Bodhisattva and Buddha
 

I'd like discussion on the difference between the two. Being a man born in western thought they appear to be very similar, as does the path towards nirvana and buddhahood.

Thoughts?

Hi Aesop,

Reading this article might help clarify things for you. Its by Bhikkhu Bodhi who's very well known in the Buddhist world and has translated many suttas in the Pali Canon.

"Arahants, Bodhisattvas and Buddhas"

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/a...hisattvas.html


with kind wishes,

Samana

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Bodhisattva has several meanings. It can refer to an aspirant who wants to become a Buddha. This meaning is particularly used in Mahayana traditions, where it means an aspirant who wants to become a Buddha to help all other beings become Buddhas.

It can also refer to archetypal enlightened beings who are emanations of Buddhas. For example, Avalokiteshvara and Tara are emanations of Amitabha who represent compassion.

The basic difference is that Bodhisattva can refer to those who are not yet enlightened, whereas Buddha only refers to those who are fully enlightened

Theravadins don't believe in these deities though, they are Tibetan Buddhist beliefs.


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Right, in the Theravadin traditions the term is mainly used in the Jataka tales which speak of Gautama Buddha's previous lives. In these he is called the Bodhisattva, "he whose nature is awakening" to mean that he will be a future Buddha. It also refers to Maitreya, the future Buddha.

In Mahayana, it is mainly used to mean aspiring practitioners who wish to be enlightened to help all beings attain enlightenment, and also to the archetypal figures like Avalokiteshvara. This is not only Tibetan Buddhism, for example in Japanese Zen the Wisdom Bodhisattva Manjushri is displayed in temples and the Heart Sutra spoken by Avalokiteshvara is recited.

Only a Bodhisattva would know and would care about the difference between the two. A Buddha wouldn't know and wouldn't care about the difference.

That may be you opinion, but how can you know its a fact ?


:wink:

Buddha means having transcended samsara, having transcended mind, seeing prior to mind. Buddha means there is no person, no sense of doership, just pure functioning. Bodhisattva means being a person with a sense of doership, following a path and helping other persons.

Both live in exactly the same world, but they function differently. The Buddha point of view is prior to mind and non-conceptual, the Bodhisattva point of view comes with mind and is conceptual. Therefore the Buddha is prior to knowledge and lives in the unknown, the Bodhisattva lives in the world of knowledge and concepts.

So, it's not an opinion. It's how these terms are defined. :wink:

Similar to Jesus as the son of God (Buddha) and Jesus as the son of man (Bodhisattva?) If what you are saying is correct and it seems perfectly correct to me, then the Historical Buddha we know of acted from the primordial non-conceptual, but His teachings had to exist in the world of knowledge and concepts. Presumably designed to lead the listeners to the world beyond. Interesting discussion.