The Bodhicaryavatara of Santideva: Entering the Path of Enlightenment

Entering the Path of Enlightenment contains the first complete English
translation of the Sanskrit Bodhicaryavatara of the Buddhist poet
Santideva. In this beautiful and moving classic of Mahayana Buddhism,
Santideva, a monk living in Nalanda in the early eighth century A.D.,
describes the Bodhisattva Vow, the promise of heroic beings to strive for
Nirvana, but to postpone full entrance into the Realm of the Absolute until
every other sentient creature also attains the bliss of Enlightenment. This
classic of Mahayana Buddhism has often been compared to both the Dhammapada
of Hinayana Buddhism and The limitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis.

For the sake of the student and layman as well as the specialist and
scholar, the book is divided into three parts: a guide, the translation,
and the appendices. The guide, which comprises more than half the book,
explains and interprets the Bodhicaryavatara, placing it in the framework
of developing Buddhist thought, and discusses the rise of Madhyamika
Buddhism, of which Santideva was a disciple. The appendices contain
abbreviations used in the text; notes and references for the guide and the
translation; a bibliography of primary and secondary sources; and an
extensive glossary of selected terms from the guide and the translation.