The Buddha is credited with clearly and succinctly expounding the Buddhist path (marga). Despite the eloquence and brevity of the Buddha’s exposition, the corpus of Buddhist scriptures explaining the path is prolix. It is generally thought that the moral precepts (siksapadas), correct practices (samudacaras) and restraints (samvaras) for a bodhisattva are to be found in Mahayana sutras. Yet it seems that the most likely outcome of reading these sutras is not enlightenment, but confusion. Mahayana sutras appear too extensive and complex to be of much practical benefit to an incipient bodhisattva. This paper asserts that the Siksasamuccaya (SS) and Siksasamuccayakarika (SSKa) are composed by Santideva (S) to counter the bewilderment which results from reading Mahayana sutras. Both works explicate the essential principles (marmasthanas) of these sutras for the benefit of a bodhisattva new to the way. Further, this paper asserts that of all the various practices described in Mahayana sutras, S believes that the practice of giving (dana ≡ utsarjana) is fundamental. In the SS and SSKa the way of the bodhisattva (bodhisattvamarga) is essentially the way of giving (danamarga).

1. Santideva, active 7th century. Siksasamuccaya. 2. Mahayana Buddhism ? Doctrines. 3. Boddhisattvas.