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14-September-2008 12:50:23 - Bodhisattva Part of a series on Buddhism Portal of Buddhism History Timeline - Buddhist councils Major Figures Gautama Buddha Disciples · Later Buddhists Concepts Four Noble Truths Noble Eightfold Path Karma - Nirvana Three marks of existence Skandha · Cosmology Samsara · Rebirth · Dharma Dependent Origination Practices and Attainment Buddhahood · Bodhisattva Four Stages of Enlightenment PÄ?ramitÄ?s · Mation · Laity Precepts · Three Jewels Countries and Regions Bhutan · Cambodia · China India · Indonesia · Japan Korea · Laos · Malaysia Mongolia · Burma · Nepal Russia · Singapore · Sri Lanka Thailand · Tibet · Vietnam Western countries Schools TheravÄ?da · MahÄ?yÄ?na VajrayÄ?na Early and Pre-sectarian Texts Pali Canon · Tibetan Canon Chinese Canon Related topics Comparative Studies Cultural elements This box: view talk A statue of a Bodhisattva, Akasagarbha. A statue of a Bodhisattva, Akasagarbha. In the Buddhist context, bodhisattva or bodhisatva Sanskrit: बोधिसतà¥?तà¥?व, bodhisattva; Tibetan: བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས་དཔའ་; Wylie: 'byang chub sems dpa; Vietnamese: Bồ Tát; Pali: बोधिसतà¥?त, bodhisatta; Thai: โพธิสัตว์, phothisat; simplified Chinese: è?©è?¨; traditional Chinese: è?©è–©; pinyin: púsà means either enlightened bodhi existence sattva or enlightenment-being or, given the variant Sanskrit spelling satva rather than sattva, heroic-minded one satva for enlightenment bodhi. Another translation is Wisdom-Being.1 The various divisions of Buddhism understand the word bodhisattva in different ways, but especially in Mahayana Buddhism, it mainly refers to a being that compassionately refrains from entering nirvana in order to save others. Contents 1 Bodhisattvas in Theravada Buddhism 2 Bodhisattvas in Mahayana Buddhism 3 List of important Bodhisattvas 4 Teaching story 5 Bodhisattva in popular culture 6 See also 7 Notes 8 References 9 External links Bodhisattvas 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. In later Theravada literature, the term bodhisatta is used fairly frequently in the sense of someone on the path to liberation. The later tradition of commentary also recognizes the existence of two additional types of bodhisattas: the paccekabodhisatta who will attain Paccekabuddhahood, and the savakabodhisatta who will attain enlightenment as a disciple of a Buddha. Bodhisattvas in Mahayana Buddhism Mahayana Buddhism, on the other hand, regards the Bodhisattva as a person who already has a considerable degree of enlightenment and seeks to use their wisdom to help other human beings to become liberated themselves. In this understanding of the word the Bodhisattva is an already wise person who uses skillful means to lead others to see the benefits of virtue and the cultivation of wisdom. The Mahayana encourages everyone to become bodhisattvas and to take the bodhisattva vows. With these vows, one makes the promise to work for the complete enlightenment of all sentient beings. Indelibly entwined with the Bodhisattva Vow is parinamana Sanskrit; which may be rendered in English as merit transference. In Mahayana Buddhism life in this world is compared to people living in a house that is on fire2. They take this world as reality pursuing worldly projects and pleasures without realising that the house is on fire and will soon burn down the inevitability of death. 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. There are a variety of different conceptions of the nature of a bodhisattva in Mahayana. According to some Mahayana sources a bodhisattva is someone on the path to full Buddhahood. Others speak of bodhisattvas renouncing Buddhahood. According to the Kun-bzang bla-ma'i zhal-lung, a bodhisattva can choose either of three paths to help sentient beings in the process of achieving buddhahood. They are: King-like Bodhisattva - one who aspires to become buddha as soon as possible and then help sentient beings in full fledge; Boatman-like Bodhisattva - one who aspires to achieve buddhahood along with other sentient beings and Shepherd-like Bodhisattva - one who aspires to delay buddhahood until all other sentient beings achieve buddhahood. Bodhisattvas like Avalokiteshvara, Shantideva among others are believed to fall in this category. Tibetan doctrine like Theravada, for different reasons recognizes only the first of these, holding that Buddhas remain in the world, able to help others, so there is no point in delay. The Dalai Lama notes:: These are indications of the style of the altruistic motivation for becoming enlightened; in actual fact, there is no way that a Bodhisattva either would want to or could delay achieving full enlightenment. As much as the motivation to help others increases, so much closer does one approach Buddhahood.3 East Asian doctrinal traditions tend to emphasize the second and/or third, the idea of deliberately refraining from becoming a Buddha, perhaps forever. According to many traditions within Mahayana Buddhism, on the way to becoming a Buddha, a bodhisattva proceeds through ten, or sometimes fourteen, grounds or bhumi. Below is the list of the ten bhumis and their descriptions from The Jewel Ornament of Liberation, a treatise by Gampopa an influential teacher of the Tibetan Kagyu school and the Avatamsaka Sutra. 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: the path of accumulation the path of preparation The ten grounds of the bodhisattva then can be grouped into the next three paths Bhumi 1 the path of insight Bhumi 2-7 the path of mation Bhumi 8-10 the path of no more learning Prince Siddhartha Gautama as a bodhisattva, before becoming a Buddha. He is characteristically depicted as a nobleman, posing with left hand on the hip, Gandhara, 2nd-3rd century. Prince Siddhartha Gautama as a bodhisattva, before becoming a Buddha. He is characteristically depicted as a nobleman, posing with left hand on the hip, Gandhara, 2nd-3rd century. The chapter of ten grounds in the Avatamsaka Sutra refers 52 stages, with the following 10 grounds 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. 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 Å›ila. Luminous The third bhumi is named 'Luminous', 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 ká¹£anti. Radiant This bhumi is called 'Radiant', because it is said to be like a radiating light that fully burns that which opposes enlightenment. The emphasized virtue is vigor virya. 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 mative concentration dhyÄ?na. Obviously Transcendent By depending on the perfection of wisdom awareness, he the bodhisattva does not abide in either saṃsÄ?ra or nirvÄ?ṇa, so it is 'obviously transcendent'. The emphasized virtue is wisdom prajña. Gone afar Particular emphasis is on the perfection of skilful means, or upaya-kaushalya, to help others. Immovable The emphasized virtue is aspiration. This, the 'Immovable' bhumi, is the bhumi at which one becomes able to choose his place of rebirth. Good Discriminating Wisdom The emphasized virtue is power. Cloud of dharma The emphasized virtue is the practice of primordial wisdom. Chinese wood carving of Guanyin; Shanxi Province A.D. 907-1125 Chinese wood carving of Guanyin; Shanxi Province A.D. 907-1125 After the ten bhumis, according to Mahayana Buddhism, one attains complete enlightenment and becomes a Buddha. With the 52 stages, the Shurangama Sutra in East Asia recognizes 57 stages. With the 10 grounds, various Vajrayana schools recognize 3-10 additional grounds4, mostly 6 more grounds with variant descriptions.5 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 various forms of Chenrezig, who is Avalokitesvara in Sanskrit, 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 Ksitigarbha 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. Two modern bodhisattvas for many are the 14th Dalai Lama and the Karmapa, both 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. List of important Bodhisattvas Avalokitesvara Guan Yin in Chinese Manjusri Samantabhadra Ksitigarbha Maitreya Vajrapani Teaching story Pollock 2005: p.43 provides a teaching story that evocatively describes the nature of a Bodhisattva and mentions 'circumambulation' Tibetan: skor ba: The nature of the Bodhisattva is apparent from a teaching story in which three people are walking through a desert. Parched and thirsty, they spy a high wall ahead. They approach and circumnavigate it, but it has no entrance or doorway. One climbs upon the shoulders of the others, looks inside, yells “Eureka” and jumps inside. The second then climbs up and repeats the actions of the first. The third laboriously climbs the wall without assistance and sees a lush garden inside the wall. It has cooling water, trees, fruit, etc. But, instead of jumping into the garden, the third person jumps back out into the desert and seeks out desert wanderers to tell them about the garden and how to find it. The third person is the Bodhisattva.6 Bodhisattva in popular culture Zhang Jigang organized and created 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. In Move Under Ground, where Kerouac is a character, bodhisattva Kilaya accompanies him on his trek to defeat Cthulhu. The hip-hop group The Beastie Boys has a song called Bodhisattva Vow on their album Ill Communication. Ian Astbury's former rock band Holy Barbarians released a song called Bodhisattva from their only album Cream. The opening track from Steely Dan's 1973 album Countdown to Ecstasy is called Bodhisattva. Patrick Swayze's character in the film Point Break was referred to as Bodhisattva or Bodhi for his search of the perfect wave. See also A Chinese wooden Bodhisattva, Jin Dynasty 1115-1234 AD, Shanghai Museum. A Chinese wooden Bodhisattva, Jin Dynasty 1115-1234 AD, Shanghai Museum. 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 Buddhist Ceremonies Notes ^ Coomaraswamy, Ananda 1975. Buddha and the Gospel of Buddhism. Boston: University Books, Inc., 225. ^ A simile from the Lotus Sutra ^ From The Dalai Lama at Harvard by the Dalai Lama of Tibet, Snowlion ^ 大圆满隆钦å®?æ??æ´¾å‰?行念诵文 编一é??智妙é?“注释 ^ 大圆è—?密è¦?诀ã€?大圆满心性休æ?¯é¢‚ ^ Pollock, Neal 2005. Practices Supporting Dzogchen: The Great Perfection of Tibetan Buddhism. Source: 1 accessed: January 8, 2008 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 0-7734-5985-5 Lampert, K.; Traditions of Compassion: From Religious Duty to Social Activism. Palgrave-Macmillan; ISBN 1-4039-8527-8 Buddhanet.net tstang text External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bodhisattvas The Bodhisattva Vows as practiced in Tibetan Buddhism 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. The 2 Bodhisattva vows Access to Insight Library: Bodhi's Wheel409 An interesting historical perspective on the origins of Bodhisattva and Arahants v d e Buddhism topics History Timeline · Gautama Buddha · Buddhist councils · History of Buddhism in India · Decline of Buddhism in India · Ashoka the Great · Greco-Buddhism · Silk Road transmission of Buddhism Foundations Three Jewels Buddha, Dharma, Sangha · Four Noble Truths · Noble Eightfold Path · Nirvana · Middle Way Key Concepts Three Marks of Existence: Impermanence, Suffering, Not-self · Dependent Origination · Five Aggregates · Karma · Vipaka · Rebirth · Samsara · Defilements · Five Hindrances · Ten Fetters · Enlightenment Qualities · Perfections · JhÄ?na · Sense Bases · Four Great Elements · Renunciation · Bodhi · Parinirvana · Two truths doctrine · Emptiness · Bodhicitta · Bodhisattva · Buddha-nature · Bhumi · Trikaya Cosmology Ten spiritual realms · Six Realms Hell, Animal realm, Hungry Ghost realm, Asura realm, Human realm, Heaven · Three Spheres Practices Threefold Training: Morality, Concentration, Wisdom · Buddhist devotion · Taking refuge · Four Divine Abidings: Loving-kindness, Compassion, Sympathetic joy, Equanimity · Mindfulness · Merit · Puja: Offerings, Prostration, Chanting · Paritta · Generosity · Morality: Five Precepts, Eight Precepts, Ten Precepts, Bodhisattva vows, Patimokkha · Bhavana · Mation: Kammaá¹á¹hÄ?na, Recollection, Mindfulness of Breathing, Serenity mation, Insight mation, Shikantaza, Zazen, KÅ?an, Mandala, Tonglen, Tantra Attainment Types of Buddha · Bodhisattva · Four stages of enlightenment: Stream-enterer, Once-returner, Non-returner, Arahant Monasticism Monk · Nun · Novice monk · Novice nun · Anagarika · Ajahn · Sayadaw · Zen master · Roshi · Lama · Rinpoche · Geshe · Tulku · Householder · Lay follower · Disciple · Ngagpa Texts Tipitaka Vinaya Pitaka, Sutta Pitaka, Abhidhamma Pitaka, Commentaries · Mahayana sutras · Chinese Buddhist canon Tripitaka Koreana · Tibetan Buddhist canon Major Figures Gautama Buddha · SÄ?riputta · MahamoggallÄ?na · Ananda · Maha Kassapa · Buddhaghosa · Nagasena · Bodhidharma · Nagarjuna · Asanga · Padmasambhava · Dalai Lama Branches Theravada · Mahayana: Chan/Zen, Pure Land, Tendai, Nichiren, Madhyamaka, Yogacara · Vajrayana: Tibetan Buddhism, Shingon · Early Buddhist schools · Pre-sectarian Buddhism · Basic points unifying Theravada and Mahayana Countries Bhutan · Burma · Cambodia · China · India · Indonesia · Japan · Korea · Laos · Malaysia · Mongolia · Nepal · Russia · Singapore · Sri Lanka · Thailand · Tibet · Vietnam · Western countries Comparative Buddhism Science · Psychology · Hinduism · Jainism · East Asian religions · Christianity · Theosophy · Gnosticism Lists Buddhists · Buddhas · Twenty-eight Buddhas · Bodhisattvas · Temples · Books · Buddhism-related topics · Terms and concepts Miscellaneous topics TathÄ?gata · Maitreya · AvalokiteÅ›vara Guan Yin · AmitÄ?bha · BrahmÄ? · MÄ?ra · Dhammapada · Visuddhimagga · Vinaya · Sutra · Abhidharma · Buddhist philosophy · Eschatology · Reality in Buddhism · God in Buddhism · Liturgical languages: Pali, Sanskrit · Dharma talk · Buddhist calendar · Kalpa · Buddhism and evolution · Buddhism and homosexuality · Fourteen unanswerable questions · Ethics · Culture · Monastic robe · Cuisine · Vegetarianism · Art · Greco-Buddhist art · Buddha statue · Budai · Symbolism Dharmacakra · Flag · Bhavacakra · Mantra Om mani padme hum · Prayer wheel · Mala · Mudra · Holidays · Vesak · Uposatha · Vassa · Architecture: Vihara, Wat, Stupa, Pagoda · Pilgrimage: Lumbini, Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, Kushinagar · Bodhi tree · Mahabodhi Temple · Higher Knowledge · Supernormal Powers · Miracles of the Buddha · Physical characteristics of the Buddha · Family of the Buddha Category · Portal v d e Buddhism Portal Concepts History - Timeline Schools Texts Countries - Regions Culture Lists: Temples - People - Topics v d e Bodhisattvas General list Avalokitesvara Guan Yin · Manjushri · Samantabhadra · Ksitigarbha · Maitreya · Mahasthamaprapta · Akasagarbha Chinese Skanda · Sangharama Guan Yu Vajrayana Padmasambhava · Mandarava · Tara · Vajrapani · Vajrasattva · Sitatapatra Other Suryaprabha · Candraprabha · Shantideva · Nagarjuna · NiÅ? · Supushpachandra · Vasudhara Retrieved from http://en..org/wiki/Bodhisattva Categories: Bodhisattvas | Sanskrit words and phrases | Buddhist terms | Buddhist philosophical concepts Views Article Discussion this page History Personal tools Log in / create account Navigation Main page Contents Featured content Current events Random article Search Go Search Interaction Community portal Recent changes Contact Donate to Help Toolbox What links here Related changes Upload file Special pages Printable version Permanent link Cite this page Languages БурÑ?ад ÄŒesky Dansk Deutsch Eesti Español Esperanto Ù?ارسی Français í•œêµì–´ हिनà¥?दी Bahasa Indonesia Italiano ქáƒ?რთული LatvieÅ¡u Nederlands 日本語 ‪Norsk bokmÃ¥l‬ ‪Norsk nynorsk‬ Polski Português РуÑ?Ñ?кий Simple English SlovenÄ?ina СрпÑ?ки / Srpski Suomi Svenska தமிழà¯? ไทย Tiếng Việt Türkçe УкраїнÑ?ька ä¸æ–‡ This page was last modified on 8 September 2008, at 19
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