Śāntideva emerges in the tradition as an Indian Buddhist monk and scholar rooted in the Mahāyāna vision and aligned with the Madhyamaka, or Middle Way, philosophical school. He is associated with the great monastic university of Nālandā, a renowned center of Buddhist learning in ancient India. Within this milieu, his life and work are understood as expressions of a deep commitment to the bodhisattva ideal, where wisdom and compassion are cultivated together rather than in isolation. His identity as both practitioner and philosopher is reflected in the way his teachings bridge rigorous analysis and heartfelt devotion.

The text for which Śāntideva is best known, the *Bodhicaryāvatāra*—often rendered as “Entering the Conduct of the Bodhisattva” or “A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life”—was composed in the 8th century CE, with traditional and scholarly perspectives converging around this period. Some accounts place its composition around 700 CE, situating it in a time when Mahāyāna thought was already rich yet still unfolding in new directions. The work stands as a practical guide that systematically presents the path of the bodhisattva, interweaving the cultivation of compassion with the realization of profound wisdom. Through this text, Śāntideva’s voice continues to invite readers into a disciplined yet deeply humane way of life, where philosophical clarity serves the awakening of boundless altruism.