Bodhisattva
A being who delays nirvana to help others awaken.
A bodhisattva is a person in Buddhism who has attained or is striving towards bodhi (awakening or enlightenment) or Buddhahood. The term often specifically refers to one who forgoes or delays personal nirvana or bodhi in order to compassionately help others reach Buddhahood.
- field
- Buddhist spirituality
- known_for
- Delaying personal nirvana to help others attain Buddhahood; generating bodhicitta; practicing perfections (pāramitās) and divine abodes (brahmavihāras)
Lore & Background
In early Buddhism, the term bodhisatta is used in early texts to refer to Gautama Buddha in his previous lives and as a young man working towards liberation. The Buddha regularly used the phrase 'when I was an unawakened Bodhisatta' to describe his experiences before his attainment of awakening. Early sources discuss the bodhisattva's overcoming of unwholesome states, development of mental tranquillity, and growth of insight. The oldest known story of how Gautama becomes a bodhisattva involves his encounter with the previous Buddha Dīpankara. In the Early Buddhist schools and modern Theravāda Buddhism, a bodhisattva is someone who has made a resolution to become a Buddha and received a confirmation from a living Buddha. In Theravāda, the bodhisattva is seen as an exceptional and rare individual, with only a few select individuals able to become bodhisattvas, such as Maitreya. In Mahāyāna Buddhism, a bodhisattva refers to anyone who has generated bodhicitta—a spontaneous wish and compassionate mind to attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings. Mahāyāna generally understands the bodhisattva path as open to everyone and encourages all individuals to become bodhisattvas.
Reader's Guide
The concept of the bodhisattva is central to Buddhist thought, particularly in Mahāyāna Buddhism, where it represents an ideal of compassionate spiritual heroism. Mahāyāna bodhisattvas are driven by great compassion (mahākaruṇā) and embody qualities such as the four divine abodes (loving-kindness, compassion, empathetic joy, equanimity) and the perfections (pāramitās), including transcendent knowledge (prajñāpāramitā) and skillful means (upāya). Spiritually advanced bodhisattvas like Avalokiteshvara, Maitreya, and Manjushri are widely venerated and believed to possess great magical power to help all living beings. The term's etymology is complex and debated. It combines bodhi ('awakening' or 'enlightenment') with sattva, which may mean 'living being,' 'heroic being, spiritual warrior,' 'mind,' or 'essence.' Tibetan translators render it as 'byang chub sems dpa',' combining 'mind' and 'hero.' Chinese Buddhists generally use the phonetic transcription 'pusa,' though early translators sometimes used 'mingshi' ('a person who understands'). The bodhisattva path, while present in early Buddhism, is not taught in the earliest strata of texts such as the Pali Nikayas, which focus on the ideal of the arahant.
Did You Know?
- The term bodhisattva is a combination of two Sanskrit words: bodhi ('awakening' or 'enlightenment') and sattva ('being').
- In Theravāda Buddhism, the bodhisattva is mainly seen as an exceptional and rare individual, with only a few select individuals able to become bodhisattvas, such as Maitreya.
- Mahāyāna Buddhism generally understands the bodhisattva path as open to everyone and encourages all individuals to become bodhisattvas.
- The oldest known story about how Gautama Buddha becomes a bodhisattva is the story of his encounter with the previous Buddha Dīpankara.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Bodhisattva in Buddhism?
A Bodhisattva is a spiritual being—either already awakened or actively working toward full enlightenment—who makes a deliberate vow to remain in the cycle of existence rather than entering final nirvana. This choice is driven by the wish to guide other sentient beings toward their own awakening.
How is a Bodhisattva different from an Arhat?
While an Arhat seeks personal liberation from suffering, a Bodhisattva consciously postpones that final release. The Bodhisattva's defining trait is the compassionate commitment to stay and assist others until they too reach Buddhahood.
What does a Bodhisattva actually practice?
The Bodhisattva cultivates the pāramitās—perfections such as generosity, patience, and wisdom—alongside the four brahmavihāras of loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. These practices form the practical path toward universal awakening.
What is bodhicitta and why does it matter for a Bodhisattva?
Bodhicitta is the awakened aspiration to attain full Buddhahood specifically for the benefit of all beings. It is the foundational motivation that distinguishes a Bodhisattva's path from any other spiritual pursuit.
Why is the Bodhisattva ideal central to Mahayana Buddhism?
It reframes enlightenment not as a private escape but as a lifelong, compassionate engagement with the world. This ideal underpins the entire Mahayana soteriology and gives shape to figures like Avalokiteśvara and Maitreya in Buddhist tradition.
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