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21st century bodhisattvas...
Do they exist?
Do the bodhisattvas themselves know that they're bodhisattvas?
If so... how?
Do the bodhisattvas themselves know that they're bodhisattvas?
If so... how?
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Can I reasonably suspect that I might possibly be a bodhisattva?
It sounds a little crazy... or probably more likely a little self-centered.
Please put that aside. I don't want to post my life story here, but from 30k feet, it looks like... well, it could be...
I know this question is futile for a public forum. If you ever thought you might be one, could you PST me please? I learned some crazy things tonight and I've been thinking a lot lately.
Or someone who knows a lot about bodhisattvas? ...
Thanks.
At some juncture in our practice , we invoke this state/quality of life and play the role of Bodhisattva & Buddha to turn the Dharma wheel and protect the purity of the correct Dharma
And it is only at the last moment of one life , if the person have generally invoke this high level of life state / life tendency in most of the person life . People of the latter age could then honour them with such title as Buddhist saint , Buddhist sage or Bodhisattva to them, such as Bodhisattva Nagarjuna , Bodhisattva Vasubandhu, Bodhisattva Amoghavajra, Bodhisattva Aryasimha, Bodhisattva Ashvaghosha, Bodhisattva Tientai , Bodhisattva Dengyo , Bodhisattva Nichiren etc
They are all real historical Buddhsit masters who contributed greatly to the promotion of Mahayana teaching to our saha world , in short they turn the Dharma wheel of Mahayana ..
So maybe you too could realised your own life mission and invoke such wonderful quality in your life and will ranked as the similar Bodhisattva/Buddhist saint for the future ...
It is said in the eyes of good Buddhist practitioners there are many Bodhisattvas and Buddhas around & supporting them
But to the eyes of common people, they cannot see or appreciate any , and their deluded minds still wishful for some god-like bodhisattvas and buddhas floating in the air to save them : )
Maybe I'm lacking in knowledge. I always thought bodhisattvas were people who achieved enlightenment, then decided that rather than nirvana or balance, they would come back and try to help someone else.
I never thought of it as a public ranking, but I'm really new. I didn't know bodhisattva was a title. I thought it was just a natural state of someone who was enlightened, but wanted to help others.
The things I've been through speak to my purpose. But its not about being elite. And its not that I even want to help someone else. But reflecting on what my purpose might be, I see it happening anyway.
I guess I'm just seeking wisdom in what this might mean.
but as from the perspective of Buddhsit practitioners they are not as important, as enlightenment is your own efforts
In Buddhism , there are different level of understanding, some are for lay commoner believers, some are for cultivators and some for realised practitioneers , depend which level of understanding you want
I also imagine and train to accomplish this by visualizing the appearance of this being, label "I", as similar to the great exemplars of this way of being and engage in joyful effort to embody this.
I don't self-identify as a bodhisattva but as a simple trainee, who doesn't yet know what it is to be a true bodhisattva or really worry about it too much because, with total confidence in the training, I'm certain I'll know eventually.
1) in the eyes of good Buddhist practitioners there are many Bodhisattvas and Buddhas around & supporting them ( they are hence very real )
2) to the eyes of common people, they cannot see or appreciate any , and their deluded minds still wishful for some god-like bodhisattvas and buddhas floating in the air to save them ( they are hence legend )<!-- / message -->
However, lets say you're a bodhisattva, suddenly born into a staunchly christian household... and by some landslide of impossible-to-explain events, you end up a Buddhist... and by some landslide of impossible-to-explain events, you end up in a battle to help a hopeless 'someone' in your family to make themselves a better person, by no fault of your own...
Are you going to know this ahead of time - that karma has booted you into this reality, or will you figure it out at some point that you're sent by karma or some other force? Am I making sense?
so in their past life they have made their mind to be reborn into this christian household inorder to demonstrate and lead the people in the similiar situation how to practice Buddha dharma from such condition of life
once they are realise their own bodhisatva mission in their life , no hardship can stop them, they will become victory in any situation, as bodhisattva realise the the phenomena they are in are not real ( not absolute ) , their mind can certainly influence and change the situation around
In those moments I might tell myself, "Hey, maybe you're a Bodhisattva!!"
Then, I tell myself, "Calm down here!" "This is your ole ego delusion going nuts again!!!"
It's not about assuming the identity of being a bodhisattva. It's more about learning to apply your own volitional action in agreement with the principles and practices of bodhisattvas. There are many wonderful teachings about this; such as the Lotus Sutra, Prajnaparamita Sutra, Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life, The Thirty Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas (which I've memorized), The Vow of Samantabhadra, many many more.
Thanks, Bob.
I agree that its not about assuming a role, but as much as taking your paddles back into the canoe and letting nature take its course. I feel like I'm just along for the ride, but I'm curious about my situation.
By learning more about how a Bodhisattva might do this can we form our volitional actions to accord with this way of thinking/behaving?
In my opinion, all "realms" can be seen from any realm.
I think that seeing others 'as they truly are', is part and parcel of evolution on the path. Buddhas, bodhisattvas, angels, higher selves...we walk amongst saints and being deluded are unaware. To consider the possibility that we might be one of them, is part of that learning.
Well, editing this part, I found this on the Diamond Cutter Sutra while looking for some rabbit story:
"What do you think, Subhuti," Buddha asked, "does a one who has entered the stream which flows to enlightenment, say 'I have entered the stream'?"
"No, Buddha", Subhuti replied. "For he has won no dharma and therefore he is called one who has entered the stream. No objects of sight or hearing have been won, no smells or tastes, no objects of touch nor even objects of mind. Thus he is called one who has entered the stream. If the thought 'the fruit of entering the stream has been attained by me' occurred to such a one, then he would be seizing upon a self, or personality, a soul or a concept of being."
Sounds like Little Buddha, except you would be helping a monk find his master.
Sounds like a stretch :P
No, but they can invoke a magic pony from the dimension of goodness to help fight evil and a magic stick to smack wobbly meditators.
Being one or not, nothing stops you from becoming one. I say you shouldn't be afraid of having aspirations.