For the sake of the student and layman as well as the specialist and scholar, the book is divided into three parts: a guide, the translation, and the appendices. The guide, which comprises more than half the book, explains and interprets the Bodhicaryavatara, placing it in the framework of developing Buddhist thought, and discusses the rise of Madhyamika Buddhism, of which Santideva was a disciple. The appendices contain abbreviations used in the text; notes and references for the guide and the translation; a bibliography of primary and secondary sources; and an extensive glossary of selected terms from the guide and the translation.

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