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what is a Bodhisattva?
Lady_Alison
Veteran
Some say you can pray to them?
Are they immortal? Angels in human form? Ascended beings like in stargate sg1?
Can anyone who takes the Bodhisattva vow be considered a Bodhisattva? Or is Bodhisattvahood something practitioners attain at death? When Bodhisattvas continue the cycle of rebirth, are they aware of who they are in their new rebirth, or do they lose their memory of the time in-between rebirths, and of past lives? This thread is for all questions pertaining to Bodhisattvas.
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Bodhisattvas are enlightened beings who vow to continue the cycle of rebirth until all sentient beings are free from suffering. Motivated by compassion for suffering beings, they vow to continue to be reborn to help others liberate themselves and attain Enlightenment.
And not know it!! That doesn't sound like something I'd do!
...uh, yes it does, sadly.
Providing a definition doesn't indicate belief.
The immortality question is interesting. They die, their "consciousness" (or "very subtle mind", to be technical) is reborn, like most people. Arhats don't choose to be reborn, they're the equivalent (enlightened-being-wise) of Bodhisattvas, on the Theravada side.
Not Dakini, but I have seen Buddhists make light of ghosts (and so forth) because there's no real evidence of them. Then they start talking about Buddhist non-human beings, and see no problem with that.
I just like people to be consistent about their standards for belief.
Perhaps Kosho Uchiyama's What is a Bodhisattva? will also be useful for the Mahayana perspective. "A bodhisattva is an ordinary person who takes up a course in his or her life that moves in the direction of buddha. You're a bodhisattva, I'm a bodhisattva; actually, anyone who directs their attention, their life, to practicing the way of life of a buddha is a bodhisattva. We read about Kannon Bosatsu (Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva) or Monju Bosatsu (Manjushri Bodhisattva), and these are great bodhisattvas, but we, too, have to have confidence or faith that we are also bodhisattvas."
To make things more confusing, here's a quote by Ven. Ajahn Chah, "Do not be a bodhisattva, do not be an arahant, do not be anything at all. If you are a bodhisattva, you will suffer, if you are an arahant, you will suffer, if you are anything at all, you will suffer."
On the question of being aware of "past lives", G.P. Malalasekera one stated, "Meanwhile the bodhisattva spends the night in deep concentration; during the first watch he acquires knowledge of past lives, during the second watch he develops the divine eye, while during the last watch he ponders over and comprehends the Paticcasamuppada doctrine." So it seems that yes, a Bodhisattva can recall past lives.
@Dakini I think that has more to do with not getting caught up in self-identity and views.
I feel more for the Bodhisattva idea that Thich Nhat Hahn teaches. He teaches that we can be a bodhisattva in this life. At some points we are and at other points maybe not so much.
To quote: “A bodhisattva is someone who has compassion within himself or herself and who is able to make another person smile or help someone suffer less. Every one of us is capable of this.”
You will also hear the "person who delays their own enlightenment for the sake of others" definition, so a Bodhisattva is seen as more like a Saint, being reborn and sacrificing their own happiness to serve others. These might actually be identified and hold repeated office like the Dalai Lama.
For yet others, including my own practice, a Bodhisattva is simply someone who takes the Bodhisattva vows and that becomes the focus of their practice and effort.
Take your pick.
Another definition is that they never give up in the long run on beings. Though I am sure that they don't always 'know the answer' of how to help.
Transcendent beings? Poppycock! ......Transcendent beings? For sure!
Still, an observer could probably plot a view profile over time... not my job though.
And I'm not suggesting that one should not change their mind. I think as we experience things, we ought to be able and willing to change our minds.
Let me give you a real example of having a standard for belief. My secretary and I were talking about religion, in general. And the topic of the Mormons came up, and she was extremely critical of their religion. At one point she said, "Well, if there were Golden Plates given by an angel (Moroni), let them show us the Golden Plates!" My response wsa, "If there were Ten Commandments given by God on a stone tablet, show us the stone tablet."
And note above that I say a "standard for belief" and not a "standard of belief". To there's a big difference, the former being a standard the process of deciding what you believe and don't believe (which I think is necessary), while the later is having to have a certain belief or beliefs (which I think is usually a negative thing).
So , to put it simply, generally I share you standard for belief, but have perhaps a different relationship with it, because the Zazen practice.. and approach.
Thoughts are thoughts...whether a belief or a meta-belief complex.
That's a bit wordy.. sorry just had an espresso.
Anyway I have to get back to work.. will continue later if you want to.
At the basic level a bodhisattva is someone who's motivated by the altruistic wish to achieve Buddhahood in order to help others. With this motivation it takes many lives to achieve the necessary level of wisdom and compassion to perfectly help others on the spiritual path like a Buddha can.
Someone, like Mother Theresa perhaps, can have a truly altruistic motivation to help others and maybe could be considered a bodhisattva. At the first bhumi a bodhisattva has a direct understanding of emptiness and I believe? its at this point that they can start to control their rebirth.
In this age, If you met a Bodhisattva, Bodhisattva won't tell you he's/she's a Bodhisattva. The one who do, are fake.
I could be confusing myself
you're confusing me..... :crazy:
Might be so in the Northen Chinese schools that Bodhisattva's refuse to attain enlightenment or it might just be a misunderstanding on their part however according to the Mahayana that came from India to Tibet Bodhisattva's know they can only really benefit others when they attain full enlightenment so they work quickly for that goal.
Isn't it dangerous to believe your are an actual bodhisatva? then whatever you do in life, whether it produces positive or negative results won't matter... because you believe that you have attained some sort of "sainthood"... my problem with this statement is that many people with GOOD intentions have paved their own way to hell..such as Hitler. An artist with a delusional mentality who intended on helping his people through a socialist government.
Second, we can't prove past lives, like we can't absolutelly prove the existance of ghosts, aliens, angels or demons. How do these people know what they know and does it matter?
The point is that they are helping sentient beings...who cares what they are right? I doubt that aside from taking a wonderful vow, real bodhisatva's could care less about really being one but only desire to aid others...that is the driving force... their action into good or positive deeds... not a sort of HONOR of being called a bodhisatvva...
did i ramble...
You're right, a real bodhisattva also doesn't really care if they are considered a bodhisattva or not, they only really care about helping others.
I'm a very shitty, selfish, self absorbed, materialistic, greedy, mean, ego centric and me me me kind of person and therefore I could never ever be a Bodhisatva nor do I ever believe I could take an uphold that vow... that' would be like marriage to a 45 year old happy professional bachelor.
So what now?
Now, it's time to turn around and help others anyway! Start again! Do more... keep trying, keep helping, keep doing...why? for the selfish reason that it pleases ME to help others... hopefully they get relief, and in most cases they do. And it's better than not doing anything at all and watching others drown when I could have done something but didn't...
Mother Teresa, btw... most of her life, did not feel God around her... she talked about feeling completely abandoned by him and many times she questioned his existence and her inner faith... but this didn't stop her from trying and trying to help others.
Her "doubt" was a problem when Rome was in the process of beatifing her. And they did shortly after her death.
Bodhisattvas don't believe that they can do anything, and it doesn't matter. They're committed to doing good. Where the problem you mention does arise is in the context of the "enlightened" master, guru, teacher. For some reason, students in the past have believed their teachers can do no wrong, and they've allowed them to commit crimes and other malfeasance. Many of these seem to be cases of very ordinary people being ordained as masters, not enlightened at all. Don't give away your critical thinking power.
Usually, anyone who says they're enlightened, isn't. I suppose the Buddha was an exception.