Chapter 8: Verses 38-53
Venerable Thubten Chodron 
Shantideva Teachings in Singapore 
Dec 4, 2025 One in a series of annual teachings on Shantideva's Bodhicaryāvatāra (Engaging in the Bodhisattva's Deeds, also translated as A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life) hosted by Pureland Marketing in Singapore
- Benefits of the text and a review of the chapters
- Overview of Chapter 8: Meditation
- How distractions hold us back from progressing on the path
- Verse 37: Dwelling alone, pacifying all distractions
- Verse 38: Developing concentration/calm abiding
- Verse 39: Consequences of nonvirtuous desires
- Virtuous versus nonvirtuous desires
- Verses 40-52: What we do for sexual desire
- Examining the reality of the human body
- Why working for liberation is a better use of our time
- How our mind reacts to sensual pleasures
- Verses 50-53: Recognizing the impurity of our own body
- The true value of a human body and life
The next teaching in this series:
Venerable Thubten Chodron
Venerable Chodron emphasizes the practical application of Buddha’s teachings in our daily lives and is especially skilled at explaining them in ways easily understood and practiced by Westerners. She is well known for her warm, humorous, and lucid teachings. She was ordained as a Buddhist nun in 1977 by Kyabje Ling Rinpoche in Dharamsala, India, and in 1986 she received bhikshuni (full) ordination in Taiwan. Read her full bio.
