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Bodhisattva realm

From Tibetan Buddhist Encyclopedia
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Bodhisattva is an Enlightened being. However, he has the affection to other Sentient beings. With his Four Immeasurable Minds, he practises The Six Paramitas to cross over the Sentient beings from Suffering. What Bodhisattvas do is to enlighten themselves, and enlighten others, benefit themselves and benefit others. They cross over the Sentient beings in pursuit of Attainment of Buddhahood. All these relationships are mutual and interdependent.

The Four Immeasurable (Unlimited) Minds of Bodhisattva are:

1. Kindness
2. Compassion
3. Delight
4. Renunciation

Paramita: It means to cross over from this shore of births and deaths to the other shore which is the Nirvana.

The Six Paramitas or means of so doings are

(1) Dana - Charity/giving
(2) Sila - Moral/conduct/taking Precepts
(3) ksanti - Patience
(4) Virya - vigour/devotion/energy
(5) Dhyana - contemplation/Meditation
(6) Prajna - Wisdom.

All Bodhisattvas do not take Refuge in Nirvana. They commit themselves, by their great vows, to be reborn in any Dharma Realm to rescue the Sentient beings.

There are ten stages or grades of Bodhisattva depending on the extent of their merits and virtues.

Ten Stages of Bodhisattva

These are the ten stages of development of Bodhisattva depending on their merits and virtues:

1.Pramudita (Joy) - job at having overcome the difficulties and sufferings, now entering on the Path to Buddhahood
2.Vimala (purity) - freedom from all possible defilement
3.Prabhakari (Enlightenment) - stage of further Enlightenment
4.Arcismati (Wisdom) - stage of glowing Wisdom
5.Sudurjaya (no difficulty) - stage of mastering the utmost difficulties
6.Abhimukhi (open way) - the open way of Wisdom above definitions of impurity and purity
7.Duramgama (proceeding afar) - getting above ideas of self in order to save others
8.Acala (unperturbed) - attainment of being unperturbed
9.Sadhumati (discriminatory Wisdom) - the finest discriminatory Wisdom, knowing where and how to save, and possessing the Ten Powers
10.Dharma megha (law cloud) - attainment of the fertilising powers of law cloud
Ten Powers

The Ten Powers of Buddha or Bodhisattva are the complete Knowledge of

1. what is right or wrong in every condition
2. what is the Karma of every being, past, present and future
3. all stages of Dhyana Liberation and Samadhi
4. the powers and faculties of all beings
5. the Desires or Moral directions of every being
6. the actual condition of every individual
7. the direction and consequence of all laws
8. all causes of mortality and of Good and Evil in their reality
9. the end of all beings and Nirvana
10. the destruction of all Illusion of every kind


Source

web.singnet.com.sg/~alankhoo