In today’s Buddhist world, Shantideva is universally considered an exemplary scholar-practitioner. However, this was not always true. While living in the ancient Nalanda monastery, his peers doubted him and labeled him as lazy and uneducated. In this teaching, Mingyur Rinpoche introduces Shantideva and tells the story of why his peers looked down on him. He also shares how Shantideva’s life story — as exemplified in The Way of the Bodhisattva — can serve as an inspiration for us today.