Shantideva is particularly renowned as the author of the Bodhicaryavatara . An English translation of the Sanskrit version of the Bodhicaryavatara is available online, as well as in print in a variety of translations, sometimes glossed as "A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way Of Life" or "Entering the Path of Enlightenment." It is a long poem describing the process of enlightenment from the first thought to full buddhahood and is still studied by Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhists today.It has ten chapters dedicated to the development of bodhicitta through the practice of the six perfections . The text begins with a chapter describing the benefits of the wish to reach enlightenment. The sixth chapter on the P?ramit? of patience is considered by many Buddhists to be the pinnacle of writing on this subject and is the source of numerous quotations attributed to ??ntideva. Tibetan scholars consider the ninth "Wisdom" chapter to be one of the most succinct expositions of the Madhyamaka view. The tenth chapter is used as one of the most popular Mah?y?na prayers.
