What is a bodhisattva?
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The word “bodhisattva” is a compound word formed from bodhi (spiritual awakening, enlightenment) and sattva (a being, essence, spirit).
The word can then be translated as “A being set upon enlightenment,” “One whose essence is perfect knowledge,” or “A being whose essence is enlightenment.”
The word, however, has several shades of meaning, and we will explore these below.
Here’s Monier-William’s Sanskrit-English dictionary definition of the word “bodhisattva.”
— Sanskrit Dictionary entry for “Bodhisattva”
There is a possibility that the Pali word “satta” was actually a back-formation from the Sanskrit word sakta, meaning “committed to, fixed or intent upon, directed towards.” The Pali term “bodhisatta” would, from a Sanskrit point of view, have been ambiguous, and it’s possible that it was retranslated into Sanskrit wrongly as “enlightenment being” when it should have been retranslated as “one committed to enlightenment.”
Three meanings of the word “bodhisattva”
There are three principle meanings of the term “bodhisattva,” each of which I will discuss in more detail below:
1. In early Buddhism, bodhisattva meant “the previous lives of a (or the) Buddha.”
2. In Mahayana Buddhism, bodhisattva refers to a human being committed to the attainment of enlightenment for the sake of others. Becoming a bodhisattva is the goal of Mahayana Buddhism.
3. Bodhisattva may also refer in Mahayana Buddhism to archetypal bodhisattvas: mythical beings such as Avalokiteshvara and Manjushri, who are objects of devotion.
We’ll look at these three different understandings of the term bodhisattva below.
Comments
Comment from Wendy
Time: September 20, 2007, 8:25 pm
Please help me find the web site where I learned the following mantras (I cannot be sure of the spelling but I am sure of how they sounded phonetically):
1) Om burh vah svah
Tat savitur varenyam
Bhargo devasya dimahi
Dihyo yonah
Prachodayat.
2) Om shri manah, Lakshmiyai namah.
I hope you can help me find out more about these. They have really helped me. Thank you. Wendy
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: September 20, 2007, 8:36 pm
Hi Wendy,
The first is the “gayatri mantra” which is one of the best-known Hindu mantras. It was incorporated into the theme music of Battlestar Galactica’s second season!
oṃ bhūr bhuvah svah
tāt savitūr várenyam
bhārgo devāsya dhīmahi
dhīyo yōnah prachodāyāt
There’s a decent article about it on Wikipedia.
The second mantra is “Om Sri Maha Lakshmyai Namah”.
This should be enough information for you to search online.
But you shouldn’t be asking me about this. I’m a Buddhist! :)
Comment from ira
Time: October 27, 2007, 4:33 pm
Sounds like the Gayatri mantra to me–check Sai Baba sites, i.e., Sri Sathya Sai Baba
Comment from Cora
Time: December 28, 2007, 11:37 am
My computer does not access the audio part re: translations
Is there another site where the pronunciation is available.
eg. The green tara mantra:
swaha ????
soha, swaha ???????
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: December 28, 2007, 8:12 pm
Hi Cora,
What’s the precise nature of the problem? I’m guessing it’s that you don’t have RealPlayer — I really ought to convert the mantras to MP3 format to make them more accessible. I’ll try to do that as soon as possible.
Also, the pronunciation is now more fully explained in the article.
All the best,
Bodhipaksa
Comment from terramie asher
Time: January 20, 2008, 7:11 pm
I am a bit confused. I have not been able to meditate in two years. I was able to meditate well for a number of years prior to this block (?). What I think I am looking for is a mantra to use that would help me. I did not use them before, just breathing and was able to meditate for long periods of time. A mantra may be helpful with concentration and focus and blocking distractions.
I think that the root of the problem is that i have noticed in the last two years difficulty concentrating and focusing on anything.
Is there a particular mantra that might help one with concentration and focus.
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: January 21, 2008, 5:37 pm
Hi Terramie,
That brings up an interesting point. Classically, something like the Manjushri mantra would be said to be good for helping focus and concentration, but there can be many things that stand in the way of our focusing. For example the mind can be unsteady because of a lack of energy (in which case a good mantra might be that of Vajrapani), or because of problems will ill will or self-hatred (in which case Tara, or Avalokitesvara might be good). In short, you may need to do a bit more exploring to find out in more detail what the cause of your problem is.
On this that raises a flag with me is you talking about “blocking distractions.” Generally that’s not a very helpful way to think about meditation, in which we may often acknowledge distractions and then patiently return to the object of concentration, or we may even have to work on accepting and exploring our distractions. It may be that it would be helpful for you to work with a teacher. If there’s nothing available locally you could always consider our online courses.
All the best,
Bodhipaksa
Comment from cat
Time: March 7, 2008, 10:12 am
When the body is not functioning properly, a ‘block’ may develop. That is what happened to me recently. Try giving your body a detox or flush. Look for cleaning the Liver.
I’m sorry, I guess I shouldn’t be answering.
Cat
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