The Training Anthology of Śāntideva: A Translation of the TSik?a-samuccaya

The Training Anthology--or TŚikṣā-samuccaya--is a collection of quotations from Buddhist sutras with illuminating and insightful commentary by the eighth-century North Indian master Śāntideva. Best known for his philosophical poem, the Bodhicaryavatara, Śāntideva has been a vital source of spiritual guidance and literary inspiration to Tibetan teachers and students throughout the history of Tibetan Buddhism. Charles Goodman offers a translation of this major work of religious literature, in which Śāntideva has extracted, from the vast ocean of the Buddha's teachings, a large number of passages of exceptional value, either for their practical relevance, philosophical illumination, or aesthetic beauty. The Training Anthology provides a comprehensive overview of the Mahayana path to Awakening and gives scholars an invaluable window into the religious doctrines, ethical commitments, and everyday life of Buddhist monks in India during the first millennium CE. This translation includes a detailed analysis of the philosophy of the Training Anthology, an introduction to Śāntideva's cultural and religious contexts, and informative footnotes. The translation conveys the teachings of this timeless classic in clear and accessible English, highlighting for the modern reader the intellectual sophistication, beauty, and spiritual grandeur of the original text.

Table of Contents:
List of Abbreviations The Training Anthology in its Cultural and Religious Contexts The Philosophy of the Training Anthology Notes on the Translation Root Verses of the Training Anthology 1. The Perfection of Generosity 2. Upholding the Holy Dharma 3. Protecting the Dharma Teacher and so on 4. Giving Up What is Harmful 5. Giving Up What is Harmful through the Perfection of Moral Discipline 6. Protecting the Body 7. Protecting Possessions and Goodness 8. Clearing Away Vile Actions 9. The Perfection of Patient Endurance 10. The Perfection of Perseverance 11. Praise of the Wilderness 12. Preparing the Mind 13. The Applications of Mindfulness 14. Purifying the Body 15. Purifying Possessions and Goodness 16. The Ritual of Good Conduct 17. Benefits of Reverential Actions 18. Recollection of the Three Jewels 19. Enhancing Goodness Appendix A: Training Anthology Ch. 18, B. 344-347, Tibetan Version Appendix B: Partial List of Translation Choices Appendix C: Texts Quoted in the Training Anthology Notes Works Cited Index

About the Author :
Charles Goodman is a Buddhist scholar, philosopher, translator, and meditation teacher. He is an Associate Professor at Binghamton University.

Review :
"Charles Goodman has taken on the important task of rendering this valuable text into readable twenty-first-century English - not an easy task, given the often abstract and passive prose in the text's composite Buddhist and Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit. That in itself would be a major contribution, but Goodman's effort goes considerably further ... This work easily surpasses Bendall and Rouse as the definitive English translation of the 'Siks=a, and I expect it to be used, cited, and treasured for decades if not centuries. It will enable new generations of students to appreciate both of 'S=antideva's known works rather than just one." --Amod Lele, Journal of the American Oriental Society "The Training Anthology provides a comprehensive overview of the Mahayana path to Awakening and gives scholars an invaluable window into the religious doctrines, ethical commitments, and everyday life of Buddhist monks in India during the first millennium CE."--Reading Religion "For all the many admirers of Santideva, scholars and practitioners, Buddhist and non-Buddhist alike, this book is a treat and an education. It rewards readers with Goodman's eminently readable introduction and deeply informed synopsis of the text, all contextualizing his smooth and skillful translation from the Sanskrit and Tibetan of Santideva's 'other' great work, the Training Anthology. This is a must-read for everyone interested in further background to Santideva's thinking and practical advice, and for thoughtful persons from any tradition who reflect on the place of rational thought in the life and heart of compassionate, philosophically astute, practitioners."-Anne C. Klein, author of Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse "Goodman has done a valuable service in not only bringing out a new translation of Santideva's Siksa-samuccaya, but also, and more importantly, breathing new life into the meaning of the text through his deliberate translation choices, apparent right away from the title. He succeeds not only in conveying the ideas and thoughts in modern English, but also evoking the emotions and sensibilities that the original audience might have experienced."-Geshe Dadul Namgyal, Senior Resident Teacher, Drepung Loseling Monastery, Atlanta; Interpreter/Translator, Emory-Tibet Science Initiative, Emory University