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Bodhisattvas (bodhisattas in Pali) are "Buddhas to be". The Buddha, before his enlightenment, was a bodhisatta. A bodhisattva is one who has vowed to help all sentient beings attain enlightenment.
In much of general usage, the phrase often implies that the bodhisattva has attained a certain level of progress on the path. So, usually you wouldn't call your uncle a bodhisattva, even if he has taken the Bodhisattva vows, unless you think he has made such extraordinary progress that people think he is enightened, or at least embodying most of the characteristics of an enlightened person .
In Mahayana Buddhism, bodhisattvas are of great importance. Often they are celestial beings, such as Kwan Yin.
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∙ 10y ago
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What type of Buddhisms is there that teaches that people help each other to find enlightenment?
It's all types of Buddhism. It is ingrained in the Buddhist principles. Specifically in the Three Marks of Existence. It's the third one:Anatta 無我 [むが] mugaSimply put, this law stipulates that we are not really an entity but a result of our perception of the world through the five collectors:Form (our physical form)Sensation (our 5 senses)Perception (rationalization, thinking)Mental formations (habits, prejudice, beliefs)Consciousness (a awareness of our world)If we are not really an entity, we are part of a bigger all. Thus helping others helps yourself.
Are Vietnamese religious?
Most Vietnamese are not religious in the Western conception of going to temples and praying/meditating on a regular basis or having a coherent theological doctrine about the nature of the universe and the will of God/gods/boddhisatvas or other divinities. However, most Vietnamese do follow "folk religion". They will carry on their person amulets of protection to ward off evil spirits, they will pray to their ancestors for protection before starting a long journey or new occasion in their lives, and they will light incense to bring good luck. They will find some numbers to be lucky and others to be unlucky because of the way the number looks or sounds. These kinds of superstitious beliefs are very common.Note, however, that there are religious minorities in Vietnam, especially Roman Catholics, Cambodian Therevada Buddhists, and Cao Dai.
Are all prophets Muslim?
While certainly all of the major figures in the Abrahamic canon are considered Prophets in Islam (i.e. Abraham, Ishmael, Lot, Joseph, John the Baptist, etc.), the question hinges on whether you consider Prophets of Other Gods to be prophets. For example, in the Bible the magicians of Pharaoh's court are considered to be prophets of the false god Amon Re. Certainly these individuals would not be Muslim, but it is unclear whether Islam would consider their divining and magic to be prophecy. The same applies to questions of Eastern Prophets, such as the Buddha or Boddhisatvas. These individuals certainly are not Muslims, but I doubt Islam would consider them prophets either.
Is there more than one God in Buddhism?
Depends who you talk to. Some Buddhists consider the concepts of God or gods irrelevant, but others believe in Boddhisatvas, or enlightened beings own serve the same roles as gods or saints.No
How many gods do Buddists believe in?
None. The Buddha told his followers that any belief in a God was another form of grasping and attachment which led to suffering. Some Buddhists do beleive that there is a Deva realm in which certain enlightened beings (Devas) enjoy a finite blissful existence, but these beings are not Gods and their time in this realm is not permanent.
