Thirty Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas

Recognizing their true potential and letting go of everything which could hinder them on their spiritual journey, Bodhisattvas entrust themselves to the path taught by the Buddha. Resisting disturbing emotions, they learn to respond to difficult situations in a constructive way. Fully understanding the nature of reality and the illusion-like nature of pleasure and pain, they overcome clinging attachment and aversion. In these ways, Bodhisattvas come to cherish living beings as the source of all happiness and are ultimately able to work solely for the good of all. Gyelsay Togmay Sangpo wrote The Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas in the fourteenth century. His succinct and simple verses of advice summarize the quintessence of the Mahayana path to perfection. 

Together as we examine these practices and look at how we can apply them in our modern lives we can learn how we can transform our actions, feelings, and ways of thinking to become Bodhisattvas ourselves.

 Before beginning the Thirty-seven Practices of Bodhisattvas, it’s important to understand a little about the situation we’re in, which is called “cyclic existence” or “samsara” in Sanskrit. Unless we have a general understanding about cyclic existence, its causes, nirvana as alternative, and the path to peace, these 37 ways in which bodhisattvas practice won’t necessarily make a lot of sense to us.

There are two reasons to teach these practices: the first is so people can solve their current problems and have more happiness in this life. The second is so they can attain liberation and enlightenment.

If you aspire for liberation and enlightenment, you need to know from what you want to be liberated. That means you should understand the present situation you’re in and what causes it. This is crucial for any deep spiritual practice. Otherwise, it is very easy for our spiritual practice to be defiled by the eight worldly concerns: attachments to 1) material possessions and money, 2) approval, praise and love, 3) reputation and image, 4) sense pleasure. The other four worldly concerns are not getting the previous four and experiencing their opposites—dejection because of lacking material possessions and money, receiving blame or disapproval, having a bad reputation or image, and experiencing unpleasant sights, sounds, odors, tastes, or tactile sensations. But, when we’re aware of what cyclic existence is and have a sincere wish to be free from it—that is, to renounce suffering and its causes—then the motivation for our spiritual practice becomes quite pure.


Paying Homage

Homage to Lokeshwara

I pay constant homage through my three doors,

To my supreme teacher and protector Chenrezig,

Who while seeing all phenomena lack coming and going,

Makes single-minded effort for the good of living beings.

 

Perfect Buddhas, source of all well-being and happiness,

Arise from accomplishing the excellent teachings,

And this depends on knowing the practices.

So I will explain the practices of bodhisattvas.

 

Verse 1: Precious Human Life

Having gained this rare ship of freedom and fortune,

Hear, think and meditate unwaveringly night and day

In order to free yourself and others

From the ocean of cyclic existence—

This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

 

Verse 2: The Three Poisons

Attached to your loved ones you’re stirred up like water.

Hating your enemies you burn like fire.

In the darkness of confusion you forget what to adopt and discard.

Give up your homeland—

This is the practice of bodhisattvas

 

Verse 3: Relying on Solitude

By avoiding bad objects, disturbing emotions gradually decrease.

Without distraction, virtuous activities naturally increase.

With clarity of mind, conviction in the teaching arises.

Cultivate seclusion—

This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

 

Verse 4: Mindfulness of Impermanence and Death

Loved ones who have long kept company will part.

Wealth created with difficulty will be left behind.

Consciousness, the guest, will leave the guest-house of the body.

Let go of this life—

This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

 

Verse 5: Giving Up Bad Company

When you keep their company your three poisons increase,

Your activities of hearing, thinking and meditating decline,

And they make you lose your love and compassion.

Give up bad friends—

This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

 

Verse 6: Relying on a Spiritual Mentor

When you rely on them your faults come to an end

And your good qualities grow like the waxing moon.

Cherish spiritual teachers

Even more than your own body—

This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

 

Verse 7: Taking Refuge

Bound himself in the jail of cyclic existence,

What worldly god can give you protection?

Therefore when you seek refuge, take refuge in

The Three Jewels which will not betray you—

This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

 

Verse 8: Karma and Its Results

The Subduer said all the unbearable suffering

Of bad rebirths is the fruit of wrongdoing.

Therefore, even at the cost of your life,

Never do wrong—

This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

 

Verse 9: Aspiring for Liberation

Like dew on the tip of a blade of grass, pleasures of the three worlds

Last only a while and then vanish.

Aspire to the never-changing

Supreme state of liberation—

This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

 

Verse 10: Bodhicitta

When your mothers, who’ve loved you since time without beginning,

Are suffering, what use is your own happiness?

Therefore to free limitless living beings

Develop the altruistic intention—

This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

 

Verse 11: Equalising and Exchanging Self and Others

All suffering comes from the wish for your own happiness.

Perfect Buddhas are born from the thought to help others.

Therefore exchange your own happiness

For the suffering of others—

This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

 

Verse 12: Transforming Loss into the Path

Even if someone out of strong desire

Steals all your wealth or has it stolen,

Dedicate to him your body, possessions

And your virtue, past, present and future—

This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

 

Verse 13: Transforming Suffering into the Path

Even if someone tries to cut off your head

When you haven’t done the slightest thing wrong,

Out of compassion take all his misdeeds

Upon yourself—

This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

 

Verse 14: Transforming Blame into the Path

Even if someone broadcasts all kinds of unpleasant remarks

About you throughout the three thousand worlds,

In return, with a loving mind,

Speak of his good qualities—

This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

 

Verse 15: Transforming Criticism into the Path

Though someone may deride and speak bad words

About you in a public gathering,

Looking on him as a spiritual teacher,

Bow to him with respect—

This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

 

Verse 16: Transforming Betrayal into the Path

Even if a person for whom you’ve cared

Like your own child regards you as an enemy,

Cherish him specially, like a mother

Does her child who is stricken by sickness—

This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

 

Verse 17: Transforming Derision into the Path

If an equal or inferior person

Disparages you out of pride,

Place him, as you would your spiritual teacher,

With respect on the crown of your head—

This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

 

Verse 18: Transforming Poverty into the Path

Though you lack what you need and are constantly disparaged,

Afflicted by dangerous sickness and spirits,

Without discouragement take on the misdeeds

And the pain of all living beings—

This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

 

Verse 19: Transforming Wealth into the Path

Though you become famous and many bow to you,

And you gain riches equal to Vaishravana’s,

See that worldly fortune is without essence,

And be unconceited—

This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

 

Verse 20: Transforming Anger into the Path

While the enemy of your own anger is unsubdued,

Though you conquer external foes, they will only increase.

Therefore with the militia of love and compassion

Subdue your own mind—

This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

 

Verse 21: Transforming Desire into the Path

Sensual pleasures are like saltwater:

The more you indulge, the more thirst increases.

Abandon at once those things which breed

Clinging attachment—

This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

 

Verse 22: Realising Emptiness

Whatever appears is your own mind.

Your mind from the start was free from fabricated extremes.

Understanding this, do not take to mind

[Inherent] signs of subject and object—

This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

 

Verse: 23: Seeing the Desired as Empty

When you encounter attractive objects,

Though they seem beautiful

Like a rainbow in summer, don’t regard them as real

And give up attachment—

This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

 

Verse: 24 Seeing the Hated as Empty

All forms of suffering are like a child’s death in a dream.

Holding illusory appearances to be true makes you weary.

Therefore when you meet with disagreeable circumstances,

See them as illusory—

This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

 

Verse: 25 Far-reaching Generosity

When those who want enlightenment must give even their body,

There’s no need to mention external things.

Therefore without hope for return or any fruition

Give generously—

This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

 

Verse: 26 Far-reaching Ethical Discipline

Without ethics you can’t accomplish your own well-being,

So wanting to accomplish others’ is laughable.

Therefore without worldly aspirations

Safeguard your ethical discipline—

This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

 

Verse: 27 Far-reaching Patience

To bodhisattvas who want a wealth of virtue

Those who harm are like a precious treasure.

Therefore towards all cultivate patience

Without hostility—

This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

 

Verse: 28 Far-reaching Joyous Effort

Seeing even Hearers and Solitary Realisers, who accomplish

Only their own good, strive as if to put out a fire on their head,

For the sake of all beings make enthusiastic effort,

The source of all good qualities—

This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

 

Verse: 29 Far-reaching Meditative Stabilisation

Understanding that disturbing emotions are destroyed

By special insight with calm abiding,

Cultivate concentration which surpasses

The four formless absorptions—

This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

 

Verse: 30 Far-reaching Wisdom

Since the five perfections without wisdom

Cannot bring perfect enlightenment,

Along with skilful means cultivate the wisdom

Which does not conceive the three spheres (as real)—

This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

 

Verse: 31 Avoiding Hypocrisy

If you don’t examine your own errors,

You may look like a practitioner but not act as one.

Therefore, always examining your own errors,

Rid yourself of them—

This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

 

Verse: 32 Not Criticising Bodhisattvas

If through the influence of disturbing emotions

You point out the faults of another Bodhisattva,

You yourself are diminished, so don’t mention the faults

Of those who have entered the Great Vehicle—

This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

 

Verse: 33 Avoiding Attachment to Benefactors

Reward and respect cause us to quarrel

And make hearing, thinking and meditation decline.

For this reason give up attachment to

The households of friends, relations and benefactors—

This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

 

Verse: 34 Refraining from Harsh Words

Harsh words disturb the minds of others

And cause deterioration in a Bodhisattva’s conduct.

Therefore give up harsh words

Which are unpleasant to others—

This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

 

Verse: 35 Abandoning Bad Habits and Mental Afflictions

Habitual disturbing emotions are hard to stop through counteractions.

Armed with antidotes, the guards of mindfulness and mental alertness

Destroy disturbing emotions like attachment

At once, as soon as they arise—

This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

 

Verse: 36 Training in Mindfulness and Alertness

In brief, whatever you are doing,

Ask yourself “What’s the state of my mind?”

With constant mindfulness and mental alertness

Accomplish others’ good—

This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

 

Verse: 37 Dedication of Virtue to Full Enlightenment

To remove the suffering of limitless beings,

Understanding the purity of the three spheres,

Dedicate the virtue from making such effort

To enlightenment—

This is the practice of bodhisattvas.

 

Epilogue

For all who want to train on the Bodhisattva path,

I have written The Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas,

Following what has been said by the excellent ones

On the meaning of the sutras, tantras and treatises.

 

Though not poetically pleasing to scholars

Owing to my poor intelligence and lack of learning,

I’ve relied on the sutras and the words of the excellent,

So I think these Bodhisattva practices are without error.

 

However, as the great deeds of bodhisattvas

Are hard to fathom for one of my poor intelligence,

I beg the excellent to forgive all faults,

Such as contradictions and non sequiturs.