Bodhisattva

According to Buddhist beliefs, a bodhisattva is a person who has achieved the goal of spiritual enlightenment but delays entering the transcendent state of nirvana to help others attain their own religious awakening. Bodhisattvas are said to follow a path of true compassion, perfecting six noble qualities and passing through ten stages on the way to their goal. The concept is a main tenet of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition, a school of thought that believes enlightenment is possible for all people if they follow the bodhisattva path. In Mahayana tradition, bodhisattvas are viewed as living deities. The term bodhisattva means "awakened being" and comes from the Sanskrit words bodhi (awake) and sattva (being).

Background

Buddhism was founded sometime in the fifth or sixth century BCE by a Nepalese prince named Siddhartha Gautama. After being raised in a life of wealth and privilege, Gautama left his home and began wandering the world in search of true happiness. As he traveled, he experienced different philosophies and religious thoughts, including living a life of self-denial and spiritual discipline called asceticism. Unable to find the answers he was looking for, Gautama resolved to follow a path of moderation, a "middle way" between indulgence and asceticism. One day, while meditating under a tree, he finally understood how to rise above suffering and achieved a state of pure happiness. He became known as the Buddha, or "enlightened one," and began sharing his teachings with others.

At the heart of Buddhist thought are the Four Noble Truths: suffering exists and is part of life; suffering comes from human attachment to desire; suffering will stop if the attachment to desire is broken; and the way to gain freedom from suffering is to follow a code of righteousness called the Eightfold Path. When a person reaches true enlightenment, he or she can break the human cycle of death and rebirth and reach a transcendent state known as nirvana.

After the Buddha's death, his teachings spread across India and Asia and inspired millions of followers. About the first century BCE, Buddhism split into two major traditions: Theravada and Mahayana. Theravada Buddhism adhered to the belief that enlightenment was possible only through total devotion to the Buddha's teachings by becoming a monk or nun. Mahayana Buddhism taught that enlightenment was available to anyone who devotes his or her life to becoming a bodhisattva.

Overview

In the earliest forms of Buddhism, the term bodhisattva referred to the life of Siddhartha Gautama before his enlightenment or a person undertaking the spiritual journey to become a Buddha. With the development of Mahayana Buddhism, the words of Gautama Buddha were considered a way to help all people, not just a devout few, achieve enlightenment. Stories of his generosity and compassion inspired tales of the Buddha in bodhisattva form appearing to humans and unselfishly offering them aid. Over time, historical accounts of the Buddha's life may have mixed with this folklore to give rise to the concept of bodhisattvas as selfless guides toward enlightenment.

Gautama Buddha had always been the subject of great devotion, but Mahayana Buddhism elevated several bodhisattvas into the realm of deities. The most revered was Avalokitesvara, a being of pure compassion who took many forms depending on the region and culture. Avalokitesvara, whose name means "the lord who looks down on the world," was said to rescue people from danger if they called upon him in prayer. In one legend, a female bodhisattva, the deity Tara, is said to have been born from a tear on Avalokitesvara's face. Like Avalokitesvara, Tara takes on different appearances in different cultures, but she, too, can be called upon for guidance and aid by those following the bodhisattva path.

Those seeking to achieve the status of bodhisattva must follow this path, relying on the motivation of helping others over themselves. The specific steps to follow along the bodhisattva path vary depending on the region and branch of Mahayana Buddhism, but the fundamental vow of bodhisattvas is to delay nirvana until they can help others reach their own enlightenment.

Potential bodhisattvas take a four-part vow that includes freeing others from the earthly cycle of death and rebirth; eliminating worldly suffering and desires; learning the infinite teachings of the Buddha; and attaining Buddhahood for themselves. Bodhisattvas must develop six moral qualities, or perfections, within themselves to attain their ultimate goal. These perfections include the following:

• Generosity: The giving of gifts represents releasing oneself from personal attachment to material wealth.
• Morality: This quality involves respecting the rights of all living beings and living a virtuous life.
• Patience: Followers of the bodhisattva path should remain tolerant in the face of adversity and quietly endure life's difficulties.
• Diligence: This quality is sometimes referred to as exertion or effort. It represents a steadfast resolve to stay on the path of righteousness and maintain a life of courage and good deeds.
• Meditation: The act of meditation, or concentration, allows a person to maintain the right frame of mind and focus on following the other perfections.
• Transcendental knowledge: This is the realization of the ultimate truth called Prajna wisdom. This concept holds that life consists of both form and emptiness, meaning physical existence is temporary, and true human form will one day transition into emptiness.

As a person practices these six qualities, he or she will pass through ten stages, or bhumis, on the path of the bodhisattva. Some of these stages correspond to the attainment of a particular quality and relate to a specific section of the path. The ten stages are as follows:

• Very joyful: This stage occurs with the realization of pure generosity.
• Spotlessness: This stage is achieved when a person overcomes immoral behavior.
• Illuminating: At this point, the bodhisattva overcomes anger and realizes true patience.
• Radiating light: By making a supreme effort, the bodhisattva is able to rise above laziness and remove worldly obstructions to meditation.
• Difficult to conquer: The bodhisattva has advanced to the point that he or she is not easily distracted from mediation.
• Becoming manifest: The bodhisattva is introduced to the true nature of reality, or Prajna wisdom.
• Far gone: A bodhisattva is able to perceive the hearts and minds of others and realize how to help them achieve enlightenment.
• Immovable: At this stage, it becomes impossible for a person to stray from the bodhisattva path.
• Good intellect: The bodhisattva is gifted with spiritual abilities to help others gain enlightenment.
• Cloud of dharma: The final stage before enlightenment, the bodhisattva is said to have the power to spread wisdom like rain from a cloud.

Bibliography

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"Bodhisattvas of Compassion." BuddhaNet, 2008, www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/history/b‗fbodi.htm. Accessed 31 Mar. 2017.

The Bodhisattva Way. Translated by Rulu. AuthorHouse, 2013.

"Buddhism: An Introduction." PBS, www.pbs.org/edens/thailand/buddhism.htm. Accessed 2 Apr. 2017.

Chögyam Trungpa. The Bodhisattva Path of Wisdom and Compassion. Edited by Judith L. Lief, Shambhala, 2013.

Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. "The Bodhisattva." Lion's Roar, 1 Jan. 2017, www.lionsroar.com/the-bodhisattva/. Accessed 2 Apr. 2017.

Hsing Yun. "Becoming a Bodhisattva." HsingYun.org, 18 Feb. 2015, hsingyun.org/becoming-a-bodhisattva/. Accessed 2 Apr. 2017.

"Mahayana Buddhism." ReligionFacts, 19 Nov. 2016, www.religionfacts.com/mahayana. Accessed 2 Apr. 2017.