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What is a Bodhisattva?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ส.ค. 2024
- What is a Bodhisattva? We'll answer that question, looking at such things as the Bodhisattva Vows, the aim of the Bodhisattva path, and differing views on what one needs to do to become a Bodhisattva.
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00:00 Intro
00:57 Background
03:12 What is the Bodhisattva Ideal?
05:33 The Bodhisattva Vows
07:42 The aim of the Bodhisattva Path
08:22 Buddhas vs. arahants
09:55 The perfections
11:47 Non-abiding Nirvana
12:40 Dīpaṃkara and the role of a living Buddha
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Love Doug's very knowledgeable explanations, hey refine my understanding of Buddhism from a very wide angle. The best one is why Buddhism never took root in India or disappeared from India. Definitely considering Patreon.
Good Morning America.
Good Morning Everybody!!
I think God hate me because I can't post the comment below on TH-cam, Quora and Facebook if you able to help me??
However if you watch those videos clip and you like it, please re post the comment below
Eckhart Tolle, Michael Singers, Caroline Myss, Matt Kahn, Alan Watts, Wayne Dyer, Ram Dass, Sadhguru, Krisnamurti and Bob Proctor are the great teacher to learn about life and getting a better life.
You can listen to them in TH-cam.They can read your thinking. You must see. That is amazing!!!
For me, a Bodhisattva is a being who sacrifices all of its energy for the benefit of all beings. Like our Sun. If you think about it, the Sun expends it's energy so that we might have life. What a beautiful gift!
Interesting simile, thanks!
Thank you..
As a two time undefeated Bodhisattva myself, i can recommend this video. 😀
😄😄
undefeated boddhisattva? hmmm interesting. i rather stick to kamala sutta
@@fannyalbi9040 Ah yes, the Kamala sutta. I took care of those a few incarnations ago.
😂😂😂
I had a patient call me Bodhisattva and I had to look it up. Thank you.
My pleasure!
Do you think they were right?
@@33NFNI’m just a regular guy
Sending gratitude from a Daoist monastery near Seattle (USA)!
☯️🙏💙
Wonderful! 🙏
"The bodhizattva knows that one can never truely be free until all souls are free"
The Zen response: "And what if there are no souls to free?" 😉
A clean bowl can be used to eat out of... go clean a bowl.
@@DougsDharma the absence of suffering doesn't mean the presence of fulfillment. The Buddha didn't get enlightened by starving and doing nothing after all, remember, it is the middle path, wise action, that leads to enlightenment and out of samsara 😌
Yes because we are all one
Wonderful video (as always). Already looking forward to the sequel... 😊🙏🏻
As a Zen practitioner I've met a lot of people who considered themselves Bodhisattvas (helping all sentient beings). I came to the conclusion that almost all of them are but personified versions of the "helper syndrome" in disguise: strong and insincere identification with the idea(l) of being an unselfish/altruistic helper.
The Bodhisattva ideal is certainly not a bad thing per se, but it can embody the danger of spiritual bypassing to a great extent.
Ezra Bayda (Tricycle, Summer 2003) wrote a wonderful article about that subject. Here's an excerpt:
_The question is: Where in our life do we do good, at least in part, to subtly solidify the self? Where do we get in our own way? Where do we use even our identity as a spiritual seeker, or the comfort of being part of something bigger, to cover the anxious quiver of being?_
😊🙏🏻
Yes, in any path there are potential pitfalls of egoism and clinging.
Does a true Bodhisattva call refer to himself as “Bodhisattva”?
@Ajita Corp You think too much. Sit with me instead.
This is a bit of a detour, but I remember a well intended effort in Dharamshala where a lot of young people from all around the world were taking the Bodhisattva oath together ....Then a group of these went out to celebrate, got a bit drunk and started causing a nuisance demanding free drinks because of their 'Bodhisattva status'😅 .( Obviously this example does not represent the majority of people who take this oath ).
@@spiritualanarchist8162
Haha, wonderful! 😹 Thanks for sharing! 😊🙏🏻
I believe in the suttas, Bodhisattva is used to describe Prince Siddhartha before his birth & the 6 years after he left the home life, seeking Enlightenment/Awakening
Yes in the early texts the word is used for Gotama before he became enlightened.
Yes, and never used about his past lives.
One of my favorite stories (not sure how accurate, I learned it long ago) is of when Gautama was a Bodhisattva during a time of famine. He sees a mother tiger unable to generate milk to feed her cubs because she herself is starving. Out of compassion he removes his clothes, neatly folds them away, and allows the tiger to eat him so she can generate milk and feed her cubs. Sometimes I wonder if I'm starting to glimpse what and how that level of compassion can actually be...
This is probably from the Jātaka tales which stem largely from a slightly later tradition. To me it reads a bit off since it does not display self-compassion. It’s sort of “dark-and-bright karma”.
@@DougsDharma Ugh... there we go again with "what is the self?" 😆
@@DougsDharmawe are all one so that is definitely self compassion. Also it was not a complete sacrifice but a win-win.
Thank you 🙏 Doug! I’m within the Korean Zen tradition (Seon) and I had thought the notion of the Bodhisattva was a Zen manifestation. I was so wrong - thank you once again for the ongoing education.
Right now I am in my Order’s ‘Dharma Guardian’ training and I plan on sharing this with the fellow Dharma ‘students’.
You’re the best, Doug; sending all my best from Chicagoland.
Wonderful, Dustin. Thanks for the message, and greetings to all your Chicagoland Zen folks!
thank you for the video. A few years past I heard the definition given as warrior of enlightenment. Which is to say a person who dedicates their life to battling the ignorance found in the world. perhaps even as seeing a kind word, a politeness given, and encouragement as a sword stroke cleaving negativity away in a persons life if only temporarily. devotion to seeing that with one's life they will for the sake of another's progression along the path to greater awareness. not for praise but for the simple joy of the act itself.
Yes these are all ways to understand it.
@@DougsDharma thank you for the reply. As your time allows would you mind sharing your thoughts on the Theravadan principal of anatta harmonizes with the Mahayan teaching on this subject? if I understand the no self concept which I may very well be wrong since there is only manifestations or the arising and extinguishing of what we may call individual human beings if I recall individuals who refuse to enter Nirvana they are than willing has a close word that comes to my mind to be reborn would not this willing require a type of self for this? I gladly admit my ignorance and confusion on this topic and welcome any clarification you can bring to me. Thank you for your time.
In various Mahayana and Vajrayana schools there is a classification of three types of bodhisattva:
- king-like bodhisattva - aspires to become buddha and then help sentient beings in full fledge;
- boatman-like bodhisattva - to achieve buddhahood along with other sentient beings;
- shepherd-like bodhisattva - to delay buddhahood until all other sentient beings achieve liberation.
Some schools say the king-like is the best, some that the shepherd-like is the best, but also some say shepherd-like doesnt even exists as an option.
It should also be noted that the teaching of non-abiding Nirvana isnt actually a later one, being implied in the Mahasamghika teachings about how Gautama Buddha was already such a being.
Interesting, thanks!
Although Bodhicitta implies turning away from personal liberation, it is not defined as postponing one's enlightenment. Rather, it is the main mind associated with the two aspirations of achieving full enlightenment to benefit all sentient beings. The aspiration to benefit all sentient beings is the primary aspiration.
However, there are 3 types of bodhicitta: like a king (wishing to achieve enlightenment before sentient beings), like a ferry (wishing to attain it at the same time) and like a shepherd (wishing for others to attain enlightenment before oneself).
This being said, since the main object of abandonment of a bodhisattva are not afflictive obscurations but knowledge obscurations, I can imagine where you are coming from when you define bodhicitta.
Generally speaking, we say it takes 3 countless eons to achieve buddhahood from the time we enter the Mahayana small path of accumulation. But there are other approaches in Tantra as well as in Chan. It's not clear cut.
Sure, that makes sense, thanks! 🙏
You’ve clearly come SUCH a long way. I particularly appreciate that in you I have yet again been signposted to Buddhism.
🙏😊
This is extremely in-depth for a 15 minute video, thank you!
My pleasure, Savannah!
Another excellent teaching, Doug! We appreciate, as always, your time and talent!
My pleasure! 🙏😊
Very nice to explain the meaning of Bodhisatva ideal
My pleasure. 🙏
Not being a religious Buddhist, I view the bodhisattva as a reaction to the depraved indifference that some Buddhists fall into when they think they shouldn’t get attached to the suffering of others by helping or because they believe that the suffering of others is deserved because of what they did in a past life. Both of these are explicitly denied by the Buddha, but that does not stop people from thinking them.
Ooof, yes those mind-states are not helpful at all.
Hi Doug, There is a paradoxical nature to Zen teachings because they often juxtapose the non-enlightened point of view (small mind) with the enlightened point of view (big mind). Generally we can only see things one way, there is only one right answer, our minds aren’t open. But when we are truly ourselves, big mind, we are open to everything, we see things as it is, but we still know of ‘good’ and ‘bad’.
Certainly, this only applies to paradoxes in some zen koans or teachings.
"Zen is not something to talk about, and also it is something to talk about”
Yes that's right. It gets kind of hard to discuss such things from a Zen point of view! 😄
@@DougsDharma Doug I also wanted to thank you 🙏. I really appreciate how generous you are with your knowledge of the history. I have only been practicing for about 8 months, and my Zen practice has been mainly focused on practice itself (zazen) and bringing it into my daily life. So I am having great joy applying what I’ve gained through my practice to better understand what I learn from you about the history/origins of Buddhism.
A bodhisattva is an enlightened being who temporarily delays Nirvana to help others . Look at it more as remaining in the worldly affairs after seeing through the illusion , rather than rejecting the world of illusion outright.
🙏
Thank you for the video! Very interesting and great explanation as always
My pleasure, Miguel!
If anyone wants to understand bodhisattva in detail then I suggest reading Chandrakirti's madhyamakavatara Sutra. It has been explained in very detail about bodhisattva.
Yes there are many sutras that discuss the bodhisattva.
I will become sammuk sambuddha in future...i am Bodhisattva now .. preparing my permi 🎉
Good wishes from India. Namo Buddhay 🙏
🙏😊
My understanding of bodhizattva is that it's enlightened ones who have perhaps reached buddhahood or at least enlightenment and chose love over fear (by releasing attachment and following the path to the best of their ability) and use their lives to bring the rest of humanity up to the realm of the gods.
I have a very unique view on samsara that it is actually different times in history and possible outcome with the demi God rhelm being humanity after we have moved beyond capitalism and imperialism and selfish systems of oppression to empower the lives of those who will next go to hell realms but that ultimately we are all (even including the most evil person you can think of) but we still must stand up for those born in "lower" circumstances, which means realizing we are the natural result of physics and the living universe.
What I said earlier about samsara being different times in history is that the hell realms are times like the Holocaust and places of intense suffering caused by those who create them and (at least) the demi God stage is one of post industrial society where we have moved past capitalism and hierarchy and give every human the basic rights of decent housing, healthcare, food, and education, so that all people can persue their dharma unhindered by karmic cause and effect of us doing harm to ourselves by trying to exploit others disharmoniously. This time we would have many breakthroughs in science and the ability to live as long as we want and bring humanity to levels of prosperity unimaginable to us today, essentially living in star trek in real life, no money just people exploring the universe that we are and giving people the opportunities to democratically decide their lives and live their dharma as easily as possible, then the God rhelms to be the result of a far far future where consciousness is no longer locked into the human body but creating new and more universes itself and eventually starting over again, when desired as at the demigod stage death has become optional due to freely accessible healthcare and nutrition that can end aging and turn death into something one decides when and how.
However these realities must be created so bodhizattvas are those who have created these realities and choose to go back and help others archive this state as fast as possible. You cannot have Buddhism without buddhas sharing the truth that we are all and much choose love and overcome fear, rather than use the fear of others to control them (as the catholics and all others who were born in the human realm of high status but could not become bodhizattvas and instead create hell realms that they will eventually experience first hand.
The reason I am not a Buddhist is because my enlightenment and heart tells me I am here to help others by conquring my fear of creating hell for myself and others through inaction, but by learning about love and using the scientific method to find the most effective way of teaching and raising the consciousness of others. We all are in this time of the human realm for a reason and just because one may have been in the God/demigod realm before doesn't mean incarnation now is a bad thing, it just means I chose to so I can help create the God realms and eventually end samsara for all
(this is completely my own imterpration from my practice and study, I hope it inspires others but remember we all have our own dharmas and the best we can do is the best we can do don't let unachable "perfection" keep you from trying just love, be greatful and try your best
And so in service of boddizzatva I have a 5 minute video on what it actually means to be enlightened th-cam.com/video/aAAVKuSEfj4/w-d-xo.html if you read this far and our interested I highly recommend it love and enlightenment to all 💚
interesting intellectual. don’t stuck yourself too much on labelling or ideology.
@@fannyalbi9040 thank you I agree. I mostly just go with the idea that "enlightenment" is a spiritual and scientific term that means "realizing that human beings are nature just like everything else, therefore what we do is natural, even if that is to destroy the planet. We just have the ability to choose what we do and can shape our environments. The scientific method is a very powerful tool for understanding and shaping the universe that we are to our needs but we should do it in a way that goes in harmony with the rest of nature, as the rest of nature does, think solar punk style architecture and cities built around walking and biking and public transportation rather than cars.
Whether one believes in reincarnation or not we should learn about all religions/philosophys we want and not forced into any (as knowledge should be freely available to all who seek it) BUT to keep in mind scientifically that we ARE all the one living universe, seperate entities with unique experiences but still all just the universe doing the experiencing.
So I agree dogma is bad but the Buddhism just like the scientific method has been a very helpful tool in my life and has given me the language to express ideas and experiences that most resonate with me, thank you for the reminder not to get too caught up in it 😂
Or I guess you reminded yourself because, after all, we are all just the sensory organs of the same universe ☺️
@@smileyp4535 i do constantly remind myself about all the intellectual bs. It is interesting to please our brain but not vital for life. Jerryfish has no brain yet it out race many advanced organisms.
I read that Amitabha Buddha was a Bodhisattva who succeeded in attaining full Buddhahood. Also, I hope you cover the levels of a Bodhisattva in either your next or future video
That might be something I'd want to cover in a future video, though I'd be interested to know the history of the idea first. (Where and when the idea originated, etc.)
Namo buddhaya 💐🏵️
🙏😊
i neither pine for, nor detest your upload notification 🙏
😄😄🙏
Hey Doug, I love your work! I would like to thank you all the way from Turkey that you have taught me a lot of things about Buddhism. I was wondering if you have a video about Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya and Gelug and how these sects of Tibetan Buddhism differ.
Thanks very much, Leo! My focus is more on early Buddhism so I haven't done much on Tibetan practices or schools, though I did do an earlier video on Vajrayāna Buddhism that you may have seen.
@@DougsDharma Thanks anyway, your videos are great!
@@PratibhaRaut333 I watched a video by Mingyur Rinpoche today and it was very complicated for me. I think I need more education before trying to study these sects.
Let me think: being a Bodhisattva means that my Self, or my ego, will persist through all eternity here on Earth? I will be forever a Buddhist and myself? Wow!
Just one more thing: great channel! I do like your videos, Professor.
My pleasure, Danyel! 🙏
I think you learnt a lot in this Dhamma! and congratulations !
Thank you! 🙏
You’re insight was so spot Doug. thank you so much!
My pleasure! 🙏
Never will I seek nor receive private individual salvation, never will I enter into final peace alone, but forever and everywhere will I live and strive for the redemption of every living thing throughout the world.
Thank you for another great video, Doug! One thing is puzzling me. Boddhisatvas are said to postpone their own enlightenment. And as I understand there are stages of enlightenment in Mahayaba (bhumis) which are different from the 4 classical stages. I remember reading that in one school there were 10 bhumis, and arahant would correspond to the 4th or 6tg bhumi (I don't remember exactly). So my question is: do bodhisattvas become at least partially awakened along the path? How does it work? Maybe you know something about this. Thank you.
Ah timely, we're just learning about the early evolution of Bodhisattvas as per Buddhism at Gandhāra!
Oh neat, my next video will be a bit about the development, I'd be interested to know what you're learning about Buddhism in Gandhāra!
Have you ever seen the 1990s series "Quantum Leap"? The series finale was apparently not well liked but the main character choose a Bodhisattva style path (and ethically how could he not? I thought it was perfect for an ending.) A review of the episode from your perspective may attract some channel views. The premise of the series was he was a lost time traveler trying to get home while the universe kept putting him in situations where he could improve people's lives.
Interesting to hear, Lucas. I haven't seen the series!
My understanding of the bodhisattva vow isn't that one forgoes enlightenment until all sentient beings are enlightened, but that one forgoes being tathagata (thus gone - not to be reborn).
Forgot the other thing I was going to comment (the "old" part of OldStudent). Theravada Buddhism was sought and introduced in Southeast Asia as a reform by Anawratta. They did retain some of the previous practices. Notably, one of the 4 books Anawratta ordered preserved when he was eliminating the Ari Buddhist priests in favor of the new version from Sri Lanka, was the Kalachakra -- the previous Buddhism there had been Vajrayana. So it isn't that strange that some "Mahayana" thinking remained in Southeast Asian Theravada practice.
Perhaps so, but in early Buddhism enlightenment implies that one is not reborn. So one would have to forego it in order to remain active in the world. The picture of what enlightenment was then changed over time.
नमो बोधिसत्व 🙏🙏
🙏😊
Good explanation. Namo Budddhay
Thank you for your informative video. I am Thai and have been practicing Theravada Dharma since a young age. It would be great if you could explain Buddhist cosmology/Samsara to the Western public. This can be related to Bodhisattvas, expressing themselves as human beings to help other beings reach Nirvana, To not reborn again.
My pleasure! I did an earlier video on Buddhist cosmology as it pertains to the traditional three realms of existence: th-cam.com/video/JEwQvlfMUf8/w-d-xo.html
Thank you.
You're welcome, Jason!
Namaskar,from Colombia
🙏😊
reaching for enlightenment is automatically benefit to all living beings. do not delay.
Yes it is to all of our benefit to practice skillfully in these ways.
Thank you. Very interesting stuff. Cheers
My pleasure, Babek!
Not exactly infinite... but definitely a very veeeerrrrryyyy long time...
Maybe so!
Since Buddha nature is inherently in all of the Universe we only need to make the determination to ourselves
Yes, that certainly makes sense, though usually it's done in a public setting.
Inspiring,very valuable set of factors
🙏😊
9:50 - yeah it does feel like a very VERY long path....
- great channel- appreciated ^^
Thanks for the visit!
The river of Life and Death, Samsara, is what the Buddha overcomed in Paranirvana. All Arhats achieve this... But the Bodhisatva decides to pospone his overcoming of this river, in order to help the Buddha bring foth the promise of Buddhism, help others achieve Buddhahood! Who is a Boddhisatva? Everyone Who consider the Four Great Vows as a serious path to everyones' Enlightment is a Boddhisatva...
Yes, thanks Emil.
@@DougsDharma Thank you for the great contribution your videos represent! Deep Gassho!
Namo buddhay 💜
🙏😊
My personal opinion is that bodhisattva is someone who is aware of only small portion of the greater truth. The Truth being the Nirvana. Bodhi means enlightenment/wisdom and sattva means seed or essence. So someone who has a essence of wisdom(but not completely realised it) or someone who is a seed(not yet tree) is a bodhisattva.
Thank you!
You're welcome! 😊
I don't believe people need help but they need to help themselves
Very interesting video. Since in Mahayana many Bodhisattva's have mantras associated with them have you ever considered doing a video about mantras or mantra meditation?
I've discussed chanting and mantras in a few of my videos, but since they weren't a central part of early practice (besides, e.g., chanting involved with memorizing the suttas) I haven't done a full video on it. If I can find a good scholarly sketch of the practice over time I might!
Thank you Doug
You're welcome!
Great video, my question is doesn’t the usinisa Vijaya Dharani do that same thing!! It has the merit too help all sentient beings and causes one too not be reborn in a suffering situation and removes dense karma.
You could be right, I don't know! 🙂
Thank you 😊
You're welcome 😊
Bodhisattva Vajrapani is mentioned in early texts.. during debates..
Which texts are these?
@@DougsDharma In Digha Nikaya Ambattha Sutta... he appears when Amattha doesn't reply to Lord Buddha questions. He was told that if he doesn't answer his questions then his head would break into pieces. Also in another debate with a Jain debater he appears when the debater doesn't reply.
Ah yes, but he doesn't appear as a Bodhisattva there, simply as a kind of demonic spirit.
@@DougsDharma He is shown as having Vajra.. Vajra is the powerful weapon in indian mythologies which is also associated with Vassava (king of Gods).. so Vajrapani cannot be called as Demonic because Vajra is a weapon of the Devas.
Fair enough but he does not appear as a bodhisattva in the sutta.
Great explanation
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you very much for the lesson, Doug.
I would like to know: Do you think the Mahayana/Bodhisatva path has any solid base according to the Pali Suttas?
It's a later conception, a fact that I'll discuss in the next video. But that doesn't mean it's not legitimate.
@@DougsDharma can i suggest some topics for the next videos?
Bodhisattva is Br Ambedkar in india.you must visit India on dhikshabhoomi Nagpur Maharashtra.💙
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Thank you so much sir for sharing your knowledge. I just want to clarify myself that, since I am belong from a Vajrayana Buddhist sect. Are all Rinpochhes in this world are Bodhisatva or they are living Buddha. Some followers says they are all living Buddha who have achived Buddhahood. 🙏🙏🙏
Well traditionally it's often understood that there is only one Buddha at a time and that the dharma must be completely forgotten for another one to arise.
Bodhisattva is prior to becoming Buddha . It is related to jatak tales
I want to know if Lord Avlokiteshwar is mentioned by Buddha in early texts? I think Lord Avlokiteshwar may have been mentioned somewhere by Buddha.
I don't believe Avalokiteśvara is mentioned in any of the early texts. These celestial Bodhisattvas stem from a later tradition.
Genuinly forgot what one of these was and got here from like a dragon ishin
Hey Doug! Where might I find a listing or literature of former bodhisaatvas? Just curious as to how many there have been throughout history since The Buddha's enlightenment. I'm a filmmaker and would love to do more research on the subject. Thanks and keep up the great work!
To my knowledge there is no list of Bodhisattvas since the Buddha's enlightenment, or rather there are many, many stories and lists, and they are ongoing. After all, at least on the Mahāyānist interpretation, there are new Bodhisattvas all the time. Any dedicated Mahāyāna practitioner can be understood as a Bodhisattva.
@@DougsDharma Thanks, Doug, for the information. Once again, your knowledge has helped solve a riddle for me. Be well. Jake
I thought that we all will become Buddhas at some point.
Well such a claim is not made in the early texts, and indeed is not consistent with early teachings.
As per the large Sutra on Perfect Wisdom:
1. One should become a Bodhisattva (a Buddha-to-be) i.e. someone content with nothing less than all-knowledge attained through the perfection of wisdom for the sake or all beings.
2. There is no such thing as a Bodhisattva, or all-knowledge, or a “being”, or the perfection of wisdom, or an attainment.
The solution to this dilemma lies in nothing else than the fearless acceptance of both contradictory facts.
Perhaps so! 🙂
Sir, Can't you make a video about the political philosophy mentioned in Buddhism? 😁
Yes, I have a whole playlist of such videos: th-cam.com/play/PL0akoU_OszRhRTFjzEz5i7G8XoNhORcDs.html
I did the vajra guru mantra over 6000x in 2015.
I saw a figure in white, then he disappeared when I noticed he was out of place.
Which bodhisattva or buddha did I see?
I have read numerous texts stating the bodhisattva goal is to become enlightened in order to liberate all sentient beings from samsara not postpone enlightenment in order to help sentient beings. Postponing enlightenment seems to me a contradiction to the idea that only an enlightened person has the perfect knowledge to help sentient beings.
Well I guess it depends what one means by "enlightenment". If for example enlightenment is the ending of rebirth, a stage at which one can no longer intervene in the world, then it must be at least postponed in order to liberate other sentient beings from samsara.
@@DougsDharma yes. But how could one liberate other person since not even Buddha himself could do it?
And how can they liberate anyone by teaching a way where everyone would "postpone" Nibana?
There are two problems with explaining the Path of the Bodhisattva intellectually exclusively through a Buddhist lens: first, one's understanding is subject to the entropic forces that have degenerated Buddhism over countless generations (as they do all religious forms), which results in the many different ideas, concepts, beliefs, and interpretations around what it means to be a Bodhisattva. Second, one invariably misses the most poignant and visceral example given to us of the Path of the Bodhisattva (which is a deliberately chosen path of suffering and sacrifice for humanity for the sake of the end of suffering for all beings, in which one must face and eliminate all of one's karma in one lifetime...even karma which one deliberately took upon oneself as a burden to carry for the sake of suffering humanity): the reincarnation, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Master Aberamentho (better known to the world as Jesus of Nazareth). One truly cannot comprehend the Path of the Bodhisattva unless one has walked it (or is walking it), just as one cannot truly know anything unless one SEEKs Self-Evident Experiential Knowledge of it directly and consciously. Beliefs in the mind are hypnosis and ignorance, which taken together are the antithesis of gnosis--what we SEEK from existence...to be. Merely understanding something intellectually is decidedly thinking; conceptualizing; dreaming one knows... it is literally not being. To be or not to be, that is the question, and what the Buddha himself taught when he said "You must test my words." The teachings must be applied and experienced for their Truth to be known. The knowledge of that is conscious, not intellectual, belonging to The Being, not the mortal self. This is the fundamental teaching that Bodhisattva (the ones who are here to teach, that is) convey in different times and in different eras in ways appropriate to the time and place in which they teach. Spoiler alert: not all Bodhisattvas are "Buddhist." strictly speaking (*gasp!* But it's True...how could they be? Meditate on it). For our part, we write about our journey on the Path of the Bodhisattva in Part One of our book, "What in Hell is with Us?" And summarize in contemporary terms the fundamental nature of the Bodhisattva Path as all Bodhisattva do: via allegory (i.e. parable) that most should be familiar with... th-cam.com/video/h5pniyAAeh0/w-d-xo.html (
Sattva doesn’t mean being. Sattva means sampa in tibetan which means dhu-jhaa in tibetan which explains pure or original stand of identity without any external informations influences,as it is without any bias or trace of additional and subtraction descriptions of any material or business.
Bodhisatva or bubbhisattva is called to Jangchup sampas cuz their sattva is in shunyita’s state of mind.
It is all written in sungdhu text.
Hello, there is any teaching or practice on self enquire on Buddhism
Well the practice of mindfulness is a practice of self-enquiry. See my playlist on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness: th-cam.com/play/PL0akoU_OszRjItCXmF-MMPdKwTdtGSxl-.html
Good presentation. It sounds like there is an awful lot of attaining to be done. The Heart Sutra states that there is nothing to attain. And this confuses me.
This is one key difference between the emphasis in early Buddhism and that found in some later schools. Nevertheless, there is the attainment of non-attaining!
@@DougsDharmaThank you for the reply. The Bodhisatvas and Buddhas in the Sutras are described in such superhuman, grandiose terms. It is difficult to relate to them. “Attaining” Buddhahood seems far beyond the reach of any ordinary person when couched in such a superhuman context. Writers within the past 1000 years or so (roughly) do bring things down to earth, as you indicate. An additional point I’d like to make, if you don’t mind, is the Zen Bodhisatva vows: from another perspective it seems a bit egotistical to vow to return until limitless beings are brought to enlightenment, placing the person making the vow in a superior position to all the unwashed, unenlightened masses. I appreciate your videos and I do not intend any disrespect by my comments.
Are there descriptions of how exactly the dharma is lost? How does the last awakened being before a "dark age" mess up passing it on?
Very interesting concept. But the strangest idea of Bodisathwa I ve heard about. It is as if an excuse to NOT practice or strive to practice Dharma and just want to kill time by postponing enlightenment and trivializing the enlightenment without admitting how hard or next to impossible it is. If Buddha never attained Enlightenment, could any of us be helped? Could there be Dharma? But it is a sweet twist of a very difficult task.....Viriya, or striving itself is a Parami, and Buddha said without striving one cannot attain enlightening!
Yes it's an interesting conundrum!
Hi Doug 👋🏻 Thanks for the video 🙏🏻
Is your new book available in hard copy? Or is it only in ebook format?
The distributor is only making it available in ebook format at this point. I'm not sure when or if that will change, but if it does I'll definitely let everyone know!
You are so smart
Well, not me so much but the scholars and practitioners who produced the materials I read and learn from. 🙏
I don’t get why they say you would refrain from ascending. If you’re one with all you’re not really helping anyone or yourself by refraining from it lol. Life and people are a mirror of the internal state
Well the conception of nirvana in early Buddhism isn't quite the same as being one with all. Its realizing our non-self nature.
I think in real life, one "soul" can incarnate both in the past and future and that bodhizattvas, are already enlightened and live in the far future when humanity has finally achieved global enlightenment and sustainability and unconsitional love (basically star trek irl but with multiple dimensions of consciousness aswell, understanding the universe as both scientific and "spiritual" I.e. Consciousness is intrinsic to the existince of the universe itself)
Also I define enlightenment in terms of either intillectual/complete (intillectual enlightenment meaning something most of us have already had which is learn that "to be enlightened" means "understanding that yourself and the universe is one and the same, I'll link some of my own 5 minute videos on it for anyone interested,
"What is enlightenment, really?" (Warning it's kind of quiet, it's an older video and my audio mixing skills weren't as good lol)
th-cam.com/video/aAAVKuSEfj4/w-d-xo.html
"true self is without form" (basically natural and artifical are two sides of the same coin, a lot of people like this one better and it uses Zenyatta from the video game overwatch as an example if you know who that is (if not he is a robotic AI tht practices Buddhism which is a super interesting imo)
th-cam.com/video/b-awlvceP3Q/w-d-xo.html
don't forget to like and subscribe if you do 😉😁👍👍) and "complete enlightenment" meaning accepting this truth into your heart and living as if you are actually the result of the big bang and stardust condensing into planets orbiting the sun and physics and organic chemistry evolving to the point of life capable of self awareness finally resulting in the birth, life, and eventual death of your egoic self (your body, your name, the "you" that you think of as you) which will then rejoin the all upon death until "you" are reborn again in another time, place and manifestation. But that's just the definition of "enlightenment" that I use, where it's very easy to be intillectually enlightened (and it requires work and reminding ones self of this as there are so many distractions caused by the ego that evolved to protect your body and seek pleasure while avoiding pain and has evolved into what we call one's "personality" and complete enlightenment while possible for any soul, very unlikely, and as we know from karma and quantum mechanics the universe runs on probability, the key comes from free will and doing our best to practice unconditional love and help ourselves and others do the same, because after all our best is the best we can do, no more, no one is perfect, but we all can be together ☺️)
Is vegetarianism necessary for the meditative path of Buddhism?
Well the Buddha himself wasn't vegetarian, so I don't think so.
Does it really matter in this one speck of a lifetime what we think we'll be, or to think that our intentions will remain true throughout the many lives we'll have? How do we know that it's not just silly to just think that our egoic minds can influence our multiple lives?
Good questions, what do you think?
I think that when we think of we, that the idea of "we" can only be identified, and known by, our physical bodies. Since we don't continue looking like we do now throughout consecutive lives, what or who, other than our bodies, do we identify as we, or I?
What is it that we are pointing to that has many lives?
The idea of a Bodhisatva seems tied together with assumptions of post life rebirth, and pretty far from secular. It's always seemed to me that trying to put off the enlightenment experience to work on other folks is part and parcel of that bronze age world view. One assumes that working on oneself and getting their Buddha on would be the absolute pre-requisite to being engaged enough to help other people in the sense of a Bodhisatva. Since there isn't any "Self", the idea of being reborn outside of ones life seems spurious. If one wishes to become or act as a Bodhisatva then the place to do it is this life, so the need to wait for ones own enlightenment to save all the other sentient beings seems like a cart before the horse sort of things.
Better to work on oneself before attempting to embody some sort of hyper altruism. If one life is enough to get to get to Buddhahood then this is the time to do it. Once you're there then you can talk about Bodhisatva stuff. Until then best to work with what one can grasp...here. My 2c.
Yes, thanks for your input, shawn!
@Ajita Corp try switching to decaf.
Bodhisattva Maitreya will be reborn and become the Buddha in the future.
Everything is a Perspective of the Singularity, and as such nothing is more or less enlightened than anyone or anything else, the very concept of a "bodhisattva" is therefore simply another term to create a division within the human psyche itself.
As aware perspectives of the Singularity we should come to terms with our greatest understanding, which is simply to be, act and feel as humans are meant to. Instead, we seek ways to escape exactly what we came here to experience.....Humanity!!
Every other creature on this planet does not seek "enlightenment" because absolutely nothing can be more or less enlightened than anything else. We as humans must realize this, rather than searching for ways to escape the human experience!
Is there a way of availing your book physically ?
The distributor is only making ebooks available at the moment. If and when they decide to release it in physical form I will let everyone know.
Can you talk Buddhist marriage ie can Buddhist marry blood relatives? In Tibetan Buddhist it is a taboo to marry and should at least be not related for 7 generation blood relative.
What does text say about it.
I don't know that there's much at least in early Buddhism about marriage. The Buddha doesn't seem to have wanted to be involved in it, that was more a matter for householders to work out, so long as people didn't harm one another.
Thanks Doug, this was very informative. I'm curious what has been said about the period of "dormancy" before the Dharma is lost and the time for the Bodhisattva's transition to Buddhahood is realized.
Is the role of the Bodhisattva simply to be a future Buddha, or is there some importance to the lifetimes lived before Buddhahood? Maybe those billions of lifetimes inform the being of all the things they will need to know in order to become the Buddha. Or maybe each Bodhisattva is like a candle, and one day, instead of rekindling a lost flame, there will be so many candles that the entire universe is illuminated.
Does tradition have anything to say about this?
Good questions, Parker, and I'm not really sure there is a single answer. The role of the Bodhisattva is to help other sentient beings, out of compassion. So in the time when the dharma is lost, I would suppose they would simply be doing good deeds, acting generously and compassionately insofar as they could live up to the vows they had lain down earlier. As a secular practitioner though I tend to leave questions about such past or future lives to one side, since I don't know such things for myself.
dharma is always there. it can not be “lost”. Forgot yes it will be.
@@fannyalbi9040 Thank you for your correction. What I meant to say was "when we lose the dharma." The path is there whether we follow or not :)
@@parkpatt is ok. do your good cause wise. u know why buddha no only teaches causes and effects, it talk about wisdom too. Use it to guide you the causes and effects, because all these r circumstantial, no one can guide but your wisdom.
no many buddhism teaching nowadays teach about wisdom anymore, all talk about karma and intellectual knowledge, they are interesting nevertheless, does it bring up the inner wisdom? the core to stop vicious cycle.
oh well…never mind
Does the boddhisattva ideal go along with the belief of reincarnation? Otherwise, why they can't help others if they do would not put off their own enlightment? Also, isn't it saying "enlightement for its own sake" contradicting the "no-self" in buddhism? I thought enlightement is not awakening into the self, which is empty, on the contrary, awakening to the the reality, discovering that there is no self. So, aiming one's own enlightement does not even make sense in the first place, because there is no one's own self. Aiming enlightement, by its nature, cannot be selfish, since it is aiming to be free from the illusion of the self eg; when Doug is enlightened, he is free of Doug's self, kind of meaning that he is not Doug anymore. It sounds to me the distinction between buddha and boddhisattva, and also the two level of nirvana are the interpretation of the dualistic human reasoning. Appreciate if you can answer :)
This can seem dualistic, for more on this see my earlier video on non-dualism and early Buddhism: th-cam.com/video/43v6lLweukg/w-d-xo.html
i am a living Bodhisattva, yes verified by master lu jun hong.
i be starting my channel once approve by Guan yin Bodhisattva
yes jesus is real too
3:33 - ah so a Bodhisattva puts off their enlightenment for the sake of other sentient beings in order to help them. Interesting...
Yes, that's the general idea.
A bodhisattva has exactly 69 karma
Your ignorance is overwhelming, I couldn’t finish this
Use to slap an ant
I don’t have the patience to listen to this long of a definition.
Hi Doug. Great content. Are you enlightened?
For sure not. Just a simple practitioner.
After seeing the "light" and being in the nothingness, life asked me if i wanted to be, or not to be ^^
I chose to be. For whatever reason. Does that make me a Bodhisattva?
What do you think?
@@DougsDharma well, to be honest...i don't know. I just know i love people enough to try and help them in their path as much as i can. Helping people realise what they are, etc...
Considering i've seen the two most opposite "state of life". Being and "not being". But i don't have any religious background.
@@DougsDharma what does seing the nothingness imply in Buddhism? What about "being"?
To be honest, i'd love to speak to the most advanced spiritual buddhist there is. Is there a living buddha somewhere whom i can speak to? I don't think so unfortunately.
I wouldn't trust anyone else but the real deal. Because i am.