The Bodhisattva ideal in practice (and its relation to the Arhat ideal)
Upvote:1
The essential aspiration of a bodhisattva is bodhicitta, the vow or intention to achieve enlightenment out of compassion for all those suffering in samsara, which contrary to popular perception does not necessarily imply being reborn until all beings in samsara achieve enlightenment, since the Buddha, who was clearly a bodhisattva, is not (and cannot be) reborn, but he did live many many lives before achieving Buddhahood. The difference between a stream entrant, who seeks arhantship, and a bodhisattva is that a stream entrant seeks enlightenment for himself and seeks to achieve emancipation as soon as possible, thus freeing himself from the bondage of samsara quickly. The Buddha taught that it is possible to do this in not less than seven days and not more than seven rebirths, but the Pali Canon records instances of attainment of arhantship in as short a time as five days. Arhantship has the net effect of reducing dharma in samsara, since the arhants are not reborn, reducing the overall quantum of dharma, whereas bodhisattvas are reborn many many times - perhaps infinite numbers of times potentially but not necessarily - thus increasing the quantum of dharma in samsara. Thus, the arhant ideal leads to degeneration (entropy) whereas the bodhisattva ideal leads to evolution (negentropy).
More post
- π Is my reason for not gambling justified?
- π Mindfulness when sick?
- π Need reference for the two conditions need to realize path to Nibbana
- π Meditating dead monks
- π Wise reflection on Dhamma with momentary concentration, without meditation
- π Can you explain how cessation of existence is known to be possible?
- π Why the emptiness brings fear in to our mind?
- π Is suicide similar to Nibbana?
- π Resources to learn about yogacara buddhism
- π What are some resources on Mahayana forms of Meditation?
- π What does the phrase "to armor oneself with vows" mean?
- π Where did Nanavira Thera deviate from the commentaries
- π Buddhist point of view in the research process
- π What is the significance of the 28 Buddhas within Buddhism?
- π Self like a diamond
- π Am I holding the right views?
- π Will actors really go to hell?
- π Auto-suggestion and buddhism and how to use it
- π What can I do to have my destination confirmed?
- π Is there any explanation on why only humans and animals do not remember previous life?
- π What is eradication of the fetter of identity-view (sakkΔya-diαΉαΉhi)?
- π Meditating and including buddhist philosophy in your life without abandoning previous religious beliefs?
- π Which is this sutta, which describes a monk prepared to travel and to experience violence?
- π Perceiving or not perceiving?
- π How does Buddhist (supra-mundane) Happiness differ from βmundaneβ happiness?
- π According to Buddha's characteristics and teaching in Pali Canon, could he have taught Vajrayana (and Karmamudra)?
- π What does 'Ignorance' mean in Dependent Co-Arising?
- π Is this just a logic or experience about mind(reality)?
- π Are there pictures/paintings of Nirvana?
- π The Buddha's struggle with the first absorption
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- π The Bodhisattva ideal in practice (and its relation to the Arhat ideal)
- π What is the relation between Nirvana and Parinirvana?
- π What is the difference between an arhat, bodhisattva and a buddha?
- π What is the difference between concentration and mindfulness practice ?
- π How are Buddhist Sacred Texts used in practice and historically, given the questioned authenticity of some of them
- π What is the relation between Astrology and Buddhism?
- π What is the relation between PratΔ«tyasamutpΔda and Four Noble truths?
- π Within TheravΔda tradition, what are the differences in doctrine and practice between schools and sects around the world?
- π What is the difference and relation between chanda and cetana?
- π Buddhist origin of tobacco and its relation to Native American use
- π How do I practice Buddhism to attain peace of mind and know the inner self?
- π What is the relation between the Eight Consciousnesses and the Five Aggregates?
- π What is The eighth jhana and how can i practice it?
- π Why would a non-dualist mind choose the Bodhisattva path once it has stopped differentiating between suffering and non-suffering?
- π What's the relation between feelings of neither-pleasure-nor-pain and ignorance?
- π The relation between Dhamma and reality itself
- π What's the meaning of "PΔli" and its relevance in regard of the Buddha's Dhamma?
- π Mental illness and the Layperson's Practice
- π How to not let the attachment to a self and its preferences influence the choice of a particular tradition in buddhism?
- π text for the 2013 course: Shamatha and the Bodhisattva Way of Life. Class 2 on Motivation and 7 Point Mind Training
- π What is the meditation and what is its purpose?
- π How can I tell the difference between the Deva realm and the Buddha and bodhisattva realms?
- π What are ways "common" and not so known to practice the first kind of proper giving?
- π What are the main differences -- in meditation practice and discipline -- between different schools of Theravada?
- π The 4 Elements and itβs relation with electricity
- π What are the differences between vipassana and mindfulness meditation?
- π Are Vajrayana and Tibetan Buddhism the same thing?
- π How are 'conceit' and 'identity-view' not the same?
- π How do I slow down and start living according to my values? How do I change the direction of my life?
- π How compatible are the beliefs of atheists and Buddhism?