Words of Shantideva

Shantideva was a monk of the Madhyamika school in the Mahayana tradition, living at the University of Nalanda during the 7th/8th century AD, who is said to have been the oldest son of a king in South India, but declined the king's throne to became a monk said; " First of all I should make an effort To meditate upon the equality between self and others: I should protect all beings as I do myself Because we are all equal in wanting pleasure and not wanting pain. Although there are many different parts and aspects such as the hands; As a body that is to be protected they are one, Likewise all the different sentient beings in their pleasure and their pain Have a wish to be happy that is the same as mine. The suffering that I experience Does not cause any harm to others. But that suffering is mine because of my conceiving of myself as "I"; Thereby it becomes unbearable. Likewise the misery of others Does not befall me. Nevertheless, by conceiving of others as "I" their suffering becomes mine; Therefore it too should be hard to bear. Hence I should dispel the misery of others Because it is suffering, just like my own, And I should benefit others Because they are sentient beings, just like myself. When both myself and others Are similar in that we wish to be happy, What is so special about me? Why do I strive for my happiness alone?"