The Perfection of Patience

Patience, or forbearance, is taught as one of the six perfections, the six main practices of a bodhisattva (a being who is dedicated to attaining full enlightenment for the sake of all living beings). In the well-known text, The Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, the 8th Century Indian master Shantideva devotes the longest chapter to the practice of patience because of its importance. But what does this patience involve? Why is it so emphasized on the spiritual path? Join us for an exploration of the perfection of patience, which is needed so desperately now in our increasingly divisive age.