May bodhicitta, precious and sublime,

May bodhicitta, precious and sublime,
Arise where it has not yet come to be; And where it has arisen may it not decline, But grow and flourish ever more and more. Nagarjuna

A Few Basics of Buddhism and How to Integrate Them
into Our Daily Lives [click] Today we’ll continue discussing a few of the basic concepts of Buddhism. And how to integrate those ideas into our daily lives. [click] Session 10 Session 10

The Bodhisattva Path (C. 菩薩道)
Review Bodhisattva Path Last time, we began our exploration of the Bodhisattva path. [click] We started by exploring the meaning of the word “Bodhisattva.” We found that Bodhi means “awakened, enlightened, and—especially in this case—enlightening.” [click] “Sattva” means “being.” Put the two together and we get a being who is enlightened and who works to enlighten others. Awakened/Enlightened/Enlightening Being

Bodhisattva Has Two Primary Qualities Wisdom Great Compassion
The Bodhisattva Path (C. 菩薩道) Review Bodhisattva Has Two Primary Qualities We talked about the two primary qualities of a Bodhisattva: [click] Wisdom (in Sanskrit prajñā). [click] And Great Compassion (in Sanskrit: Mahākaruṇā). [click] Great Compassion provides the motivation for pursuing the Bodhisattva path. It also provides the strength to keep going when things are difficult. [click] Wisdom, in this case a profound understanding of reality, provides both the impetus and guidance for the actions of one undertaking the Bodhisattva path. Wisdom (Sanskrit: Prajñā; Chinese: 般若) Great Compassion (Sanskrit: Mahākaruṇā; Chinese: 大悲)

Review Four Universal Vows Sentient beings are infinite. I vow to liberate them. We talked about the Four Universal Vows. [click] Sentient beings are infinite. I vow to liberate them. [click]. Afflictions are endless. I vow to eradicate them. [click] Dhammas are inexhaustible. I vow to study them. [click] Buddhahood is supreme. I vow to attain it. Afflictions are endless. I vow to eradicate them. Dhammas are inexhaustible. I vow to study them. Buddhahood is supreme. I vow to attain it. Venerable Master Hsing Yun The Core Teachings. Buddhist Practice and Progress 1, p

Bodhicitta The Bodhisattva Path (C. 菩薩道)
Review Bodhicitta Enlightenment Mind/ mentality/ thought [click] Lastly, we mentioned the term bodhicitta. Again, this is a term with two parts. [click] Bodhi-enlightenment [click] Citta—mind, mentality, thought [click] Thus the thought of enlightenment, or the aspiration to enlightenment. Thought of enlightenment/ aspiration to enlightenment Buswell, Roert E. Jr. and Donald S. Lopez, Jr The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Review Bodhicitta Awakened/ Enlightenment Mind /Heart [click] We also mentioned that “Bodhi” can also be translated as “awakened.” [click] And “citta” can be translated as “heart.” [click] And thus “bodhicitta” is sometimes translated as an “awakened heart.” Awakened Heart Venerable Pema Chödrön No time to lose: a timely guide to the Way of the Bodhisattva, p. xiii.

A Few Basics of Buddhism Part Two: The awakened heart
The Bodhisattva Path (Chinese: 菩薩道) Thus, starting today we are embarking on an exploration of the awakened heart. [click] To do this we’ll explore the bodhisattva path by looking at several bodhisattvas that are prominent in Buddhist literature, thus deepening our understanding of this path. Part Two: The awakened heart

Motivation Commitment Upāya
The Bodhisattva Path (C. 菩薩道) Topic Guide Motivation Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva (Chinese: 地藏菩薩 Dìzàng Púsà) Commitment Samantabhadra Bodhisattva (C: 普賢菩薩 Pǔxián Púsà) So, today we will begin our exploration of three aspects of the bodhisattva path: [click] The first aspect we’ll explore is motivation. [click] Here our guide will be Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva (Dìzàng Púsà). [click] The second aspect, scheduled for a future class session, will be commitment. [click] Here our guide will be Samantabhadra Bodhisattva (Puxian Pusa). [click] The third aspect, to be discussed in a later class session, will be Upaya, often translated as “expedient means.” [click] Here our guide will be Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva (Guānshìyīn Púsà). Dìzàng Púsà Upāya (C. 方便 fāngbiàn) Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva (C. 觀世音菩薩 Guānshìyīn Púsà)

Motivation Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva
The Bodhisattva Path (C. 菩薩道) Motivation We learned last time that a bodhisattva vows to liberate all beings from suffering. Let’s take a closer look at what brings someone to make such a vow. For our closer look, let’s explore the motivation that prompted Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva to undertake the bodhisattva path. Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva (Chinese: 地藏菩薩 Dìzàng Púsà)

Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva
The Bodhisattva Path (C. 菩薩道) Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva (Chinese: 地藏菩薩 Dìzàng Púsà; Japanese: Jizō Bosatsu) Earth The womb, the inside, filled with, interior chamber, sanctuary… [click] Normally, I like to start by explaining what a name means. But there is a problem here, that we’ll see shortly. First, “Ksiti” means Earth. [click] “Garbha” has many meanings. When you look it up in a Sanskrit dictionary the primary meaning is womb. But it can also mean an interior chamber, a sanctuary, as so forth. And Venerable Yi-Hung Shifu told me that the “zàng” of Dìzàng Púsà refers to a place where you store valuable things. But what do you get when you put those two together? How does this name relate to the history and activities of this bodhisattva? Well, I put that question to the scholars on Buddha-l, a listserv for Buddhist scholars. Nobody really knows. They pointed out that “Garbha” is actually used in a number of bodhisattva names. And a bodhisattva is a kind of Buddha-in-gestation. And the Sanskrit scholars pointed out that this combination of words can be interpreted in different ways. So… [click] We’ll just use the translation in the Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism—Earth Store Bodhisattva—and leave it at that. Earth Store Bodhisattva

Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva (Chinese: 地藏菩薩 Dìzàng Púsà; Japanese: Jizō Bosatsu) Three topics of interest Filial piety For this section we’ll drawing for the most part on the Original Vows of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra. [click] This is a rich sutra but there are 3 topics of particular interest for us [click] Filial piety plays a major role in a couple of the stories in this sutra, leading to the sutra’s popularity in East Asia. [click] A motivation for Ksitigarbha becoming a bodhisattva—the primary topic for this session [click] We will briefly mention the perseverance of a bodhisattva. This will tie in with our discussion reading for today. Motivation for becoming a bodhisattva Perseverance

Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva (Chinese: 地藏菩薩 Dìzàng Púsà; Japanese: Jizō Bosatsu) Four stories from previous lifetimes Chapter One Son of a great elder There are four stories about the previous lifetimes of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva in this sutra. [click] In the first chapter there are two such stories: [click] The first story takes place when the person who would become Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was the son of a great elder. [click] The second story talks about the lifetime in which he was a she—a Brahman woman [click] Chapter Four also contains two stories: [click] The story in which he was the king of a small country. [click] The story in which he was a woman named Bright Eyes. [click] We’re going to focus on the story in Chapter One concerning the lifetime in which the one who would become Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was a the Brahman woman. Brahman woman Chapter Four King of a small country Woman named Bright Eyes

Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva (Chinese: 地藏菩薩 Dìzàng Púsà; Japanese: Jizō Bosatsu) In a previous lifetime of Kistigarbha Bodhisattva… A Brahman woman [click] Long, long ago there was a Brahman woman. The sutra does not give her name so we’ll call her Ms. Brahman. [click] Based on her good deeds in previous lifetimes she had accrued much karmic merit. [click] And she was greatly admired and respected by those who knew her. Ms. Brahman had profound merits from previous lifetimes She was admired and respected by those who knew her Taken from the Original Vows of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra

Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva (Chinese: 地藏菩薩 Dìzàng Púsà; Japanese: Jizō Bosatsu) In a previous lifetime… Ms. Brahman’s mother engaged in negative behavior, thus accruing negative karma [click] Unlike Ms. Brahman, Ms. Brahman’s mother engaged in negative behavior, thus accumulating negative karma. Ms. Brahman tried to get her mother to change her ways, and often succeeded for awhile, but soon her mother would return to her negative behavior. [click] So, when the mother passed away she was immediately re-born in a hell realm. As a result, when the mother died she was re-born in the realm called Incessant Hell Taken from the Original Vows of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra

Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva (Chinese: 地藏菩薩 Dìzàng Púsà; Japanese: Jizō Bosatsu) In a previous lifetime… Ms. Brahman sold the family home and used the money to make many great offerings at stupas and monasteries to benefit her mother Ms Brahman was really worried about the fate of her mother. So she sold the family home and used the funds to start making offerings to stupas of a Buddha of the past, the Buddha for her era and to monasteries. [click] Please keep in mind that there have been many Buddhas over time. We are especially grateful to Shakyamuni Buddha, who provided the teachings for our era. People in previous eras paid homage to the Buddhas of their eras. So Ms. Brahman was making homage to a previous Buddha. [There have been many Buddhas over time.] Taken from the Original Vows of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra

Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva (Chinese: 地藏菩薩 Dìzàng Púsà; Japanese: Jizō Bosatsu) In a previous lifetime… In one of the monasteries Ms. Brahman was making obeisance to the past Buddha [for her era] and suddenly felt great reverence [click] In one of the monasteries she visited she was viewing and making homage to an image of the Buddha for that era. She looked up at the image and felt great reverence. [click] She thought that if only the Buddha were still alive she could ask him about where her mother was and he would surely know. She thought that if only the Buddha were still alive she could have found out from him where her mother was Taken from the Original Vows of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra

Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva (Chinese: 地藏菩薩 Dìzàng Púsà; Japanese: Jizō Bosatsu) In a previous lifetime… Looking up at the Buddha, weeping, she heard a voice [click] She was crying and crying, staring up at the Buddha, when she heard a voice from somewhere above her. [click] The voice told her not to be so sorrowful. He would show her where her mother was. “Weeping holy woman, do not be so sorrowful. I will show you where your mother has gone.” Taken from the Original Vows of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra

Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva (Chinese: 地藏菩薩 Dìzàng Púsà; Japanese: Jizō Bosatsu) In a previous lifetime… Ms. Brahman politely asked the voice who he was [click] Ms. Brahman asked the voice who he was. [click] The voice told her that he was the Buddha to whom she was paying homage: Awakening-Blossom Concentration Mastery King Tathagata. The voice told her that he was the Buddha to whom she was paying homage: Awakening-Blossom Concentration Mastery King Tathagata Taken from the Original Vows of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra

Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva (Chinese: 地藏菩薩 Dìzàng Púsà; Japanese: Jizō Bosatsu) In a previous lifetime… Ms. Brahman was told to go home and meditate on the name of this Buddha, Awakening-Blossom Concentration Mastery King Tathagata. She would soon know where her mother had been reborn. [click] The Buddha told Ms. Brahman to finish her offering, then go home and meditate on his name. Soon she would know where her mother had been reborn. Taken from the Original Vows of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra

Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva (Chinese: 地藏菩薩 Dìzàng Púsà; Japanese: Jizō Bosatsu) In a previous lifetime… After meditating for a day and a night Ms. Brahman found herself beside a sea whose waters seethed. [click] Ms. Brahman did as she was instructed. Concerned about her mother she was able to sit upright in meditation for a day and a night. Suddenly she found herself beside a sea with roiling waters. [click] And in that sea were hundreds of thousands of men and women, rising and sinking in the water, being snatched up and devoured by terrible beasts. Beings were rising and sinking, being snatched up and devoured by beasts Taken from the Original Vows of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra

Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva (Chinese: 地藏菩薩 Dìzàng Púsà; Japanese: Jizō Bosatsu) In a previous lifetime… A ghost king greeted her and explained that this was one of the seas of karma leading to the hells [click] A ghost king named Poisonless bowed to welcome her, then asked her why she had come to that terrible place. Ms. Brahman asked him “What is this place?” and he told her that the men and women in the water were people who had done evil and had recently died. Their karma would bring them to the hell realms, but first they had to cross this sea of karma. [click] Ms. Brahman asked the ghost king about the whereabouts of her mother. Ms. Brahman asked about the fate of her mother Taken from the Original Vows of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra

Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva (Chinese: 地藏菩薩 Dìzàng Púsà; Japanese: Jizō Bosatsu) In a previous lifetime… The ghost king told her not to worry Her mother, along with others suffering in Incessant Hell, had been reborn in a heaven three days ago [click] The ghost king told Ms. Brahman not to worry or feel sad. [click] Her mother, along with the other wrongdoers in Incessant Hell, had been freed. And her mother had been reborn in a heavenly realm. [click] He also told Ms. Brahman that this relief from the suffering of hell had occurred because of the daughter’s offerings to the stupas and monasteries of Awakening-Blossom Concentration Mastery King Tathagata, the Buddha who had spoken to Ms. Brahman in the temple. This was due to Ms. Brahman’s many offerings on behalf of her mother Taken from the Original Vows of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra

Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva (Chinese: 地藏菩薩 Dìzàng Púsà; Japanese: Jizō Bosatsu) In a previous lifetime… Ms. Brahman returned from the terrible site and made a vow before the image of Awakening-Blossom Concentration Mastery King Tathagata [click] Ms. Brahman was then returned from the shore of the Sea of Karma. Before an image of the Buddha who had helped her mother, she made a vow. Taken from the Original Vows of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra

Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva (Chinese: 地藏菩薩 Dìzàng Púsà; Japanese: Jizō Bosatsu) In a previous lifetime… “I vow that throughout the future kalpas, I will employ many skillful means for all wrongdoing suffering beings, causing them all to attain liberation.” [click] This was her vow: “I vow that throughout the future kalpas, I will employ many skillful means for all wrongdoing suffering beings, causing them all to attain liberation.” Ms. Brahman eventually became Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. Taken from the Original Vows of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra

The Bodhisattva Path (C. 菩薩道) Other vows
Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva (Chinese: 地藏菩薩 Dìzàng Púsà; Japanese: Jizō Bosatsu) Other vows As an elder’s son: “From now on, throughout incalculable kalpas in the future, I will employ many skillful means for the sake of wrongdoing suffering beings in the six realms of existence, causing all of them to attain liberation; only after that will I myself attain Buddhahood.” This was not the only time that Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva made such a vow. [click] As an elder’s son he vowed to use skillful means to attain liberation, only after that attaining his own Buddhahood. Taken from the Original Vows of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra

The Bodhisattva Path (C. 菩薩道) Other vows
Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva (Chinese: 地藏菩薩 Dìzàng Púsà; Japanese: Jizō Bosatsu) Other vows As a king: “If I do not first guide all wrongdoing suffering beings across, causing them the attain peace and happiness and enabling them to achieve Bodhi, I shall not become a Buddha..” [click] During the lifetime when he was a king: [click] During the lifetime when he was a woman named Bright Eyes. Lifetime after lifetime the one who would become Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva repeatedly vowed to help all wrongdoing suffering beings. As a woman named Bright Eyes: “…I will rescue all wrongdoing suffering beings, causing them to leave the lower realms of hells, animals, and hungry ghosts. Only when [they] have all become Buddhas will I myself attain perfect awakening.” Taken from the Original Vows of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra

The Bodhisattva Path (C. 菩薩道) Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva (Chinese: 地藏菩薩 Dìzàng Púsà; Japanese: Jizō Bosatsu) Helps suffering beings find release from the hell realms [click] Today, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva is known for helping suffering being find release from the hell realms. If you look closely at this image of the bodhisattva you see flames behind him. You will also notice that he is often pictured as being attired as a monk. He carries a ringed staff in his right hand and a wish-fulfilling jewel in his left hand. [click] He also is known as a protector of children, especially those who died before birth, either as a result of a stillbirth or as a result of abortion. [click] This is why you often see many small statues of this bodhisattva [click] adorned with red bibs. [click] He is also known as the patron of travelers, reflecting a passage in the sutra we’ve been discussing. Protector of children Patron of travelers

Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva (Chinese: 地藏菩薩 Dìzàng Púsà; Japanese: Jizō Bosatsu) Major Elements of the Story of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva’s Past Life as a Brahman Woman Let’s return to our story of the Brahman woman. There are three major elements to note here. [click] There is the suffering of a loved one, the Brahman woman’s mother. [click] There are efforts to relieve the suffering of the loved one—in this case through making many offerings at stupas and monasteries. [click] But then—and this is really important—there is an expansion of this desire to relieve suffering of a loved one to relieving the suffering of all suffering beings. [click] And that is a mark of a bodhisattva—the desire to relieve all sentient beings from suffering. We find many similar stories in Buddhism. A loved one is suffering in the afterlife. Someone wants to alleviate that suffering. In doing so that compassion is expanded to all suffering beings. The suffering of a loved one Efforts to relieve the suffering of the loved one Relief expanded to relief for all suffering beings

Similar stories A couple of quick examples: [click] Mahāmaudgalyāyana, a disciple of Shakyamuni Buddha, saw that his mother had become a hungry ghost. He gave her a bowl of rice but when she tried to eat it the rice turned to burning charcoal before it reached her mouth. Mahāmaudgalyāyana went to the Buddha. The Buddha told Mahāmaudgalyāyana that he could not, on his own, save his mother. But she could be delivered by the power of all the monks in the ten directions, and that the method used would enable all suffering beings to be freed from suffering. To make a long story short… [click] This beginning eventually led to the Ullambana ritual, Yúlánpén. In this ritual the gates of hell are opened and food and drink are given to the inhabitants. Mahāmaudgalyāyana (C. 目連 Mùlián) seeks to alleviate the suffering of his mother Sacrificial Feast for Hungry Ghosts (Ullambana ; 盂蘭盆經 Yúlánpénhuì)

Similar stories [click] There is another story some of you may be familiar with: Some 1500 years ago, Emperor Wu of Liang saw that his first wife, who had been an angry, jealous person, had taken rebirth as a giant snake and was suffering. Emperor Liang requested help from a Buddhist monk, named Bǎozhì (寶誌). This monk led ten eminent monks in creating a lengthy repentance ritual. As a result of the performance of this ritual, the emperor’s first wife was released from her suffering. [click] This ritual, officially called the “Repentance Dharma of Kindness & Compassion in the Bodhimanda,” is also called the “Jeweled Repentance of the Emperor of Liang.” If you look at Section 27 (scroll 10) of the ritual text the participants bow to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas on behalf of suffering beings in the various hells. If you look at all three of these stories, they start with a loved one who is suffering. And they end with alleviating the suffering of many suffering beings. Emperor Wu of Liang seeks to alleviate the suffering of his first wife The Jeweled Repentance of the Emperor of Liang 梁皇寶懺

Another notable element in Ms. Brahman’s vow “I vow that throughout the future kalpas, I will employ many skillful means for all wrongdoing suffering beings, causing them all to attain liberation.” There’s another element to note in Ms. Brahman’s vow: [click] Note the word “wrongdoing.” The beings in the hell realms are there because of their own negative karma, their own misbehavior.

When I was a little girl I watched Superman on t.v. (a different actor than shown here). A typical plot of a Superman episode was that someone innocent was in danger of being killed or otherwise harmed by one or more evil-doer. At the end of the episode the innocent person has been rescued by Superman and the evil-doer is always handed off to the police to be punished. The audience expected both: the rescue and the punishment. The bad guys never got away with their evil deeds. That combination was emotionally satisfying for the audience, right? Except, not for a bodhisattva. Typical Superman ending: The innocents get rescued The wrong-doers get punished

The Bodhisattva Path (C. 菩薩道) Excerpt from the Bodhicaryavatara:
5.85 Share with those who have embraced the discipline, With those who are defenseless or have fallen into evil states. Let’s take a look at a passage from the Bodhicaryavatara, translated as the Way of the Bodhisattva. Those on the bodhisattva path are encouraged to share whatever they have not just with those who have already embraced the discipline, not just with those who are defenseless, but [click] with those who have fallen into evil states. This is a mark of a bodhisattva: a bodhisattva does not discriminate. A bodhisattva does not say “You have done bad things. I will not help you.” A bodhisattva assists everyone. Shātideva. The Way of the Bodhisattva: a translation of the Bodhicharyā. Translated by the Padmakara Translation Group, p. 73.

The Bodhisattva Path (C. 菩薩道) Commentary on the Bodhicaryavatara:
Most of us find it easy to feel kindly toward the defenseless, but not toward those who intentionally cause harm. Yet these people need our compassion. …consider what it would take to go into the hells of this world and give all to those in seemingly inescapable pain. Until we’ve worked with our kleshas and judgmentalness, our bodhisattva aspirations will be sorely challenged in such places. Let’s look at a commentary on that passage in the Bodhicaryavatara by Venerable Ani Pema Chodron. [click] When we see a defenseless person in peril, we naturally feel compassion for that person—we want to help that person. But the truth is that the evil-doer is also in need of compassion. Now, think about this for a moment. We are all familiar with the concept of karma. We know that are suffering in this life is largely due to mistakes we have made in previous lives. Sometime in the past we caused suffering. So now we suffer. When it comes to our own suffering, we look for compassion, right? We don’t want a Buddha or bodhisattva to turn away from us because our own non-compassionate acts produced our current suffering. We want a Buddha or bodhisattva to treat us with compassion, yes? [click] Venerable Ani Pema Chodron goes on to talk about going into the hell realms in order to help wrong-doers. Until we have worked on our own afflictions, our own tendencies to judge, we would find that really difficult. Ven. Ani Pema Chödrön. No Time to Lose: a Timely guide to the way of the Bodhisattva, p. 149.

Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva (Chinese: 地藏菩薩 Dìzàng Púsà; Japanese: Jizō Bosatsu) Helps suffering beings find release from the hell realms Now, there are many hell realms. [click] So how does Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva provide guidance to the beings in all of these realms? After extensive study and practice on the path over many lifetimes, a bodhisattva acquires what are called supranormal powers in order to help sentient beings. We will probably talk more about supranormal powers when we talk about Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. [click] Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva has the ability to manifest multiple emanations in multiple locations. [click] As the sutra says, “he transforms into thousands of millions emanations in thousands of myriads of millions of worlds.” Each of these emanations is able to guide beings in ways that are appropriate to their karmic situations. [Chapter Twelve: The Benefits from Seeing and Hearing.] He transforms into thousands of myriads of millions of emanations in thousands of myriads of millions of worlds

Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva (Chinese: 地藏菩薩 Dìzàng Púsà; Japanese: Jizō Bosatsu) How long has Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva been helping? Just how long Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva been helping sentient beings? [click] The Buddha tells his audience in the sutra: For a very, very long time. “For many long kalpas past and up to the present, Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva has been guiding living beings across to liberation; nevertheless, he has not yet completed his vows. Original Vows of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra. Chapter Four (The Karmic Consequences of Living Beings of Jambudvipa).

The Bodhisattva Path (C. 菩薩道) Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva
(Chinese: 地藏菩薩 Dìzàng Púsà; Japanese: Jizō Bosatsu) Will Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva continue his mission? Will Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva continue to help sentient beings? [click] Yes, out of compassion he renews his vows—he continues to help sentient beings find relief from suffering. “He has [great] kindness and compassion for wrongdoing suffering beings in this world, and he further sees that, during measureless kalpas in the future, their causes [of suffering] are endless like vines. Hence, he makes profound vows again.” Original Vows of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra. Chapter Four (The Karmic Consequences of Living Beings of Jambudvipa).

The Bodhisattva Path (C. 菩薩道) Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva
(Chinese: 地藏菩薩 Dìzàng Púsà; Japanese: Jizō Bosatsu) How long will Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva continue helping? Just how long does Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva intend to help sentient beings? [click] His vows are to do this for a very, very long time. There’s no retirement plan for this bodhisattva. “Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva has made these vows to teach and transform all beings in the six realms of existence throughout kalpas as numerous as grains of sand in hundreds of thousands of millions of Ganges Rivers.” Original Vows of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra. Chapter Eleven (The Dharma Protection of the Earth Spirit).

Meditation on Karuna – from the Visuddhimagga*
Start with a wretched person, unlucky, unfortunate, in every way a fit object for compassion “This being has indeed been reduced to misery; if only he/she could be freed from this suffering!” Those of us who are less advanced on the path do not have the powers of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. How do we start? How do we begin to expand our compassion toward all sentient beings who are suffering? We can start with our meditation. The Visuddhimagga gives us a meditation for this purpose. [click] In this meditation we start by calling to mind a wretched person, someone who clearly is suffering and in need of compassion. In the Visuddhimagga there is a rather vivid description of such a person. Currently, here in Hawai`i we see many such people. How many of us have seen a person who is obviously mentally ill, perhaps talking to himself, dressed in tattered, dirty clothing, with sores on his body? [click] Visualizing this person, we think “This being has indeed been reduced to misery; if only he/she could be freed from this suffering!’ [click] We then bring to mind a dearly beloved friend who is suffering and wish that our friend could be freed from his or her suffering. [click] Then we do the same for a neutral person, someone we neither feel close to or aversion toward. [click] Then we do the same for someone in our life with whom we may have had negative encounters. In each case we wish for the person to be freed from suffering. Expand compassion to a dearly beloved friend To a neutral person To a hostile (difficult) person *Visuddhimagga (English: The Path of Purity; Chinese: 清净道论的)

Above North West East South Below
All-pervasive compassion Above North West East Once we are able to extend compassion to those we know or at least have seen we are ready to extend our compassion to others. [click] So we concentrate on extending compassion to all beings in the East. [click] All beings in the West. [click] All beings in the North. [click] All beings in the South. [click] All beings in the direction above us. [click] All beings in the direction below us. [click] And then all other directions, without discrimination. [click] Thereby we extend compassion to all beings. It doesn’t end there, of course. We also cultivate compassion in our actions. But training the mind can be a valuable first step. South Below

May all beings be happy and free of suffering
May all beings be happy and free of suffering. May they achieve enlightenment in this lifetime.

Commitment Samantabhadra Bodhisattva The Bodhisattva Path (C. 菩薩道)
(C: 普賢菩薩 Pǔxián Púsà)

Samantabhadra Bodhisattva
The Bodhisattva Path (C. 菩薩道) Samantabhadra Bodhisattva (C: 普賢菩薩 Pǔxián Púsà) Samanta—Universally extending [click Bhadra—Great virtue, goodness Universal Goodness Bodhisattva

Upāya (Upāyakauśalya)
The Bodhisattva Path (C. 菩薩道) Upāya (Upāyakauśalya) Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva (C. 觀世音菩薩 Guānshìyīn Púsà)

The Bodhisattva Path (C. 菩薩道) (Upāyakauśalya; C. 方便 fāngbiàn)
Skillful means, skill-in-means, expedient means The extraordinary pedagogical skills of the buddhas and advanced bodhisattvas Buswell, Roert E. Jr. and Donald S. Lopez, Jr The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva
The Bodhisattva Path (C. 菩薩道) Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva (C. 觀世音菩薩 Guānshìyīn Púsà; J. Kannon Bosatsu; T. སྤྱན་རས་གཟིགས་) [click

Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva
The Bodhisattva Path (C. 菩薩道) Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva (C. 觀世音菩薩 Guānshìyīn Púsà; J. Kannon Bosatsu; T. སྤྱན་རས་གཟིགས་) Universal Gate Chapter [click

The Bodhisattva Path (C. 菩薩道) Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva (Chinese: 地藏菩薩 Dìzàng Púsà; Japanese: Jizō Bosatsu) Divinities (Sanskrit: Deva; Chinese: 天) “I vow not to enter into Buddhahood until all hells are empty.” Demigods (S: Asura; C: 阿修羅) Humans Animals Ghosts Hell denizens

Bodhisattva is a compound term that contains two words: Bodhi and Sattva. [click] Let’s start with the meaning of the word “Bodhi.”

Awakening/Enlightenment The consummate knowledge that catalyzes the experience of liberation from the cycle of rebirth [click] The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism defines Bodhi as Awakening or Enlightenment. [click] It then clarifies this as the knowledge that leads to liberation from the cycle of endless rebirth—that endless cycle of birth, death, and suffering. As we will see later, in the case of the bodhisattva this refers not only to the liberation from suffering for the bodhisattva him- or herself but for all sentient beings. Buswell, Roert E. Jr. and Donald S. Lopez, Jr The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Three kinds of Bodhi 1. Samyaksaṃbodhi – the complete (samyak), perfect enlightenment (saṃbodhi) of a buddha [click] The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism lists three kinds of Bodhi: [click] The first is Samyaksaṃbodhi – the complete, perfect enlightenment of a Buddha. [click] You sometimes see this in sutra or chants referred to as anuttarasamyaksambodhi – the unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment of a buddha Also called: Anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi – the unsurpassed (anuttara), complete, perfect enlightenment of a buddha Buswell, Roert E. Jr. and Donald S. Lopez, Jr The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Bodhi The Bodhisattva Path (C. 菩薩道)
The Buddha Speaks the Amitābha Sūtra (Chinese:佛說阿彌陀經 Fó Shuō Ēmítuó Jīng; Sanskrit: Sukhāvatīvyūhasūtra) “They will all achieve the non-returning of Anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi…” 阿耨多羅三藐三菩提 Ā Nòu Duō Luó Sān Miǎo Sān Pú Tí [click] For example, those of you who participate in chanting the Amitābha Sūtra (Amito Jing) have chanted about this type of enlightenment many times.

Three kinds of Bodhi 1. Samyaksaṃbodhi – the complete (samyak), perfect enlightenment (saṃbodhi) of a buddha 2. Pratyekabodhi – the enlightenment of a pratyekabuddha The second type of Bodhi is pratyekabodhi—the enlightenment of a pratyekabuddha. [click] A pratyekabuddha, literally an individually enlightened one or solitary Buddha, is one who becomes enlightened on his own merit, without instruction from a Buddha in the lifetime in which he becomes liberated from the cycle of birth and death. A pratyekabuddha is said to refrain from teaching because he lacks the great compassion that motivates a perfectly enlightened Buddha. Pratyekabuddha : One who becomes enlightened through his own efforts, contemplating dependent origination, but without receiving instruction from a buddha in his final lifetime. Refrains from teaching others because has not attained the great compassion that motivates a perfectly enlightened buddha. Buswell, Roert E. Jr. and Donald S. Lopez, Jr The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Three kinds of Bodhi 1. Samyaksaṃbodhi – the complete, (samyak) perfect enlightenment (saṃbodhi) of a buddha 2. Pratyekabodhi – the enlightenment of a pratyekabuddha (solitary enlightened one) The third type of Bodhi is Śrāvakabodhi. [click] Śrāvaka literally means “hearer” or “listener” and refers to a disciple of the Buddha when he walked the Earth over 2,500 years ago. We’ll talk about the Bodhi of a bodhisattva in a minute. 3. Śrāvakabodhi – the enlightenment of a śrāvaka (disciple) Śrāvaka literally means “listener.” Direct disciple of the Buddha. Buswell, Roert E. Jr. and Donald S. Lopez, Jr The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

So, we’ve been talking about “Bodhi.” [click] What about “sattva”?

Sanskrit: Living being [click] In Sanskrit, the term means living being. [click] In Buddhist texts “sattva” is often translated into English as sentient being. Translated as: Sentient being Buswell, Roert E. Jr. and Donald S. Lopez, Jr The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Three main branches of Buddhism Also called the Bodhisattva path
Mahāyāna 大乘 “Great Vehicle” Practiced in China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam Also called the Bodhisattva path The bodhisattva vow is to achieve Buddhahood in order to liberate all beings from suffering. Theravada – Shàngzuòbù Mahayana - Dàsheng Vajrayana - Mìzōng or Jīngāngsheng Hinayana – Xiǎoshèng Vajrayāna 密宗/金剛乘 “Adamantine/Thunderbolt Vehicle” “Esoteric Buddhism” practiced in Tibet, China, and Japan Theravāda 上座部 “Way of the Elders” Practiced in Burma, Sri Lanka, Thailand Some Mahāyāna followers refer to this branch as the Hīnayāna (Lesser Vehicle) 小乘

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