Perseverance

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This is Lama Zopa Rinpoche's commentary on perseverance (virya in Sanskrit, tsèondrèu in Tibetan), the fourth of the six bodhisattva perfections and the subject of the seventh chapter of Shantideva's Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life (Bodhisattvacharyavatara), which was written about 1, 300 years ago. Rinpoche would often use the text to emphasize how we need to overcome our attachment to the samsaric pleasures of this life-what are called the eight worldly dharmas or worldly concerns. These are our big addiction and the reason this realm we live in is called the desire realm. Our senses constantly reach out for pleasurable objects: sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and so forth. As long as chasing our desires dominates our life, we not only have no freedom to become a better person but we are also assuring ourselves (and our planet) great suffering in the future. Breaking this addiction is not easy. We need great determination, great perseverance. This is the subject of Shantideva's seventh chapter, where he explores in detail the effort we need to move from a selfish nonvirtuous attitude to one that serves others. Of A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life, Rinpoche says, "The whole of Shantideva's wonderful text is like an elaborated commentary on the lamrim [the graduated path to enlightenment]. In the monasteries, A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life is not used much as a text for debating, but students constantly refer back to it, quoting from it often. Many great teachers, such as His Holiness the Dalai Lama, quote extensively from it for many different subjects. It is so practical that we can use whatever Shantideva says as everyday advice, showing us how to conduct our lives."--