bodhisattva

 

(bō'dĭsät'wə) [Sanskrit,=enlightenment-being], in early Buddhism the term used to refer to the Buddha before he attained supreme enlightenment; more generally, any being destined for enlightenment or intent on enlightenment. The spiritual path of the bodhisattva is the central teaching of Mahayana Buddhism. One becomes a bodhisattva by arousing the “mind of enlightenment,” taking a vow to attain supreme enlightenment for the sake of all beings. The bodhisattva does not aspire to leave the round of birth-and-death (samsara) before all beings are saved; he is thus distinguished from the arahant of earlier Buddhism, who allegedly seeks nirvana only for himself and who, according to Mahayana teaching, has an inferior spiritual attainment. The practice of a bodhisattva consists of the six “perfections” or paramitas: charity (dana), morality (sila), forbearance (ksanti), diligence (virya), meditation (dhyana), and wisdom (prajna). Both laymen and monks may be regarded as bodhisattvas. In addition, many celestial bodhisattvas are worshiped along with the Gautama Buddha and the buddhas of other worlds. The most important celestial bodhisattvas are Avalokitesvara, the bodhisattva of compassion; Manjusri, the bodhisattva of wisdom, and Maitreya, who in heaven awaits birth as the next buddha. See also sunyata.

M a h a y a n a B u d d h i s m

Lands

Bhutan • China • Korea Japan • Tibet • Vietnam Taiwan • Mongolia

Doctrine

Bodhisattva • Bodhicitta Karuna • Prajna Sunyata • Buddha Nature Trikaya • Eternal Buddha

Mahayana Sutras

Prajnaparamita Sutra Avatamsaka Sutra Lotus Sutra Nirvana Sutra Vimalakīrti Sutra Lankavatara Sutra

History

Silk Road • Nagarjuna Asanga • Vasubandhu Bodhidharma

In Buddhist thought, a bodhisattva (Sanskrit), bodhisatta (Pali) or โพธิสัตว์ (phothisat, Thai) literally means "enlightenment ('bodhi') being ('sattva')" in Sanskrit.

Bodhisattvas are motivated by the wish to benefit other beings and to lead them to enlightenment.

The Mahayana encourages everyone to become bodhisattvas and to take the so-called bodhisattva vows. With these vows one makes the promise to work for the complete enlightenment of all sentient beings.

According to the Theravada tradition however, being a bodhisattva and becoming a fully enlightened Buddha (Sanskrit: Samyaksambuddha) is not possible for the vast majority of beings, so their common path to follow is to strive for becoming an Arhat (liberated from the sufferings of the cycle of rebirths).

The Bodhisattvas are honored in many famous artworks, including one of the highest sculptures of the Bodhisattva at the Chinese Puning Temple, built in 1755.

Bodhisattas in Theravada Buddhism

The term Bodhisatta (Pali language) was used by the Buddha in the Pali Canon to refer to himself both in his previous lives and as a young man in his current life, prior to his enlightenment, in the period during which he was working towards his own liberation. When, during his discourses, he recounts his experiences as a young aspirant, he regularly uses the phrase "When I was an unenlightened Bodhisatta...". The term therefore connotes a being who is 'bound for enlightenment', in other words, a person whose aim it is to become fully enlightened. Some of the previous lives of the Buddha as a bodhisattva are featured in the Jataka Tales.

While Maitreya (Pali: Metteya) is mentioned in the Pali Canon, he is not referred to as a bodhisattva, but simply the next fully-awakened Buddha to come into existence long after the current teachings of the Buddha are lost.

Bodhisattvas in Mahayana Buddhism

In Mahayana Buddhism, a bodhisattva is one who aspires to become Buddha for the benefit of all sentient beings. In Mahayana Buddhism this world is compared with a burning home where all sentient beings are resided without the knowledge of house being burnt. A Bodhisattva is the one who has determination to free sentient beings from samsara with the cycle of death, rebirth and suffering. This type of mind is known as bodhicitta; Sanskrit for mind of awakening. Bodhisattvas take bodhisattva vows in order to progress on the spiritual path towards buddhahood. A bodhisattva can chose either of three paths to help sentient beings in the process of achieving buddhahood. They are:

1. King-like Bodhisattva - one who aspires to become buddha as soon as possible and then help sentient beings in full fledge;
2. Boatman-like Bodhisattva - one who aspires to achieve buddhahood along with other sentient beings and
3. Shepherd-like Bodhisattva - one who aspires to delay buddhahood until all other sentient beings achieve buddhahood. Boddhisattvas like Avalokiteshvara, Shantideva among others are believed to fall in this category.

Mahayana Buddhist philosophy sometimes poses the concept of the bodhisattva in contrast to that of the Śrāvakabuddha (conventionally referred to as an arhat). An arhat is liberated from samsara (or the cycle of uncontrolled rebirth), but did not choose to try and save each and every other living being before passing away into nirvana, and thus is not a fully enlightened Buddha.

According to many traditions within Mahayana Buddhism, on the way to becoming a Buddha, a bodhisattva proceeds through ten, or sometimes fourteen, stages or bhumi. Below is the list of ten bhumis and their descriptions from The Jewel Ornament of Liberation, a treatise by Gampopa (an influential teacher of the Tibetan Kagyu school). Other schools give slightly variant descriptions.

Before a bodhisattva arrives at the first ground, he or she first must travel the first two of the five paths:

1. the path of accumulation
2. the path of preparation

The ten grounds of the bodhisattva then can be grouped into the next three paths

1. Bhumi 1 the path of insight
2. Bhumi 2-7 the path of meditation
3. Bhumi 8-10 the path of no more learning

The 10 Bodhisattva Grounds

1. Great Joy
   • It is said that being close to enlightenment and seeing the benefit for all sentient beings, one achieves great joy, hence the name. In this bhumi the bodhisattvas practice all virtues (paramita), but especially emphasizing generosity (dana).
2. Stainless
   • In accomplishing the second bhumi, the bodhisattva is free from the stains of immorality, therefore, this bhumi is named 'Stainless'. The emphasized virtue is moral discipline (śila).
3. Radiant
   • The third bhumi is named 'Radiant', because, for a bodhisattva who accomplishes this bhumi, the light of Dharma is said to radiate from the bodhisattva for others. The emphasized virtue is patience (kṣanti).
4. Luminous
   • This bhumi is called 'luminous', because it is said to be like a radiating light that fully burns that which opposes enlightenment. The emphasized virtue is vigor (virya).
5. Very difficult to train
   • Bodhisattvas who attain this bhumi strive to help sentient beings attain maturity, and do not become emotionally involved when such beings respond negatively, both of which are difficult to do. The emphasized virtue is meditative concentration (dhyāna).
6. Obviously Transcendent
   • "By depending on the perfection of wisdom awareness, he [the bodhisattva] does not abide in either saṃsāra or nirvāṇa, so it is 'obviously transcendent'". The emphasized virtue is wisdom (prajña).
7. Gone afar
   • Particular emphasis is on the perfection of skilful means, or upaya-kaushalya, to help others.
8. Immovable
   • The emphasized virtue is aspiration.
   • This, the 'Immovable' bhumi, is the bhumi at which one becomes able to choose his place of rebirth.
9. Good Discriminating Wisdom
   • The emphasized virtue is power.
10. Cloud of dharma
    • The emphasized virtue is the practice of primordial wisdom.

After the ten bhumis, according to Mahayana Buddhism, one attains complete enlightenment and becomes a Buddha. Various traditions within Buddhism believe in certain specific bodhisattvas. Some bodhisattvas appear across traditions, but due to language barriers may be seen as separate entities. For example, Tibetan Buddhists believe in Chenrezig, who is Avalokitesvara in India, Guanyin (other spellings: Kwan-yin, Kuan-yin) in China and Korea, Quan Am in Vietnam, and Kannon (formerly spelled and pronounced: Kwannon) in Japan. Jizo or Ti Tsang is another popular bodhisattva in Japan and China (Kshitigarba in Sanskrit). Jizo is known for aiding those who are lost. His greatest compassionate Vow being: "If I do not go to the hell to help the suffering beings there, who else will go? ... if the hells are not empty I will not become a Buddha. Only when all living beings have been saved, will I attain Bodhi."

A modern bodhisattva for many is the 14th Dalai Lama, considered by many followers of Tibetan Buddhism to be an incarnation of that same bodhisattva Chenrezig, the Bodhisattva of Compassion.

The bodhisattva is a popular subject in Buddhist art.

The place of a bodhisattva's earthly deeds, such as the achievement of enlightenment or the acts of dharma, is known as a bodhimanda, and may be a site of pilgrimage. Many temples and monasteries are famous as bodhimandas; for instance, the island of Putuoshan, located off the coast of Ningbo, is venerated by Chinese Buddhists as the bodhimanda of Avalokitesvara. Perhaps the most famous bodhimanda of all is the bodhi tree under which Shakyamuni achieved buddhahood.

Bodhisattva in popular culture

• Zhang Jigang organized the now world-famous Thousand Hand Bodhisattva dance, performed by the China Disabled People's Performing Art Troupe.
• Jack Kerouac mentions Bodhisattva in The Dharma Bums several times. In the book, Japhy Ryder (Gary Snyder) tells Ray Smith (Kerouac) that he (Ray) is a "Bodhisattva, a great wise being or great wise angel". Kerouac uses the term several times in the novel, to describe himself and fellow zen Buddhists.
• The band Steely Dan has a song entitled "Bodhisattva" on their 1973 album Countdown to Ecstasy.
• The Brian Setzer Orchestra covered Steely Dan's "Bodhisattva" for the soundtrack of Me, Myself and Irene.
• The hip-hop group The Beastie Boys has a song called "Bodhisattva Vow" on their album Ill Communication.
• The Holy Barbarians have a song called "Bodhisattva" on the Cream CD.
• In the manga/anime titled Gensoumaden Saiyuki, the bodhisattva called Kannon appears as a minor, but still relevant, character. In this unorthodox take on Buddhism, Kanzeon Bosatsu (a more formal form of Kannon) is a smart-talking intersexed being who guides the Sanzo-ikkou on their quest to Shangri-La.
• In the manga/anime titled Bleach (Manga), the final release of Kurotsuchi Mayuri's zanpaktou appears to be a bodhisattva. It takes the form of giant golden caterpillar with a giant baby's head and dressed in the way of a buddhist monk.
• On the OST for the anime Hellsing, there is a track titled "Bodhisattva Cathedral."
• In DC Comics, the character Kobra refers to himself as a Bodhisattva in the pages of JSA.
• In the movie Point Break, Patrick Swayze's character is named Bodhi, short for Bodhisattva.
• In the novel Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore, Jesus (called Joshua in the book) travels to China to learn Buddhism in order that he may become a Bodhisattva to his people. He learns meditation, becomes so enlightened as to be rendered invisible for a time, and then is talked out of attaining enlightenment for himself by Biff. Jesus decides, instead, to stay a physical being so that he may help others to achieve enlightenment.
• In Grant Morrison's the Filth, the character Ultra-Humanitarian is an avatar of the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, according to the comic's website.

See also

• Zhang Jigang (Creator of Thousand Hand Bodhisattva Dance)
• Bodhisattva vows
• List of bodhisattvas
• Karuna ('compassion' in Sanskrit)
• Bodhicharyavatara (A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life)
• Vegetarianism in Buddhism

References

• Gampopa; The Jewel Ornament of Liberation; Snow Lion Publications; ISBN 1-55939-092-1
• White, Kenneth R.; The Role of Bodhicitta in Buddhist Enlightenment: Including a Translation into English of Bodhicitta-sastra, Benkemmitsu-nikyoron, and Sammaya-kaijo; The Edwin Mellen Press, 2005; ISBN 0-88946-050-7
• Lampert, K.; Traditions of Compassion: From Religious Duty to Social Activism. Palgrave-Macmillan; ISBN 1-4039-8527-8
• Buddhanet.net tstang text
• As the opening track on Countdown to Ecstasy, "Bodhisattva" proves that despite the unexpected chart success of Steely Dan's debut album, Donald Fagen and Walter Becker weren't interested in playing it safe. The song is based on a unison rhythm riff that wouldn't sound out of place in a jump blues or early rock & roll single of the '50s, complete with a rhythm guitar part that takes the place of the requisite line of honking saxes. In the song's two brief verses, Fagen declares fealty to the Bodhisattva, claiming "I'm gonna sell my house in town" and follow into the ultimate knowledge.

External links

• The Bodhisattva Vows as practiced in Tibetan Buddhism
• The Bodhisattva Ideal - Buddhism and the Aesthetics of Selflessness
• The group of Eight Great Bodhisattvas at Candi Mendut
• Thousand-hand Bodhisattva Dance
• The Thirty-Seven (37) Practices of Bodhisattvas, all-in-one page with memory aids & collection of different versions/commentaries (PDF & MSWord)
• What A Bodhisattva Does: Thirty-Seven Practices by Ngulchu Thogme with slide show format, useful for auto-demo / stands.
• Access to Insight Library: Bodhi's Wheel409

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