The Bodhisattva

• what is the Bodhisattva in relation to Therevada

  an addition/replacement to the Arhat
• what does the term Bodhisattva mean


  Bodhi = enlightenment and sattva = essence
• what is a Bodhisattva and who can be one


  - a practising Buddhist who has vowed out of compassion to defer Pari-Nirvana and be reborn as many times as is needed until all suffering beings have been saved

  - Bodhisattva can be a householder or a monastic

  - not all Bodhisattva's are enlightened but seek to be, and not all Mahayana Buddhists are Bodhisattva's but this is the ideal

  - Bodhisattva must deny individualism and selfness and have wisdom, understanding Sunyata (emptiness)
• what is the Bodhicitta


  - the arising of the Bodhicitta is the 'calling' and motivation to follow the Bodhisattva path and help all suffering beings

  - 'mind of enlightenment
• what are the two qualities of the Bodhisattva

  1. COMPASSION:

  - to want to endlessly help all sentient beings

  - altruism; no expectation of gain or thanks

  - going beyond judgement and discrimination

  - facing own suffering

  2. WISDOM

  - to have insight into the Dharma (recognise emptiness and interconnectedness)

  - to use skill in means; be able to pass on teachings of the Dharma effectively to different groups and levels

  - to measure compassion so it is balanced and recognise that you cannot help everyone at once, taking a balanced view of your own journey also (LINK TO VIRTUE THEORY)
• how do you become a Bodhisattva


  - take a public Bodhisattva vow (to complete enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings) and receive a prediction with regards to future attainment

  - embark upon a ten stage career, the first 6 stages beings the Paramitas (perfections). this is the practical application, used alongside eightfold path and 5 precepts
• what are the 6 paramitas

  generosity (Dana), Morality (Sila), patience (Kshanti), vigour (Virya), meditation (Dhyana) and wisdom (prajna)
• explain generosity/Dana

  - expression of infinite compassion

  - giving equally to all beings and being non-judgemental

  - giving primarily spiritual gifts, but also material and merit

  - requires wisdom to understand there's no difference between giver and receiver
• explain morality (Sila)

  - keeping 10 Mahayana precepts as well as the eightfold path and 5 precepts

  - adopting the positive counterparts

  - Bodhisattva's act as a role model to the rest of the community so must uphold moral standards

  - however there are loopholes, as one may be able to break a guideline in order to prevent another being suffering, e.g. lie
• explain patience (Kshanti)

  - patience in all situations

  - joyful acceptance of difficulties and acceptance in faith of doctrine you may not understand

  - patience in your own process

  - patience is also about accepting the moment and appreciating the present

  - impatience leads to anger and impulsiveness which are negative Dharmas
• explain vigour (Virya)


  - boundless enthusiasm for the quest of the Bodhisattva

  - never failing to help other where you can

  - not giving up during difficulties
• explain meditation (Dhyana)

  - need to meditate in order to gain an adequate understanding of the Dharma and Buddhist teachings and philosophy (e.g. 3 philosophical schools)

  - meditation helps cool the ego

  - must meditate for all beings and not for your own benefit/personal achievement
• explain wisdom (Prajna)


  - wisdom upholds all other perfections and is needed to perfect all other virtues

  - needed to balance the path
• what are the 4 psychological stages of the Bodhisattva path

  far going (skill in means, no more karma), immovable (cannot turn back, purity in mind), good intelligence and the cloud of Dharma (has all qualities required for salvation of sentient beings)
• what is the use of celestial Buddhas and Bodhisattvas

  - example of skill in means

  - celestial Bodhisattva's represent human characteristics needed for the attainment of Buddhahood

  - used as a meditational tool (visualisation)

  - no real presence
• what are the celestial Buddha's and how many are there

  - 5 celestial Buddhas who all have a colour, a direction, an animal, a mythological story and a family of Bodhisattvas

  - this is Buddha-ology/Buddha cosmology
• explain an example of a celestial Bodhisattva

  - most popular is the Bodhisattva of compassion, Avalokiteshvara

  - roots found in the Heart Sutra, where Avalokiteshvara is depicted meditating on the school of Madhyamaka and attaining enligtenment, although they also have a myth associated with them

  - when a practioner calls upon/meditates on them, they are finding compassion within themselves and every time you do something compassionate, you are Avolokiteshvara (as they are just symbolic)

  - also known as Kwan-Yin in China

  - most popular representation is the eleven-headed and thousand armed version
• what are the additional celestial Bodhisattva's in Tibetan Buddhism

  wrathful Bodhisattvas which protect you against fires and harms
• what is the 3 Bodied Doctrine

  - a framework for understanding the qualities you need to attain Buddhahood

  - classification of ways you can gain insight into the Dharma
• what are the 3 parts of the 3 bodied doctrine

  Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya and Nirmanakaya
• explain Dharmakaya


  - the body of truth, the enlightened mind that has grasped the truth of all things

  - the most important of the 3 bodies

  - the other two outline the ways to gain a full and deep understanding of this body and exist in relation to Dharmakaya
• explain Sambhogakaya


  - refers to both the physical and mystical aspects of the Bodhisattvas

  - refers to the ways in which mystical and human Bodhisattvas can help a person understand the qualities of enlightenment (skill in means, humans physically communicate and celestial can be meditated upon)

  - through the mythology and allegory more people can access it
• explain Nirmankaya

  - physical manifestation of the enlightened being (e.g. the historical Buddha)

  - we can understand the Dharma by accessing teachings of Siddartha Gautama

  - Mahayana believe that Buddhas can choose to take physical form in order to help other beings; Siddartha was already enlightened but chose to be incarnated into a human
• what is the Lotus Sutra

  - definitive Mahayana text

  - within it you get claims to follow the Bodhisattva path and that it's superior and we all have Buddha nature

  - claims to be word of the Buddha
• explain the key themes of the Lotus Sutra

  - Buddha introduces his speech by commending the Tathagatas (enlightened beings) as they are full of knowledge of the Dharma and can use skill in means to teach it (have all of the qualities)

  - the Therevada Buddhists then leave and the Buddha begins to tell his 'new' teachings to the remaining monastics

  - Buddha says that everyone should attain Buddhahood for the sake of all sentient beings and not yourself

  - there may be a range of routes to enlightenment (although the superior path is the Bodhisattva path) but there is only one truth
• explain the parable of the burning house

  a father sees that his house is burning, and his children are inside. there is only one door out of the house. the father tells his children that the house is on fire but they do not understand or listen. so he tells them he has presents for them outside, and they leave, showing little consideration for each other as they all want to get there first. he gives all of the boys an ox-cart, but each chooses one that is suited to them
• what do the elements of the parable of the burning house represent

  the father - Buddha

  the house - cycle of Samsara

  the door - Theravada (simple message), seek enlightenment just for themselves

  the children - suffering/unenlightened/ignorant beings

  the carts - Mahayana teachings (Bodhisattva) which are more in depth and superior

  the fire - 3 fires