A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life
with Yangten Rinpoche
We are so honored and delighted to welcome Yangten Rinpoche, assistant to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, for in-person and online teachings.
Rinpoche will offer teachings on the celebrated work A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life (Bodhicaryāvatāra) by Shantideva—our center’s namesake. As a monk at the great Nalanda monastic university in the 8th century CE, Shantideva was taken to be lazy and unaccomplished until one day when he delivered the perfectly-formed and complete text A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, which describes in poetic verse the path of spiritual development of the bodhisattva, from ordinary person to fully awakened Buddha.
Additional Materials
Prayers:
Prayers for Teachings (Desktop-Friendly PDF) (Mobile-Friendly PDF)
Text:
- A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, translated by Stephen Batchelor, Library of Tibetan Works and Archives
- Bodhicaryāvatāra: An Introduction to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life by Śāntideva. Translated by Adam Pearcey, 2007
Recordings
This is a playlist. To jump to a particular session, click the playlist icon (near the top-right corner) of the video frame to select video.
About the Teacher
Below is a short biography of Yangten Rinpoche, a more extensive biography is available here.
Yangten Rinpoche was born in Kham, Tibet in 1978. He was recognised as a tulku aged 10, and enthroned at Kandze Monastery. In 1990, at the unusually young age of 12, he entered the Geshe program at Sera Mey Monastery and graduated with a Geshe Lharampa degree (with distinction) in 2007, aged only 29.
After graduation, Rinpoche joined Gyuto Monastery for two years and completed the traditional tantric studies there. During his time at Gyuto he also served as a Debate Assistant to Gyalwa Karmapa Rinpoche.
Since 2008, at the personal behest of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Yangten Rinpoche has been working at the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in various capacities. Rinpoche has assisted His Holiness on many projects, including being selected to compile a book on Buddhist Science, from the Kangyur and Tengyur. Rinpoche is also leading the project for compiling the writings and teachings of His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama.
Yangten Rinpoche also composed a long-life prayer entitled “Panacea of Pure Nectar” for Lama Zopa Rinpoche, following his illness in 2011, which you can read here.
Learn more about Yangten Rinpoche, including videos of his recent teachings, on his Facebook page.
Below are two recent photos of Yangten Rinpoche at work in the office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
