Bodhisattva's career

 

 

 

The subject of Bodhisattva-hood is very esoteric.  One does it an injustice by regarding the state of Bodhisattva as being connected with anything human.  The Bodhisattva’s career, which begins when we have a profound insight into pure Mind, is that of the growth of a spiritual body apart from the physical body, that commences with the attainment of pramudita-bhumi.  One can think of this as initiation into the realm (bhumi) of spiritual light which is a gladdening conformation (pramudita).  Foremost, we must keep in mind that the Bodhisattva is not a physical person—this is what modern day Buddhists don’t seem to understand some of whom believe they are Bodhisattvas.  At least for Mahayana Buddhism the Bodhisattva has no human form.

 

“His [Bodhisattva] body is hard, diamond-like, real, infallible and indestructible.  It does not contain either a belly, or stomach, or excrement, or urine, or bad odors or impurity” (Shurangamasamadhi Sutra § 31).

 

 

We can think of the Bodhisattva as the formation of the natural animative principle into an independent totality which has been achieved by means of spiritual insight or gnosis.  We may also characterize it this way:  the animative light has directly come into communion with itself so as to become a self-contained spiritual totality.  In this sense it is an entity.  Heretofore, the citta or the animative principle was unknown to itself and completely dependent upon its phenomena.  This is our basic human perdicament:  that we cling to what is other than who we really are unaware of that which animates us.  

 

Describing such dependence, it would be like a great sentient ocean being wrongly dependent on its waves; so that with each wave that perished (death), this strange ocean should bear its suffering—in fact, bear the suffering of all dying waves!  What joy (pramudita), therefore, for this sentient ocean to realize that it has never died when it comes into communion with itself as pure water. (I have always been intrigued by Stanislaw Lem’s science fiction novel, Solaris, which is about such a strange ocean that covers a planet called Solaris.  This ocean is a single sentient entity that examines the deepest thoughts of those who came to observe it as scientists.  This is rather an ironic turn, e.g., that science should be observed and manipulated.  In any case, the novel is fascinating being reminiscent of the Alaya ocean in the Lankavatara Sutra.)

 

From the foregoing, the Bodhisattva’s career can be thought of as a continuing expansion of the first profound awakening of the animative principle to its very own nature.  This expansion, even with the culmination of Buddhahood, doesn’t really cease.  Hence, it becomes clear that the Bodhisattva’s real and abiding vow is to reveal this wondrous insight throughout the cosmos consequently quenching the pain of needless suffering for as long as it takes.  

 

 

 

Comments

[TGL]

Really enjoyed your last two articles . Certainly the one about Hakuin.

Solaris by S. Lem is indeed a wonderful story with a certain approach to the esoteric. The book was filmed 1972 by the shortlived russian film director Andrej Tarkovsky and is considered a masterpiece of its time.Tarkovsky had that unique ability to display the esoteric side of the Mind in his movies and this one is indeed unique and not for the dull minded.

For those interested, it can be downloaded here;

http://btjunkie.org/torrent/Solaris-Andrei-Tarkovsky-1972/290858daafcebd38b59af59b8741e8218283ae392d44

Regards

TGL