Extinguishing Fire - A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life

A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life

As one of the most consulted sources for the cultivation of compassion in Mahāyāna Buddhism, the Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra by Indian scholar-sage Śāntideva charts the path of practice undertaken by the bodhisattva — any being who is committed to awakening not for their own sake, but in service of all beings. In light of recent events both near and far, all of which play into the burning web of suffering in which all beings are embedded, such a path of practice is particularly relevant to dousing the flames.

The bodhisattva's path of practice is a way of life intentionally cultivated and embodied, not merely one of well-wishing from afar. In undertaking such training in compassion, one is moved to action, drawing near to the flames in order to extinguish them for good.

In undertaking such a path of practice, the bodhisattva, a being in the process of awakening, thus cultivates bodhicitta, the mind of awakening imbued with compassionate intention. Śāntideva's contemplative verses, as recorded in the Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra (i.e., A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life), develops this path of practice in stages, largely on the basis of extinguishing the fuel for the fire, the sense of a separate self. We offer here the beginnings of a series on cultivating compassion and extinguishing the flames.

Not Having Extinguished Self

Perhaps best known among Śāntideva's verses is a passage that reads, "The source of all misery in the world lies in thinking of oneself; The source of all happiness lies in thinking of others," a popular translation of verse 129 from the section on dhyāna-pāramitā ("the perfection of meditation") that circulates widely.

This segment traces itself to a triad of related verses that invoke fire imagery to convey the imminent dangers of self-centered modes and patterns.

Whatever calamities there are, and whatever sorrows and fears come to the world, they are all the result of attachment to “self.” Why is that attachment mine?

Not having extinguished “self,” one is not able to extinguish sorrow; just as one who has not extinguished a fire is not able to extinguish the burning.

It follows that for the sake of tranquilizing my own sorrow, and for the tranquilizing of the other’s sorrow, I give myself to others and I accept others like myself.

Such a sentiment of selflessness is echoed throughout much of the Buddhist canon, regardless of tradition, as well as various other spiritual and secular circles. Its underlying message is that selfish tendencies lead to suffering, while the inverse, particularly in the form of altruism, stands to promote flourishing in society.

Grounded in this understanding, the entire bodhisattva path is centered around such a philosophy of selfless service and the practice of extinguishing selfish habits. Not having extinguished "self," suffering arises. Nothing having extinguished "self," the world erupts into flames.

Fires Continue to Rage

With piercing language, invoking fire through simile, Śāntideva seers us with the burning reality that plagues much of the world, both literally and figuratively. While physical fire spreads across the planet, decimating all in its wake, the heat of violence and conflict seethes and ferments in its midst. These are by no means eruptions from out of the blue. The red has long been building.

The root of suffering is selfishness informed by ignorance and craving, which can be likened to a flame that takes only its own existence as essential, consuming all else in service of itself alone. Whether self-obsession or self-absorption, this fire feeds on the embers of greed, hatred, and delusion.

As fires continue to rage without pause, what can be done (or not done to cease adding fuel to the fire and fanning the flames) in order to counter their ferocity? Have all the options been exhausted, or...

To be continued.