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Are there saints in Buddhism?

DaftChrisDaftChris Spiritually conflicted. Not of this world. Veteran
in Buddhism Basics
Like there are in Catholicism, Orthodoxy and Sufism?

Comments

  • vinlynvinlyn Colorado...for now Veteran
    Sort of...like Kuan Yin.
  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    Yeah there are a lot of stories about previous practitioners. Or so I hear.
  • lobsterlobster Crusty Veteran
    Probably the most famous are Bodhidharma, probably a variety of people and the 84 mahasiddhas. Anyone reaching the stage of an enlightened boddhisattva would be classed as a Saint.
    What is perhaps more interesting is how those who espouse 'nothing holy' can describe their virtuous behaviour? Would they be great humanists? Just good willed individuals?
  • footiamfootiam Veteran
    I suppose then there are saints in Buddhism; just that they are not called saints. Devas perhaps? But what are saints really? If I understand it, they are humans and elevated to the level by some big shots in the human world. For the Chinese, I probably can say for sure there are saints. In Chinese temples, the deities there are sometimes respected historical figures. They lived once a long long time ago and are remembered for their good deeds. Only that they are not called saints.
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    In Mahayana there are Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who are called upon in mantras in order to implore them to give sustenance, strength, resolve and constancy. Some call on the different manifestations of Tara in order to achieve certain results....

    Here, there are Moderators to fill that role. Trust me, "The patience of a saint" doesn't cover it.....

    :D
    lobsterZero
  • DavidDavid A human residing in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Ancestral territory of the Erie, Haudenosaunee, Huron-Wendat, Mississauga and Neutral First Nations Veteran
    lobster said:

    Probably the most famous are Bodhidharma, probably a variety of people and the 84 mahasiddhas. Anyone reaching the stage of an enlightened boddhisattva would be classed as a Saint.
    What is perhaps more interesting is how those who espouse 'nothing holy' can describe their virtuous behaviour? Would they be great humanists? Just good willed individuals?

    I'm unclear what you mean by "nothing holy".

    Saint = god?

    Also, do saints have to be no longer living to quaify?


  • lobsterlobster Crusty Veteran
    'Nothing holy' is one of the ideas inherent in certain levels of Buddhist philosophy. So for example crazy adepts will deliberately break convention were people feel a bit of chiseled rock or some other artefact is given divine status. So if I was a crazy adept or a tourist I might give a statue a good snog and then claim that I was attached or even in love with the Buddha . . .
    Saints are normally associated with being dead Catholic devotees, extremely Sufi, decidedly Hindu or terminally Buddhist etc. Some have paranormal capacities for example appearing on toast . . .

    Hope that is helpful . . .
  • DavidDavid A human residing in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Ancestral territory of the Erie, Haudenosaunee, Huron-Wendat, Mississauga and Neutral First Nations Veteran
    Oh yeah, I've seen that guy.

    I won't say I don't like the word "holy" but it seems to put things out of reach that are by their own nature (which doesn't exist individually) reachable.

    I guess in a sense, we are all saints waiting to happen.
  • VastmindVastmind Memphis, TN Veteran
    ourself said:

    ........

    I guess in a sense, we are all saints waiting to happen.


    Can we get this on a t-shirt?
    A bumper sticker maybe?
    lobsterfederica
  • DakiniDakini Veteran
    Isn't Milarepa referred to as a saint in the Tibetan tradition?
  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    I think Milarepa is believed to have been an enlightened Buddha.
  • DakiniDakini Veteran
    I've seen him referred to as a saint in a number of books on TB or Tibet.
  • lobsterlobster Crusty Veteran
    Yes Milarepa was a mass murderer and saint. There is hope for all of us . . . In his pre-buddhist days he used sorcery to kill 35 people. :eek:
  • musicmusic
    Vastminds said:

    ourself said:

    ........

    I guess in a sense, we are all saints waiting to happen.


    Can we get this on a t-shirt?
    Yup, right next to Che's picture.
  • MetallicaMetallica
    Mahasattvas such as Avalokitesvara!!! He would appear in any form to suit the person's need to save them!!!!
  • DakiniDakini Veteran
    lobster said:

    Yes Milarepa was a mass murderer and saint. There is hope for all of us . . . In his pre-buddhist days he used sorcery to kill 35 people. :eek:

    That's why he's such a celebrated saint. He really turned himself around. btw, whoever hasn't seen the film about the first part of his life, really should check it out. Great film. I believe the title is "Milarepa".

  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    edited November 2012
    Yeah, Dakini thanks for the film recommendation. And regarding the sorcery, my teacher says that he knew he had created such bad karma and he had to practice very hard to get enlightened as he had such a karmic debt that could put him into the hells.

    I found a site that included Milarepa's poetry. It was a tradition to sing dohas, which are spontaneous songs to express the enlightened mind - liberation. So it was kind of 'rap' buddhist style :)
  • DakiniDakini Veteran
    Yeah, Part II of his life was supposed to have been done already, I don't know what happened to that project. It'll be great when (if) it gets made. :)
  • PatrPatr Veteran
    And regarding the sorcery, my teacher says that he knew he had created such bad karma and he had to practice very hard to get enlightened as he had such a karmic debt that could put him into the hells.

    - Karma and realisations/ enlightenment are two completely different things
    One must accumulate merit to offset Karma, of course having the requisite realisations help. Having enlightenment does not offset Karma, as evidence by Sariputta, Mogallana and even the Buddha, when he fell ill and died due to the exhaustion of his karma.
  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    Yes @Patr, but when you suffer bad karma and you are enlightened it isn't a problem just as with the Buddha it wasn't any kind of problem when he died.
  • PatrPatr Veteran
    Still died in discomfort from food poisoning... being enlightened means one need not worry about death. Sariputta and Mogallana also died in agony.
  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    edited December 2012
    You would still feel bad but no fear as a Buddha. With no fear there will be no stages of denial, anger, depression.
  • lobsterlobster Crusty Veteran
    Just been doing migtsema practice, 3 Tibetan yidams for the price of one :wow:
    + 'worship' of a saint, similar to praying to Catholic Saints or visiting Sufi shrines . . .
    The saint, tsongkhapa, is on his way to becoming a Yidam . . .
  • cazcaz Veteran United Kingdom Veteran
    lobster said:

    Just been doing migtsema practice, 3 Tibetan yidams for the price of one :wow:
    + 'worship' of a saint, similar to praying to Catholic Saints or visiting Sufi shrines . . .
    The saint, tsongkhapa, is on his way to becoming a Yidam . . .

    He already is !
  • TakuanTakuan Veteran
    Yes, there are a variety of saints. This especially true in the Tibetan traditions. Have you ever heard of the 84 Mahasiddhas?

    http://blog.tsemtulku.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/vajradhara-and-84-mahasiddhas.html

    Within the realm of Bodhisattva's, there are the Mahasattvas, such as Manjushri and Kuanyin. Mahasattvas are bodhisattvas who have gained the actual realization of Buddha, but have decided to put off their Buddhahood in order to help sentient beings.
  • lobsterlobster Crusty Veteran
    He already is !
    :clap: 4 for the price of one . . . :clap:
    caz
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