This is a Buddhist classic written by Santideva, an eighth century Indian monk. This translation from the Sanskrit and Tibetan is by Vesna A. Wallace and B. Alan Wallace. Santideva celebrates the spirit of awakening and the cultivation of the six perfections-generosity, ethical discipline, patience, zeal, meditation, and wisdom. Walking in the way of the Bodhisattva means working for the benefit of all sentient beings. At one point, Santideva counsels us, "Be a friend to the world." At another, he writes, "O mind, make this resolve: I am bound to others." "A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life" concludes with a poetic prayer that captures the compassion at the heart of Buddhism: "For as long as space endures and for as long as the world lasts, may I live dispelling the miseries of the world. Whatever suffering there is for the world, may it all ripen upon me."