Ripples of Light – Master Shantideva’s Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life: The Chapter on Dedicating the Power of Good Deeds (2002, Arizona)

This course presents the entire final chapter on “dedicating the power of good deeds” (Chapter Ten) from The Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life (Bodhisattvacaryvatra, Byang-chug sems-dpa’i spyod-pa la ‘jug-pa, digital text number TD3871 from the Asian Classics Input Project), by Master Shantideva (c. 700 AD).

This course was taught by Geshe Michael Roach in 2002 during his three-year retreat. This was a silent retreat for three years and Geshe Michael only broke silence to give occasional teachings.

This last chapter of the great Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life teaches us, in the form of a beautiful prayer of dedication, what to do with our good mental seeds.

This last chapter of the great Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life teaches us, in the form of a beautiful prayer of dedication, what to do with our good mental seeds. We have to avoid violence to others, we have to try to burn the old bad seeds in our minds, but as discussed in detail in the Lam Rim course on this same subject, Steps to Enlightenment 11: The Art of Appreciating Yourself & Your Life, from time to time we have to celebrate all the good seeds we have. This teaching, and the related Lam Rim course above, discusses special methods for multiplying the power of our goodness. Normally, we do a lot more bad karma than good karma, so an essential part of a complete spiritual practice must included skillful methods to try and make our good seeds bigger. The good news is that it’s also a very easy and joyful thing to do.

Background

Ripples of Light was taught during the 3-year silent retreat at Diamond Mountain in March 2002. These teachings were delivered by Geshe Michael Roach to students during Holy Week, using the Christian story of Jesus’ death and resurrection to frame a deep message of spiritual perseverance and transformation.

Main Theme

The heart of the teaching is Geshe Michael’s translation and commentary on the tenth chapter of Master Shantideva’s Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life — the chapter on dedication. The teaching emphasizes how to give away the karmic power of your good deeds in order to multiply their effects and bring benefit to all beings.

Reinvestment of Karma

Geshe Michael compares karma to a crop or business investment: if you simply consume your good karma for personal gain, it’s soon gone. But if you reinvest it by dedicating it to others, especially to the awakening of all beings, it grows beyond measure. He gives examples of this from his former business experience and from the lives of the retreatants who supported the teachings and the Dharma.

The Power of Rejoicing

An important part of the practice involves reflecting deeply on the good you have done, allowing those memories to ripen and become vivid in your mind, and then dedicating that merit with specific intention. This mental focus is said to awaken and expand the seeds of goodness planted by your actions.

Dedication Practice

Geshe Michael guides students in visualizing their karmic energy as ripples of light radiating from the heart. These ripples reach their teachers, beings in pain, and the entire universe. This dedication not only blesses others, but sets powerful causes to meet holy teachers again and again until full enlightenment is reached.

Living Examples

A large section of the teaching recounts the good deeds and sacrifices of the students who helped build the Three Jewels center, prepare for the retreat, digitize ancient texts, support Tibetan refugees, care for others, and take on intense responsibility in the Dharma. Geshe Michael praises their actions and urges them to rejoice and dedicate their merit.

The Bodhisattva’s Prayer

Quoting Master Shantideva’s verses, Geshe Michael prays that the blind may see, the deaf may hear, pregnant women may deliver without pain, and the poor may find wealth and comfort. These prayers operate on two levels: literal acts of compassion and deeper aspirations for beings to awaken to their true nature and be freed from cyclic existence.

This course is meant to complete Geshe Michael’s teaching on this text, which began with the related original ACI courses listed here:

Then continued on with these two ACI In-Depth courses:

Course Materials

Reading

Transcript

Audio

This course was taught by Geshe Michael Roach in 2002 during his three-year retreat. This was a silent retreat and Geshe Michael only broke silence to give occasional teachings. If you’re curious, that’s why his voice sounds the way it does in the recordings.

Author
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Geshe Michael Roach

Geshe Michael Roach (born December 17, 1952) is the first American to have been awarded the degree of Geshe, or Master of Buddhism, after more than 20 years of study in Tibetan monasteries. He has used this training to become a prominent international teacher, businessman, philanthropist, author, educator, public speaker, textual scholar, and musician. Geshe Michael graduated with honors from Princeton University and has received the Presidential Scholar Medal from the President of the United States at the White House.

In 1981 he helped found Andin International Diamond Corporation and bring it to annual sales of over $100 million, donating his profits to international aid projects. His book about achieving business and personal success through generosity, The Diamond Cutter, has become a global bestseller in 20 languages. He is the founder of the Asian Classics Institute, Diamond Mountain University, the Asian Classics Input Project, Worldview, the Yoga Studies Institute, Star in the East, Global Family Refugee Aid, Three Jewels Community Outreach Centers, and the Diamond Cutter Institute.

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