| The Bodhisattva Path -Shantideva May I be the doctor and the medicine, And may I be the nurse For all sick beings in the world Until everyone is healed May a rain of food and drink descend To clear away the pain of thirst and hunger, And during the eon of famine May I myself change into food and drink May I become an inexhaustible treasure For those who are poor and destitute. May I turn into all things they could need, And may these be placed close beside them. Without and sense of loss or attachment, I shall give up my body and enjoyments As well as all my virtues of the three times For the sake of benefitting all By giving up all, sorrow is transcended, And my mind will realize the sorrowless state. It is best that I now give everything to all beings In the same way as I shall at death. May I be a protector for those without one, A guide for all travelers on the way. May I be a bridge, a boat and a ship For all who wish to cross water. May I be an island for those who seek refuge And a lamp for those desiring light May I be a bed for all who wish to rest And a slave for all who want a slave. May I be a wishing jewel, a magic vase, Powerful mantras and great medicine. May I become a wish-fulfilling tree And a cow of plenty for the world. Just like space And the great elements such as earth, May I always support the life Of all the boundless creatures. And until they pass away from pain, May I also be the source of life For all the realms of varied beings That reach unto the ends of space. (Side note: Shantideva, a revered monk, scholar, and poet, lived in India in the eighth century. A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life, the source of these verses, is a classic evocation of the bodhisattva path.) |
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