The Bodhisattva vow to benefit all beings

A Bodhisattva is a person who devotes his/her life to be of benefit to all beings no matter the obstacles. Bodhisattvas go through a process of training of 52 stages, subdivided into five categories of ten stages each (plus two additional stages at the end). The first ten stages of Faith have never been translated into English from the original Chinese, nor has there been a commentary on these stages in English. This text is the first of its kind, providing a translation of the salient sections as well as an extended commentary on the texts and other related Buddhist teachings. We hope that this material will aid those who are on the Bodhisattva Path as well as those who are studying the history of Buddhism.

Xiankuan is a lay Dharma teacher at the Mid-America Buddhist Association Monastery (MABA) in Augusta, Missouri, USA. He began practicing meditation in 1969 under the guidance of his first teacher, Ho Kuang-chung. He earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees at Washington University in St. Louis, where he also taught in the graduate school for 17 years. He has treated anxiety and depression since 1977 and has practiced cognitive behavioral therapy since 1981. He also gave seminars on CBT and Mindfulness in over 200 cities. He currently studies with Ven. Master Jiru and the Monastics at MABA. Xiankuan is the author of Volume 1 and 2 of Six Pathways to Happiness.