The Way of the Bodhisattva

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Hello to everyone on the Rangjung Yeshe Institute Student Blog. I am Raju Gurung and I am from Mustang which is the North Central Part of Nepal. Currently I am doing my BA at RYI. In the year 2011 I got to know about RYI and its Buddhist Studies Programme through one of my local friends from Boudhanath. I was really very interested to join RYI as I was also looking for some Colleges that offered Buddhist Studies. 

 Likewise, in the last year 2012, I had finished one of the Buddhist philosophy courses that had been offered by RYI. It was 'The Way of the Bodhisattva' by Śāntideva and I really couldn't believe how amazing and how pleasant it was to study this amazing text. In fact, by reading this text, this amazing text, Śāntideva has really become a guide for me in my personal life.
Similarly, it is only because of this amazing text, 'The Way of the Bodhisattva', that I have come to realize and truly know the meaning of what love and compassion is. This course did not only help me in my studies but also in life. 
I was involved with one documentary film which was of His Holiness the 41st Sakya Trizin and having studied all the 10 chapters on 'The Way of the Bodhisattva' it really became meaningful for me with film making. For example when we were shooting our film in India at many different locations, my film making team and I encountered many obstacles and difficulties. But at the same time I really embraced all the teachings that I had received in my class by the Lopon and through that, all the obstacles and problems slowly vanished like a cloud vanishes into the sky.

 So there is one thing for sure, I have overcome some problems of my own with just studying and applying the teachings in my real life. So my point being that it really can be very useful and beneficial for all readers who have studied this amazing text 'The Way of the Bodhisattva' by Śāntideva. So please, I request to all of my RYI friends to please apply the teachings in your real life and you may encounter with many benefits for yourself and also for others as well.

 ~Raju from Nepal


Mustang

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