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| .: Bodhisattvas :. |
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| Bodhisattva: Sanskrit -- Bodhi "enlightenment" and Sattva "being". In Tibetan Buddhism, Bodhisattvas are beings who compassionately refrain from entering Nirvana in order to assist all other beings on the path to Enlightenment. To become a Boddhisattva, the mind must become enlightened. Therefore, those who strive to become Bodhisattvas start training by bringing about the 6 Perfections: 1. Generosity This means striving to rid ourselves of greed (caused by attachments), and selfishness. You can practice generosity by sharing your skills, passions, and talents with others, e.g. if you enjoy reading and writing, why not spend your time volunteering at your local library, or assist in teaching young children how to read? Whatever your skill, passion, or talent may be, it can surely be beneficial to someone in need. Sharing Buddhist teachings with those interested in learning is a wonderful gift. Just one drop of water in a large pond will create a ripple. This ripple will travel, eventually coming into contact with other objects, which then reflect the ripple in other directions. This is what you are doing when you spread the teachings. But it is the incentive behind your actions which is most important; if you are only doing this to get something in return, that defeats the purpose. 2. Ethics Rather than trying to distinguish "right" from "wrong", consider whether what you are doing or what you plan on doing is helpful, or harmful, to yourself and those around you. Practicing the Five Precepts--abstaining from harming and killing, engaging in harmful sex, consuming harmful or mind-altering substances such as drugs or alcohol, being deceitful, and using abusive language--is crucial. All harmful actions, such as the ones mentioned in the precepts, are generated by our minds, so it is important to be mindful of your thoughts. 3. Patience Patience is unfortunately lacking in our world today. But we need patience to remedy anger. When we become angered, our reason and judgement becomes impaired. Only a few moments of rage may result in a lifetime of undesirable consequences. Patience begets tolerance, and as a result, we can look and feel more happy and relaxed. 4. Effort Enthusiastic energy is not only necessary on the path to Enlightenment, but is necessary in all things if we want to acheive anything. "He is able who thinks he is able." --Shakyamuni Buddha Many people will want their efforts to be repaid instantly, and this is where patience once again comes in. The path of the Bodhisattva is strenuous, and you must be assiduous. But do not put off your efforts, thinking, "I will do this tomorrow." Tomorrow never comes, so your effort is needed now. 5. Concetration Meditation is a great way of allaying the mind, which in turn develops concentration. Concentration is a form of mindfulness. Concentration in all tasks will help you to avoid conflicts and frustrations. A wavering mind while in conversation is disrespecful, and the person who you are talking to may feel annoyed and frustrated. Lack of mindfulness while driving and you may go through a red light, which could cause an accident, potentially harming others. 6. Wisdom Wisdom, as the Sixth Perfection, is the total of the other five perfections. Buddhist texts stress to important things when it comes to wisdom--impermanence and selflessness. Everything is impermanent: the weather, your interests, trends, our appearance... these things are constantly changing. Santideva, the 8th century Bodhisattva, wrote a book called "Bodhisattvacharyavatara," which has been translated as "A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life." This is an important text for students of Tibetan Buddhism. In chapter 10, verse 55, the meaning of Bodhisattva is epitomized: “For as long as space endures And for as long as living beings remain, Until then may I too abide To dispel the misery of the world.” Chenrezig, Spyan-ras-gzigz (Tibetan) / Avalokiteshvara (Sanskrit) / Kuan Yin, Quan Yin, Guanshiyin (Chinese) / Quan'Am (Vietnam) / Kannon, Kanzeon (Japanese) / Kanin (Bali) i.e. the Bodhisattva of Compasion: In Tibetan Buddhism, Chenrezig is the embodiment of all the Buddhas' compassion. He is the Boddhisattva of Compassion. Chenrezig is one of the most well-known and popular Buddhist Deities, aside from Shakyamuni Buddha, of course. He is the patron Bodhisattva in Tibet, where his meditation is commonly practiced. In the legend of Chenrezig, it is said that he vowed not to rest until all beings had liberated all beings in the 6 realms of rebirth (Gods, Asuras, Humans, Animals, Hungry Ghosts, and Hell-Beings). After working laboriously for a very long time, he looked out to see the vast number of beings yet to be liberated. This resulted in Chenrezig becoming heartsick, and soon his head shattered into a thousand pieces. Amitabha Buddha took these pieces and put Chenrezig back together as a being with 1000 arms and 11 heads, so that he could he could help myriad beings at once. There are many visual forms of Chenrezig, the most common seen here: The white form of Chenrezig represents purity and the power of an enlightened mind's mahakaruna (great compassion) and metta (loving-kindness). He sits on the flat disc of the moon which rests on a lotus flower, with another disc behind him, which symbolizes his absolute purity. Two of his arms are joined together in the prayer mudra (symbolic hand gesture) holding the wish-fulfilling gem. In his other left hand he holds a lotus flower, and in his other right hand he holds a crystal mala (rosary) which he is using to count repititions of his mantra, Om Mani Padme Hum. You can learn more about Chenrezig and Om Mani Padme Hum here. ~Luthien Rogue -Administrator |
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| The white four-armed form of Chenrezig with one face. |
| 1000-Armed Chenrezig |