Original post: Scarlett_156
In my mind I have an image of him/her--but what is the Bodhisattva to you? I hope to get a discussion going here about this subject.
Here is another thread on Occult Forums that I found to be very interesting: Constantine... the Constant Bodhisattva?
xoxo Scarlett
What Is The Bodhisattva?
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What Is The Bodhisattva?
Original post: corbin_israfael
Bodhisattva is usually a term equated with "Enlightened Ones". It combines the Sanskrit Bodhi which basically means "Awakening" and refers to the conciousness of a fully realized Yogi with Sattva which is a Holy Quality as part of the Guana's or Qualities that compose existence. So it equates etymologically to "Holy Enlightenment" as a literal translation and usually used to denote "Enlightened Beings".
I have always thought it to mean those who have become Enlightened rather then being a singular being.
Bodhisattva is usually a term equated with "Enlightened Ones". It combines the Sanskrit Bodhi which basically means "Awakening" and refers to the conciousness of a fully realized Yogi with Sattva which is a Holy Quality as part of the Guana's or Qualities that compose existence. So it equates etymologically to "Holy Enlightenment" as a literal translation and usually used to denote "Enlightened Beings".
I have always thought it to mean those who have become Enlightened rather then being a singular being.
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What Is The Bodhisattva?
Original post: doh
The best description I have heard came from a simple man in a simple temple.
It is simply "The".
The best description I have heard came from a simple man in a simple temple.
It is simply "The".
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What Is The Bodhisattva?
Original post: Scarlett_156
Are you or have you ever met one...?
Are you or have you ever met one...?
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What Is The Bodhisattva?
Original post: simex
If you're talking about someone who has attained enlightenment in their lifetime, I'd take a look at Nisargadatta Maharaj. He was considered to be a Jivan-Mukti, or liberated soul, which to me is just another way of saying Boddhisattva.
There are a lot of people who have claimed to reach this state, but I say if any of them actually did, it was this guy. You can find videos of him on youtube, and there's also a really great book of his discussions with spiritual seekers that was compiled, "I am That". Good reading; if you poke around the interwebs you can find free PDFs of it. Nisargadatta Maharaj never used his spiritual accomplishment to make money, or become famous, which is part of the reason I believe that he may have actually done it.
If you're talking about someone who has attained enlightenment in their lifetime, I'd take a look at Nisargadatta Maharaj. He was considered to be a Jivan-Mukti, or liberated soul, which to me is just another way of saying Boddhisattva.
There are a lot of people who have claimed to reach this state, but I say if any of them actually did, it was this guy. You can find videos of him on youtube, and there's also a really great book of his discussions with spiritual seekers that was compiled, "I am That". Good reading; if you poke around the interwebs you can find free PDFs of it. Nisargadatta Maharaj never used his spiritual accomplishment to make money, or become famous, which is part of the reason I believe that he may have actually done it.
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What Is The Bodhisattva?
Original post: Scarlett_156
How interesting! Thank you.
How interesting! Thank you.
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What Is The Bodhisattva?
Original post: corbin_israfael
Not to get technical however to clarify.
A Jiva-Mukti is usually a Soul that has been Liberated yet is still Incarnate. Bodhisattva is used more to refer to a Non-Incarnate Being. As in Tibetan Buddhism where the Dali Lama is considered an Incarnation of the Bodhisattva of Compassion as in a past life having taken a Bodhisattva Vow to continue Incarnating until the Vow is fufilled even though they have already been Liberated from Samsara or The Cycle of Death and Rebirth.
Heh, like most things that involve Hinduism and Buddhism it can become complicated and is sometimes determined by what Philosophical School you subscribe too.
Not to get technical however to clarify.
A Jiva-Mukti is usually a Soul that has been Liberated yet is still Incarnate. Bodhisattva is used more to refer to a Non-Incarnate Being. As in Tibetan Buddhism where the Dali Lama is considered an Incarnation of the Bodhisattva of Compassion as in a past life having taken a Bodhisattva Vow to continue Incarnating until the Vow is fufilled even though they have already been Liberated from Samsara or The Cycle of Death and Rebirth.
Heh, like most things that involve Hinduism and Buddhism it can become complicated and is sometimes determined by what Philosophical School you subscribe too.
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What Is The Bodhisattva?
Original post: Scarlett_156
Yeah, that's certainly true--which is why I wanted to see what everyone thought. The more I read about it, the more confusing the subject seems. My understanding of it has always been: "Someone who doesn't HAVE to reincarnate (because he's paid off his karmic debt) but who chooses to anyway because of his love for the world." xoxo
Yeah, that's certainly true--which is why I wanted to see what everyone thought. The more I read about it, the more confusing the subject seems. My understanding of it has always been: "Someone who doesn't HAVE to reincarnate (because he's paid off his karmic debt) but who chooses to anyway because of his love for the world." xoxo
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What Is The Bodhisattva?
Original post: karmaghna
For me, bodhisattvas are what the tradition from which they spring say they are. In the Buddhist tradition two rather different notions of the bodhisattva may be viewed. For the early Hinayana tradition the term bodhisattva was/is more or less understood to refer to a buddha in-the-making. It referred to someone whose practices over countless lifetimes would eventually lead to the attainment of Buddhahood. While the bodhisattva path is included within the Hinayana tradition it is relatively unimportant for practitioners. As there can only be one buddha in any given eon, the goal of the path for the masses was viewed to be "liberation" (nirvana) not "Buddhahood. Practitioners transversed the "Hearer" (shravaka) path to become worthy/noble (arhat) and attain "liberation" (nirvana) from the wheel of rebirth (samsara).
In the Mahayana tradition, the term bodhisattva refers to anyone who has generated enough compassion to take the bodhisattva vow - the vow to become a buddha for the benefit of all living creatures. While bodhisattvas are often depicted as having attained a high degree of wisdom, they are technically not buddhas - that is, they do not have the wisdom nor abilities of a buddha.
For me, bodhisattvas are what the tradition from which they spring say they are. In the Buddhist tradition two rather different notions of the bodhisattva may be viewed. For the early Hinayana tradition the term bodhisattva was/is more or less understood to refer to a buddha in-the-making. It referred to someone whose practices over countless lifetimes would eventually lead to the attainment of Buddhahood. While the bodhisattva path is included within the Hinayana tradition it is relatively unimportant for practitioners. As there can only be one buddha in any given eon, the goal of the path for the masses was viewed to be "liberation" (nirvana) not "Buddhahood. Practitioners transversed the "Hearer" (shravaka) path to become worthy/noble (arhat) and attain "liberation" (nirvana) from the wheel of rebirth (samsara).
In the Mahayana tradition, the term bodhisattva refers to anyone who has generated enough compassion to take the bodhisattva vow - the vow to become a buddha for the benefit of all living creatures. While bodhisattvas are often depicted as having attained a high degree of wisdom, they are technically not buddhas - that is, they do not have the wisdom nor abilities of a buddha.
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What Is The Bodhisattva?
Original post: doh
Never seen one, just spoken to those trying to attain enlightenment through them.
Never seen one, just spoken to those trying to attain enlightenment through them.
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What Is The Bodhisattva?
Original post: BigJonMud
Boddhisattva:
A mad enlightend dude who either has or hasnt a body, who's achieved a steady oneness consiousness but instead of leaving the wheel of life, wants to cruise it forever till all the other muggles are mad enlightened dudes too.
He serves, and serves, and serves.
I might have met one or 2.
You'd never know.
Until, or unless of course that you would:)
Boddhisattva:
A mad enlightend dude who either has or hasnt a body, who's achieved a steady oneness consiousness but instead of leaving the wheel of life, wants to cruise it forever till all the other muggles are mad enlightened dudes too.
He serves, and serves, and serves.
I might have met one or 2.
You'd never know.
Until, or unless of course that you would:)