The Bodhisattva Ideal

Send us Fan MailThe Bodhisattva ideal really blossomed in the Mahayana traditions but the idea of the Bodhisattva was certainly present in the earlier traditions.  Perhaps not in name but certainly in expression.  When the Buddha spoke about himself before his Enlightenment, he referred to himself as a Bodhisattva.  And, of course, the fact that he taught for 40 years after his Awakening points to his desire to awaken all beings.  But how is the ideal expressed in us?  Two papers:Bhikkhu Anālayo, Genesis of the Bodhisattva Ideal — https://www.buddhismuskunde.uni-hamburg.de/pdf/5-personen/analayo/genesis-bodhisattva.pdf Bhikkhu Bodhi, “Arahants, Bodhisattvas, and Buddhas” — https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/arahantsbodhisattvas.html Videos from Doug's Dharma:What is a Bodhisattva? --  https://youtu.be/bs1XtNrNXpMThe Early History of the Bodhisattva Ideal -- https://youtu.be/ECI_3ytgxcQ Support the showGo to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links:  https://digginthedharma.com/