n Buddhist scholar at Nalanda University and an adherent of the Madhyamaka
philosophy of Nagarjuna
.
The Chan Ssu Lun of the Chinese Madhyamika school identifies two different individuals given the name "Shantideva": the founder of the Avaivartika Sangha in the 6th century, and a later Shantideva who studied at Nalanda in the 8th century who appears to be the source of the Tibetan biographies.
In the spiritual energy that relieves The anguish of beings in misery and Places depressed beings in eternal joy I lift up my heart and rejoice.
In the ocean-like virtue of the Bodhimind That brings joy to all beings And in accomplishing the well-being of others, I lift up my heart and rejoice.
To the Buddhas of the ten directions I join my hands in respect Let blaze the light of Dharmas truth For the beings lost in darkness
To the Buddhas considering parinirvarna I join my hands in prayer Do not abandon the beings in sorrow But remain and teach for countless ages.
May any spiritual energy thus generated By my devotion to the enlightened ones Be dedicated to dispelling the misery Of living beings without exception.
As long as diseases afflict living beings May I be the doctor, the medicine And also the nurse Who restores them to health.
May I fall as rain to increase The harvests that must feed living beings And in ages of dire famine May I myself serve as food and drink.
My body, every possession And all goodness, past, present and future Without remorse I dedicate To the well-being of the world.
Suffering is transcended by total surrender And the mind attains to nirvana. As one day all must be given up, Why not dedicate it now to universal happiness?
May no one who encounters me Ever have an insignificant contact.