Favourite Mahayana inspirational texts/treaties I would like to ask the community here what are your favourite treaties or texts in Mahayana tradition that did personally make great impact on your practice in the way that it cut through illusion or allowed you to grow by breakthrough in understanding etc. It might have sentimental value of sorts.

It might be a bullet point list with the title and description what it is and why it had such impact on your practice.

Examples of such works could be Dogen - “Shobogenzo” or Shantideva - “Way of Bodhisattva”. It might be written from perspective of Vajrayanists but not about tantric practise per we.
Hope this helps!


On the method side: Shantideva's Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life


The quintessential guide to the method aspect of the Mahayana path and one of the most beautiful works of literature ever conceived. I challenge anyone to read this book three times and not come away with an aspiration to become a Bodhisattva for the benefit of all.


On the wisdom side: Nagarjuna's Fundamental Treatise on the Middle Way


The definitive explanation of the Buddha's Middle Way. This treatise explains how things exist and how they utterly do not exist. Ideally, the commentary by Aryadeva, Buddhapalita, Chandrakirti, Je Tsongkhapa and others should be read in order to understand what this treatise says and what it does not say. Probably one the most important yet misunderstood text in all of human history.


Analogies, metaphors, allegories, illustrating and illuminating the above including: Rope and Snake, Dreams of a Mother, Ambrosia+Water+Pus&amp;Blood, Chandrakirti's Chariot, Ship of Theseus, many many others.


These have been extremely helpful to my mind and contemplating them has opened up my own understanding meager as it is.


Diamond Cutter Sutra


Especially this verse, "As a star, a visual aberration, a lamp, an illusion, dew, a bubble, a dream, lightning, and a cloud – view all the compounded like that." This succinct instruction by the Buddha summarizes how to view all phenomena.


The Sutra of Golden Light


The last few chapters are both self-referential in delightful way and give extremely beautiful examples of Buddha Shakyamuni's actions as a Bodhisattva in previous lives. IMO, reading this Sutra is a good way of starting a New Year.


This verse, "As long as space endures, as long as sentient beings remain, until then, may I too remain and dispel the miseries of the world."


The quintessential sentiment of a Bodhisattva displaying profound Bodhicitta.