Bodhisattva

bodhisattva vows based on the words of the beloved sixth-century sage Shantideva: May I be a guard for those who need protection A guide for those on the path A boat, a raft, a bridge for those who wish to cross the flood May I be a lamp in the darkness A resting place for the weary A healing medicine for all who are sick A vase of plenty, a tree o

A person might be said to be awake when he or she can move into this awareness, this way of experiencing life, at will. The word bodhi means “awakening” and sattva means “being.” Thus, a bodhisattva is a person who is or aspires to be awake. When this awareness is present, you simply respond to the pain and struggles of others in whatever way is po

The Buddha is an arhan because he is free of passion and will not be reborn, a sugata because he has gone beyond this mundane world, a tathagata because he has come back to teach others, and a fully-enlightened one because there is nothing of which he is not aware.