Anyone know a bodhisatva or where to find one?
Clarification. people have to be attaining enlightenment. When they do, if they mention it, they will sound crazy. Let’s face it, as much as we like mother Mary and Jesus and the Buddha, if you met someone who told you that they were the son of God or got knocked up without having sex, you would call the looney bin.
So, where are these folks?
Well, here in downtown Orlando (Florida) they have a bar called the Bodhisattva Social Club, so maybe they hang out there. 
:: d & r ::
Go out, and interact with everyone you meet as if they were a bodhisattva (the spelling I’ve seen before). When you meet one, you’ll know.
Okay, here’s my understanding, with a little bit of background on Buddhism:
First, Lord Buddha was a Hindu Prince, who felt that it was his duty to improve the lot of his fellow man. He was raised in the lap of luxury and never allowed to see suffering or pain, because of a prophecy which was told to his father. When he later learned of suffering, sickness and old age, he left his family and dedicated his life to finding the truth. After much deprivation and reflection, he arrived at the truth that the cause of suffering was desire.
Buddhism tells one to eschew desire as much as is practical. Buddhist monks must follow a relatively strict life of deprivation and self-sacrifice. This is done to help others, not for selfish purposes.
The Hindu belief in reincarnation carried over into Buddhism, much as monotheism carried from Judaism into Christianity and Islam. Buddhist belief that you live many, many lives on the path to virtuousness. If you lead a bad life you can go to hell. If you lead a good life you are rewarding in the next life. You have probably heard of this as kharma.
Bodhisattva are those who have led many, many virtuous lifes, but do not attain enlightenment so that they may remain on Earth in order to guide others, rather than ascend into Heaven. Usually the highest ranking Buddhist monks are considered as incarnations of other former leaders, and may qualify for this status. Their good deeds and example of a virtuous life serves to guide other who remain on this earthly plain. As such, they are not seen as being “off their nut” but holy people who walk the earth. Blessings or other merit made with them is considered especially auspicious.
In Buddhist countries even those who do not consider these people to be “gods in waiting” normally at least respect the austere conditions of their lives and the good works they do.
I do not know for certain whether the Dalai Lama or any other high official is considered bodhisattva. But if it’s really important for you to find one, you could travel to Tibet, Nepal, Thailand or any one of other Buddhist countries and check around.
Also, FWIW, many Buddhists would consider people like Jesus and Mohammed to be bodhisattva during their lifetimes. So as ultrafilter inferred, bodhisattva do not necessarily need to be Buddhist, although I assume that would help.
Some Buddhists think of Buddhism as a pure philosophy, others see it as a pantheist religion with many Gods at many levels.
I believe that Bodhisatva is also the screen name of the moderator at ChandraLevy.com.
Patrick Swayze was the Bodhisatva (Bodie to his friends) in Point Break. Watching that movie enough may bring enlightenment.
A bodhisattva is any person who takes pleasure from helping other people reach enlightenment. There are lots of em.
“Bodhisattva won’t you take me by the hand?”
Japhy Ryder was a bodhisattva
peace,
JB
Then a question would be, how could a bodhisattva live in teh world. Personall, I do not believe that the life mus be austere nor that the bodhisattva be buddhist.
The zen masters and the Buddha were not trying to create a religion or be some kind of evangelist type leader. They knew teh truth which can’ be spoken and tried to do what they could to help others see it. LAo Tzu did the same upon leaving the city gates. By definition, they can
t have attachment to such things.
I wonder where these people live in the US. I have a feeling that they are here in teh mountains and cities, but just not really visible. Why be visible? Still, I need to talk to an enlightened master that is not affiliated with a church.
I don’t know where Steely Dan recorded the studio version of Bodhisatva but the live version was at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.
A few things, as I understand them:
I don’t know that, necessarily, “heaven,” “hell,” and “virtuousness” apply in the western sense.
The thing with Buddhism is this:
Samsara (the endless cycle of reincarnation) is a bad thing. In Buddhism, life is suffering (so endless life is endless suffering). This suffering is caused by desire. Extinction of desire leads to a state of enlightenment–making you a Buddha, Arhat, or Bodhisattva, depending on people’s perspectives. Once one of these enlightened people dies, they are no longer reborn. (This is nirvana; what happens to you at this point is debatable.)
So the “goal” of Buddhism is to exit Samsara. (A tricky proposition, of course, since wanting to exit Samsara is itself a form of desire…) The Mahayanists started to think that it was pretty selfish of all of these Arhats and Buddhas to just up and leave the world when everyone else was stuck here suffering, so they came up with the idea of the Bodhisattva: a person who has attained enlightenment but refuses to exit Samsara until they have helped everyone else attain enlightenment, too.
Later Buddhists added in ideas of Heaven and Hell, and, I believe, some have decided that, instead of trying for Nirvana (which is awfully hard to do), people should instead simply try to get themselves reborn into a different plane of existence where there is no suffering (Pure Land Buddhism). From there, it’s easy enough to reach enlightenment.
From what I understand Nirvana is a state of mind and not a place or a destination per se.
Nirvana is reached when attachment is overcome, and is equitable with Enlightenment.
So, one could ‘reach’ Nirvana right now and not have to die (physically at least).
…the tough part is maintaining that state, for one can get attached to that state and fall out of it rather quickly (False Sartori).
I’m still trying to figure out how Buddhism is different than Stoicism.
Don’t know who said this…
“When the student is ready the master will appear”
Maybe the best way to find a bodhisattva is to pursue becoming a “ready student”
Also, if bodhisattvas are still here in Samsara because they want to help the suffering, you might try looking in some seriously suffering places and finding those who are there helping.
…this.
My two cents worth. IANABuddhist, but I spent a lot of time in Tibet and studied a lot about Tibetan buddhism. You can find a lot in Tibet. Probably the most famous is the Dalai Lama, but he is no longer in Tibet. The term Lama refers to bodhisatva’s or monks who have received the equivalent of a doctorate (geshe larampa).
Tibetan buddhists officially recognize approximately 1,000 of these reincarnate Lama’s. Many fled to India in the 1950’s and later, including the teenage leader of a branch of Tibetan Buddhism last year (sorry the name is something like Kargapta???). From India, several have relocated to the West and have a large following. Chogyam Trungpa established the Naropa Institute in Boulder but he passed away a few years ago and was quite controversial.
I met one in Tibet about 15 years ago who has an institute in Berkeley but I can’t remember his name.
During my backpacking in Tibet, I met several officially recognized Lama’s or bodhisatva’s. There is something very unique, comforting and powerful about these people. When they give a blessing by placing a pamn on your forehead, or forehead to forehead, a quite literal physical sense of well being and energy are transmitted to you. It is a breathtaking and amazing feeling that I am at a loss to describe. I still remember the smiling faces of several of these Lama’s as they blessed me, and that was around 15 years ago.
There are also femal bodhisatva’s although the majority are male.
I don’t have any details, but Steven Segal is a recognized reincarnate lama, so he would be considered by most Tibetan buddhists to be a bodhisatva. Jack Keroac self-proclaimed himself to be a bodhisatva.
A book I would recommend are the Way of the White Clouds by Anagarika Brahmacari Govinda is a riviting portrayal of his travels in Tibet as a monk, relationship with his bodhisatva guru and discourse on Tibetan buddhism. He was Italian, an amazing adventurer, and describes amazing travels intersped with a lot of information on Tibetan buddhism so it isn’t too dry. It’s out of print in the US, but you can find it in Hong Kong and perhaps Europe.
I offer a brief passage to add to this review:
“Every time there was a vegetarian feast, Master Jinniu would take a tub of cooked rice
in front of the monks’ hall, then dance around laughing out loud saying, ‘Little bodhisattvas, come eat!’”
Meditating With Koans, J.C. Cleary 1992 (Asian Humanities Press)