Boddhisattva - what is a Boddhisattva?

The following is extracted from wikipedia:

In Buddhism, a bodhisattva (Sanskrit: बोधिसत्त्व bodhisattva; Pali: बोधिसत्त bodhisatta) is either an enlightened (bodhi) existence (sattva) or an enlightenment-being or, given the variant Sanskrit spelling satva rather than sattva, "heroic-minded one (satva) for enlightenment (bodhi)." The Pali term has sometimes been translated as "wisdom-being," although in modern publications, and especially in tantric works, this is more commonly reserved for the term jñānasattva ("awareness-being"; Tib. ཡེ་ཤེས་སེམས་དཔའ་་, Wyl. ye shes sems dpa’). Traditionally, a bodhisattva is anyone who, motivated by great compassion, has generated bodhicitta, which is a spontaneous wish to attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings. 

The bodhisattva is a popular subject in Buddhist art. Usage of the term bodhisattva has evolved over time. In early Indian Buddhism, for example, the term bodhisattva was primarily used to refer specifically to the Buddha Shakyamuni in his former lives. The Jatakas, which are the stories of his lives, depict the various attempts of the bodhisattva to embrace qualities like self-sacrifice and morality.

The Lord Christ

So what is a Boddhisattva? In spirituality, to put it in simple terms, a Boddhisattva is an enlightened being who is just one step from attaining buddhahood. But is Boddhisattvas reserved for Buddhism only? No. The term may have been coined in Buddhism, but it actually isn't reserved for Buddhist only. Remember, all religion are man made. So in essence we can say that Boddhisattvas are very advanced souls, they are very spiritually developed, and are just short of achieving a stage in spiritual development called buddhahood. They have been around many lifetimes and have spiritually grown to a very high level.


A boddhisattva is an all compassion being. One who is in the Boddhisttva path displays compassion towards all sentient beings. While it is true that our soul is all compassion also, there is a difference here in that a Boddhisattva (or Boddhisattva in training) would deliberately reach out to others to bring them along (so to speak). Sounds familiar?


What I am about to say may offend some people, well... I'm sorry but it's just tough luck if you can't accept The Truth. The lord Christ is a Boddhisattva. In his last few days up until the time he was at the cross, he went through the last few initiations to achieve one step short of buddhahood. I won't go into detail on the initiations on the last few moments as differing spiritual/esoteric schools have slightly differing views of it so there is no point in going into it here. And when his consciousness returns, he shall "return" as the matreiya Buddha. Again some people will claim that the Matreiya is the false christ. Oh puhleeezz...this is just to protect the central pillar of your religion.


Well, coming back... so how does the boddhisattva vow fit in to all these? Well, I'm no expert but from my understanding, there are differing paths to achieve enlightenment/ascension etc. Remember, all the rivers lead to the ocean and the oceans are one big body of water. Well, yeah, I know there is the dead sea, but you get what I mean about the rivers and oceans. One of the paths of spiritual development of our soul is that of the boddhisattva path. Which in Buddhism, they've basically explained it as a spiritual warrior who has taken a vow to defer his/her ascension to buddhahood until all sentient beings achieve enlightenment. Whoooh, sounds like quite a vow. Myself, not really interested in it, I personally prefer the other paths which don't involve this vow. But that's just me. Different people have different views of it and it really depends on what your spiritual path is. Your soul could have taken a vow before you take this physical incarnation. Some of us are not meant to go through that path, but while we are in the physical world, we shiok-shiok blindly go and take the vow when a buddhist monk comes visiting. I know cause I "accidentally" took one. Here's what happened:


A high level Tibetan Rimpoche came to town and there was chanting and puja for a whole week at one of the convention centers in the city almost a decade ago. We happily went to that event. After a few days of chanting, there was a particular day when chanting was happening and we could feel tremendous divine energies down pouring into the center. Those of us who could "see", saw deities coming down from above. Those of us who could "feel", felt the divine energies coming in through our ajna chakra, to the throat chakra and then to the heart chakra. We were all excited. The monks were chanting in Tibetan. And after they've finished, the Rimpoche said in Tibetan and a local guy translated it, "you've just taken the Boddhisattva vow". And some of us just went "shit...WTF?!" :-) Well, no worries, if at the spiritual level, you're not meant to go through that path, you still won't go through it :-)

4 arm Avalokitesvara

Well, anyway, the Lord Christ was a Boddhisattva. The Buddhist would have raised eyebrows on that statement. The Catholics/Christians would never accept that statement. The Hindus and Moslems won't care about that statement. Whatever lah... 


How do you know if you could be on the Boodhisattva path (Boddhisattva in training) regardless if you have or have not taken the vow?



The Bodhisattva vow is:
Sentient beings are numberless
    I vow to save them all.
Deluding passions are inexhaustible
    I vow to end them all.

Dharma Gates are limitless
   I vow to master them all.

The Buddha's Way is Supreme
   I vow to attain it.

Well... there is no way of telling for sure in this physical world. If you have taken it in the spirit world, you can't tell it here unless you are such an advanced soul that you can trace back or just pop a visit up there to find out. However, there are hints that may tell a thing or two. Examples: Do you get angry with injustice? Can you sense it when someone is lying? Are your greatest power love and compassion? These are just a few of the questions that we can ask ourselves. There are several ways that a quick search in the internet would provide some general guide (not necessarily accurate), or a trip to the library and looking through esoteric books on boddhisattvas may provide some answers. The answer to such questions can more or less tell if you have taken the vow before and are on the path. It is not necessarily true but a guide nonetheless. Furthermore, if you find that you may be on the Boddhisattva path but in this lifetime, you are christian or moslem, then what should you do? Well... you don't have to leave, that much is for sure. Remember, all religions are man-made anyway. By all means, stay on in your religion if your heart tells you to. But listen to your heart (higher soul etc). You'll find that the philosophy that the prophet/Avatar of your religion prescribes has pretty much the same principles (remove the religious doctrines of course). Therefore, subscribe to the path shown by Christ, Kuan Yin etc not what the religion tells you to do. And reach out to all sentient beings as your heart tells you and not as what your religion's ulterior motives says (propagation).


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The Perversion of Religion
Religious Dogma
Reincarnation
Souls in Reincarnation


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