I must serve another, because he is a living being, as I myself am.

Excerpt

I must destroy another’s pain, because it is pain, just as my own pain is; I must serve another, because he is a living being, as I myself am.

Source Bodhicaryâvatâra, Chapter VIII — Virtue of Meditation or Recollection, §10 · 📖 Read the full passage

✨ To meditate on today

According to Shantideva, in the Bodhicaryâvatâra, another’s pain is real pain, just as mine is: that is why I want to relieve it, and to serve the other as a living being like me. Today, when someone tells you about a difficulty, receive it as if it were your own and look for a concrete gesture to ease it.

Receive a lesson of this teaching every day by email or Telegram