Buddhist tradition translates peace in ways that recognize our interconnectedness and shared responsibility to each other. Writing in the 8th century, Shantideva listed what one life might offer others in “Bodhicaryāvatāra: An Introduction to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life”: shelter for anyone without it, a guide for anyone lost on the road, a boat or a bridge for anyone trying to cross. Nothing heroic, but just being useful to whoever is in front of you.
This is the bodhisattva ideal in the Mahayana tradition, a life turned toward becoming a refuge for others. Peace grows outward from ordinary kindness, not downward from agreements.
Selected verses from Bodhicaryāvatāra
An Introduction to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life
By Shantideva
May I be a guard for those without one, A guide for all who journey on the road, May I become a boat, a raft or bridge, For all who wish to cross the water.
Verse 3.18
May I be an isle for those desiring landfall,
Verse 3.19
And a lamp for those who wish for light,
May I be a bed for those who need to rest,
And a servant for all who live in need.
Just so, in all the realms of beings,
Verse 3.22
As far as space itself pervades,
May I be a source of all that life requires,
Until beings pass beyond saṃsāra’s pain.
