Bodhisattva
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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
... See moreJack Kornfield • Bringing Home the Dharma: Awakening Right Where You Are
Bodhisattva is the Sanskrit word for a being who is devoted to awakening and to acting for the benefit of all that lives. The way of the bodhisattva is one of the most radical and powerful of all Buddhist forms of practice. It is radical because it states that the fulfillment of our happiness comes only from serving the welfare of others as well as
... See moreJack Kornfield • The Wise Heart: Buddhist Psychology for the West
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
... See moreKen I. McLeod • Reflections on Silver River
are. In fact, the word “Buddha” simply means one who has awakened to his or her own true nature.
Jon Kabat-Zinn • Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life
The bodhissatva is a being who forgoes his or her highest state of consciousness in order to stay in the world and help others attain that state. This tradition holds a deeply metaphorical genetic truth. Our genes are all bodhissatvas programmed to serve the whole until it has attained perfection.