The Bodhicaryavatara ("Entering the Course towards Awakening") is
an Indian Mahayana Buddhist companion to the path of a Bodhisattva,
someone motivated by the altruistic "spirit of awakening". Unlike many
other Buddhist scriptures, much of this text is written in the very
touching form of personal reflections. Despite its late composition
(7th-8th cent. CE), the Bodhicaryavatara quickly gained
widespread recognition and high appraisal in various parts of the
Buddhist world and even beyond. Today it is one of the most widely
translated Buddhist texts. The 14th Dalai Lama has emphasized the
special impact of this scripture on his own spirituality, and a number
of Western scholars have praised it as a true gem among the world's
religious classics. After many commentaries by Buddhist scholars
throughout the centuries, this is the first commentary from a Christian
perspective, exploring the deep resonances between the "spirit of
awakening" and the "spirit of Christ".