steady as Sumeru, king of mountains.
In verses 59 through 70, Shantideva says many things about the body, some of which may be more helpful than others.
5.59
When vultures with their love of flesh
Are tugging at this body all around,
Small will be the joy you get from it, O mind!
Why are you so besotted with it now?
Being overly attached to the body is an obstacle to gathering virtue. It is also an obstacle to not causing harm and to benefiting others. Why is this so? Obsessing about our body makes us so self-absorbed that we can’t see beyond our own needs.
No matter how much time and energy we put into caring for our bodies, we can’t stop the process of dying. We might try to slow it down by eating well and exercising; but death can come without warning. The real question is this: since our time is limited, how do we want to spend it?
5.60
Why, O mind, do you protect this body,
Claiming it as though it were yourself?
You and it are each a separate entity,
How ever can it be of use to you?
When you die, you leave your body behind. You might ask, “If my body is ‘me,’ how could this possibly be?” The answer is that you and it are each a separate entity. Therefore, regard the body as a short-term rental: take care of it and keep it clean, but not to the point of absurdity. Treat your body with respect, but not with a sense of ownership.
5.61
Why not cling, O foolish mind, to something clean,
A figure carved in wood, or some such thing?
Why do you protect and guard
An unclean engine for the making of impurity?
Here Shantideva emphasizes the impurity of the human body: it’s a very efficient engine for creating shit, piss, blood, and gore. When it’s not cleaned, it reeks and its breath smells bad. Why be so attache
d to this; why not be attached to something fresh and clean, like a figure carved in wood?
This was a standard meditation during Shantideva’s time. It is still used in some Buddhist countries, but it’s a difficult one for many Westerners. Too often, we already view our physical bodies with distaste. For this reason, Trungpa Rinpoche once said he didn’t think this traditional meditation on the impurity of the body—with its feces, urine, mucus, and blood—worked very well in the West. But Shantideva’s intention is not to fill us with self-loathing; it’s to free us from obsession.
5.62
First, with mind’s imagination,
Shed the covering of skin,
And with the blade of wisdom, strip
The flesh from off the bony frame.
5.63
And when you have divided all the bones,
And searched right down amid the very marrow,
You should look and ask the question:
Where is “thingness” to be found?
When we look at the body in finer and finer detail, can we find what we’re protecting? If we visualize searching right down amid the very marrow for the thingness of our body, can we find it? Attachment to one’s physical form is based on the body being a reliable, continuous entity. But can we pinpoint what we’re clinging to when we probe it to its depths?
5.64
If, persisting in the search,
You find no underlying object,
Why still cherish—and with such desire—
The fleshly form you now possess?
Finding no underlying object doesn’t mean not finding a fingernail or earlobe. What we can’t locate is something tangible to hold on to. Which raises the question: What are we so attached to anyway? Here’s a contemplation I’ve found helpful. Sitting in meditation, visualize yourself as an infant, and then as a little child just learning to walk. Then visualize this outer form getting older, up to your present age. Reflect on whether or not this is the same body. Then go into the future. Your skin is becoming slack and wrinkled, your hair is thinning and turning gray, your teeth are falling out, and your hearing is starting to go. Visualize this continual change of the body all the way up to death.
Unless we die young, this is exactly what will happen—no matter how much health food or vitamins we consume. Old age and death are inevitable. Contemplating the body in this way can shake up our attachments considerably.
5.65
Its filth you cannot eat, O mind;
Its blood likewise is not for you to drink;
Its innards, too, unsuitable to suck—
This body, what then will you make of it?
5.66
As second best, it may indeed be kept
As food to feed the vulture and the fox.
The value of this human form
Lies only in the way that it is used.
In verse 65, we have a taste of Shantideva’s humor, an eighth-century Buddhist joke. Why indeed do we not see the foolishness of being overly attached to the body?
The value of this human form is in the way we use it. Without our bodies, we can’t attain enlightenment. But if we live in hope and fear about its condition, it won’t be a useful vehicle for getting to the other shore.
5.67
Whatever you may do to guard and keep it,
What will you do when
The Lord of Death, the ruthless, unrelenting,
Steals and throws it to the birds and dogs?
Shantideva addresses another recurring theme: the certainty of our deaths—and, in this case, the futility of pampering that which is destined to leave us.
5.68
Slaves unsuitable for work
Are not rewarded with supplies and clothing.
This body, though you pamper it, will leave you—
Why exhaust yourself with such great labor?
When servants don’t do their work, they’re not rewarded with food and clothing. So why continue pampering our bodies, when we know they will surely stop functioning? The real problem here is self-importance. Obsessing about how we look and feel wastes precious time and causes us to lose touch with the difficulties of others.
5.69
So pay this body due remuneration,
But then be sure to make it work for you.
But do not lavish everything
On what will not bring perfect benefit.
If you’re able to do so, you should pay this body due remuneration: nourishing foods, medicines, and whatever else it needs—but draw a line about how much time you spend at the gym. It would also be wise to recognize “negative attachment.” Denigrating the body is as futile and as much a distraction as pampering.
5.70
Regard your body as a vessel,
A simple boat for going here and there.
Make of it a wish-fulfilling gem
To bring about the benefit of beings.
This is, without question, the main point. Trungpa Rinpoche often spoke about the importance of respecting the body and paying attention to all the details of our lives. In his Shambhala teachings, eating and dressing well are ways of perking ourselves up and developing confidence in our basic goodness. It’s a fine line, however, between taking pride in our appearance and being obsessed with it. Upliftedness is a way of expressing our human dignity; obsession is a way of wasting our life. Gradually, we get clear about this difference.
The next section, still in the general category of gathering virtue, discusses mindfulness in daily life.
5.71
Thus with free, untrammeled mind,
Put on an ever-smiling countenance.
Rid yourself of scowling, wrathful frowns,
And be a true and honest friend to all.
Our facial expressions have quite an impact. When someone has a wrathful expression, it affects us. Even if it has nothing to do with us, we feel threatened. We take the scowl or frown very personally. Although no words are spoken and we may not even know this scowling person, we may feel deeply threatened, wounded, or scorned. This may be ridiculous, but it happens.
While an ever-smiling countenance may seem a bit extreme, a friendly expression makes people feel more comfortable than scowling, wrathful frowns.
5.72
Do not, acting inconsiderately,
Move furniture and chairs so noisily around.
Likewise do not open doors with violence.
Take pleasure in the practice of humility.
If we live with other people, these are important guidelines. We gather virtue when we’re considerate about how our actions affect the environment. At retreats with Zen teacher Toni Packer, for example, there are very few rules; but participants are asked to keep silence and to be mindful of opening and closing doors.
5.73
Herons, cats, and burglars
Go silently and carefully;
This is how they gain what they intend.
And one who practices this path behaves likewise.
Burglars, cats, and herons are not your usual role models. But they are perfect examples for moving attentively and patiently in order to accomplish a goal. When herons move too rapidly they can’t catch any fish. Likewise, when we’re mindless we can’t accomplish our worldly goals, let alone live the life of a bodhisattva.
5.74
When useful admonitions come unasked
To those with skill in counseling their fellows,
Let them welcome them with humble gratitude,
And always strive to learn from everyone.
Getting feedback is sometimes the only way to discover our blind spots, especially when that feedback stings. Whether it’s meant to be m
ean or helpful, feedback has a way of getting us to look at things we don’t want to see. If we resent it or close our ears, our blind spots will never be revealed.
So always strive to learn from everyone, but know that, ultimately, you are the only one who really knows when you’re stuck.
5.75
Praise all who speak the truth,
And say, “Your words are excellent.”
And when you notice others acting well,
Encourage them in terms of warm approval.
This is good child-rearing instruction and good advice for adults as well. Too often the only thing people hear from us is criticism. Shantideva encourages us to give approval when it is due and to express our warmth and appreciation.
5.76
Extol them even in their absence;
When they’re praised by others, do the same.
But when the qualities they praise are yours,
Appreciate their skill in knowing qualities.
Rejoicing in the good qualities of others takes us out of self-centeredness and expands our view of the world. This is a way to gather virtue, which helps us as much as others.
Here Shantideva addresses the difficulty we often have accepting compliments. We gather virtue when we can accept praise straightforwardly, without either getting all puffed up or refusing to believe it. We gather virtue by letting ourselves be touched by someone else’s appreciation of our good qualities.
5.77
The goal of every act is happiness itself,
Though even with great wealth, it’s rarely found.
So take your pleasure in the qualities of others.
Let them be a heartfelt joy to you.
5.78
By acting thus, in this life you’ll lose nothing;
In future lives, great bliss will come to you.
The sin of envy brings not joy but pain,