Summary: Episode Description: In this second half of the first session, John dives into the first chapter of Shantideva's "The Way of the Bodhisattva." Shantideva sets a context in the first line of the text in which the bodhisattva, or aspiring bodhisattva, is in a community with other bodhisattvas who can and must support one another, and also in which the bodhisattva is endowed with the capacity to attain complete Buddhahood. So this opening line serves as important inspiration. John then discusses the ways in which Shantideva attempts to "turn the mind" of practitioners toward psychological states that are useful on the path. The first of these methods for turning the mind is contemplating our "human life with leisures and endowments." We reflect that this life is extremely difficult to obtain and that we, in our context, are amazing people. To have reasonably healthy bodies and minds, to have an opportunity to practice, to have an interest in practice, and so forth, are incredible conditions. Yet we often act like fools because we don't recognize the rarity and importance of our lives. So this contemplation is meant to turn our minds toward seeing how amazing we are and how precious this opportunity is. John ends this session with a rich discussion of the "self-liberation" of our thoughts and stories in the context of practice. For Series description and Teacher BIO, please visit Part 1a. To access the entire series, please click on the link below: The Way of a Bodhisattva Series: All 6 Parts
