One of the great classics of Buddhist literature, the Bodhicharyavatara, or Way of the Bodhisattva, is required reading for understanding Tibetan Buddhism. His Holiness the Dalai Lama considers it a seminal influence in his life and work and repeatedly stresses the benefits of its study. Presented in the form of a personal meditation in verse, it outlines the path of the bodhisattvas—those who renounce the peace of their own salvation, vowing instead to attain enlightenment for the sake of all others.

Shantideva was a seventh-century Buddhist master who taught at Nalanda, one of the great monastic universities of ancient India, and Shantideva's Bodhicharyavatara deeply influenced the Dalai Lama, who once remarked that his own understanding of the bodhisattva path is based entirely upon Shantideva's text. Shantideva's work is required reading for an understanding of Tibetan Buddhism.

As long as space endures,
As long as sentient beings remain,
May I likewise remain
To dispel the sorrows of the world.
—Shantideva

The Way of Awakening is without question the most comprehensive single commentary on this text available. Expounded by an accomplished scholar and deeply realized meditator, it is a resource for a lifetime of study. Chapter by chapter and verse by verse, it maps the Bodhicharyavatara, helping us to deepen our understanding of its teachings and apply them to our lives.

PRAISE
"The present work contains a thorough practical guide to the Bodhicharyavatara by Geshe Yeshe Tobden. He has that rare distinction of being not only qualified as a scholar, but also of having gained long acquaintance through many years of meditation in the mountains. As a result, his explanation has the special flavor of heartfelt personal experience."
—from the foreword by the Dalai Lama

"Geshe Yeshe Tobden studied at one of the world's greatest Buddhist monateries, Sera. Not only did he master the subjects of philosophy, logic, wisdom, metaphysics, and morality, his presentation shows that he also has experiential understanding. His combination of knowledge and experience is greatly needed today."
—Gehlek Rimpoche, author of Good Life, Good Death