Living in the Light of the Bodhisattva~1

     This is going to be a bit of a departure for me, the next few posts here are going to be about the Bodhisattva practice and how I finally realized what that term means. First let's begin with what Bodhisattva means and where the term came from. So, if you have been reading me or have been following me for some time, you will know that I was diagnosed back in 2012 with a brain tumor. It was during that time that I began to practice Tibetan Buddhism. I needed to find peace and Tibetan Buddhism helped me embrace a more positive outlook on my diagnosis. 

     So, what is a Bodhisattva? In Mahayana Buddhism, it is a person who is moved by the greatest of compassion (yes the Dalia Lama is a Bodhisattva) to attain buddhahood for all sentinent beings. In this practice, you are basically, in layman's terms, praying for others to have happiness and the causes of happiness. You are setting aside your own wants and desires to help all of those around you become happy and live a happy life. Bodhisattva practice is not undertaken lightly, it has to be practiced every minute of every day. The Dalia Lama is the perfect example of what a Bodhisattva is. Even though the Chinese government tried to kill him and drove him out of his home (Tibet) he still shows compassion towards them. He would one day like to return to Tibet. 

      So, now that you have an idea of what a Bodhisattva is, in the next post I will tell you how I took my vow to undertake Bodhisattva practice. For now if you would like to learn more about Bodhisattva practice I will leave a few recommendations you can search:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhisattva

http://www.budsas.org/ebud/ebdha126.htm

http://buddhism.about.com

Books:

The Way of the Bodhisattva: (Bodhicaryavatara), Revised Edition (Shambhala Classics)

For the Benefit of All Beings: A Commentary on the Way of the Bodhisattva (Shambhala Classics)

A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life