The Tibetan master Thokme Sangpo (1295–1369) is revered by all schools of Tibetan Buddhism, who usually refer to him with the honorific Gyalse, meaning “bodhisattva,” for his deep devotion to the bodhisattva ideal. He is most known for his Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas, a short verse text frequently taught by the Dalai Lama and other teachers as a succinct guide to the path of enlightened altruism. But Thokme Sangpo’s commentary on Shantideva’s famous Guide to the Bodhisattva Way is also a classic of Tibetan literature. With many English translations, the seventh-century Guide is quoted more than any other work for its poetic distillations of key Buddhist truths. And when Tibetan lamas give teachings on the Guide, they consult Thokme Sangpo.

Thokme Sangpo walks readers through Shantideva’s ten chapters of verses with brisk prose explanations organized in a detailed thematic outline. From the inspiring early chapters extolling the bodhisattva’s vast aspirations, through the practice of the six perfections aimed at realizing transcendent wisdom, this first-ever English translation will inspire as it illuminates and deepens readers’ appreciation for one of Buddhism’s greatest contributions to world literature. Thupten Jinpa’s introduction unpacks key features of the so-called bodhisattva ideal and provides details about the life of Thokme Sangpo and his place in the Tibetan imagination.

Bodhisattva Awakening: An Explanation of Shantideva's Guide, Julia Stenzel and Thupten Jinpa, Wisdom Publications, Paperback, 392 pages, $26.95

Julia Stenzel is an assistant professor at Rangjung Yeshe Institute, Centre for Buddhist Studies of Kathmandu University, Nepal. She received her PhD from McGill University, Montreal. Her research focuses on cross-cultural transformation processes of Buddhist contemplative traditions and their relevance in today’s world. Julia examined compassion meditations in Indian and Tibetan contexts and their secular application in contemporary secular settings. Her publications include The Sciencization of Compassion (Springer, 2020) and Buddhist Monasteries of the Thai Forest Tradition in Ontario (Wilfried Laurier Press, 2015).

Thupten Jinpa Langri was educated in the classical Tibetan monastic academia and received the highest academic degree of Geshe Lharam (equivalent to a doctorate in divinity). Jinpa also holds a BA in philosophy and a PhD in religious studies, both from the University of Cambridge, England. Since 1985, he has been the principal translator to the Dalai Lama, accompanying him to the United States, Canada, and Europe. He has translated and edited many books by the Dalai Lama, including The World of Tibetan Buddhism, Essence of the Heart Sutra, and the New York Times bestseller Ethics for the New Millennium.

Jinpa has published scholarly articles on various aspects of Tibetan culture, Buddhism, and philosophy, and books such as Songs of Spiritual Experience: Tibetan Poems of Awakening and Insight (co-authored) and Self, Reality and Reason in Tibetan Thought. He serves on the advisory board of numerous educational and cultural organizations in North America, Europe, and India. He is currently the president and the editor-in-chief of the Institute of Tibetan Classics, a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to translating key Tibetan classics into contemporary languages. And he also currently chairs the Mind and Life Institute and the Compassion Institute.