Bodhi

Bodhi (Sanskrit: बोधि; and Pali) in
Buddhism
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Buddhism is the
understanding possessed by a Buddha regarding the true nature of
things. It is traditionally translated into English with the word
enlightenment, although its literal meaning is closer to "awakening".
The verbal root "budh" means to awaken.
Bodhi

Bodhi is presented in the Nikayas as knowledge of the causal mechanism
by which beings incarnate into material form and experience suffering.
Although its most common usage is in the context of Buddhism, the term
buddhi is also used in other Indian philosophies and traditions.
Contents
1 Etymology
2 Soteriological meaning
3 Buddha's awakening
4 The Buddhist Path
5 Development of the concept
5.1 Early Buddhism
5.2 Mahayana
5.2.1 Buddha-nature
5.2.2 Harmonisation of the various terms and meanings
6 See also
7 Notes
8 References
9 Web references
10 Sources
11 Further reading
Etymology[edit]
Bodhi

Bodhi is an abstract noun formed from the verbal root *budh-
(Sanksrit: बुद्धः (to awake, become aware, notice, know or
understand) corresponding to the verbs bujjhati (Pāli) and bodhati or
budhyate (Sanskrit).
The feminine
Sanskrit

Sanskrit noun of *budh- is buddhi.
Soteriological meaning[edit]
The soteriological goal of Indian religions is liberation or moksha
(also called mukti). Liberation is simultaneously freedom from
suffering and the endless round of existences. Within the Sramanic
traditions one who has attained liberation is called an arhat
(Sanskrit; Pali: arahant), an honorific term meaning "worthy"
acknowledging the skill and effort required to overcome the obstacles
to the goal of nirvana.
According to the Buddha[citation needed] the path to liberation is one
of progressively coming out of delusion (Pali: Moha). This path is
therefore regarded as a path of awakening. Progressing along the path
towards
Nirvana

Nirvana one gains insight into the true nature of things. A
Buddha is one who has attained liberation and an understanding of the
causal mechanism by means of which sentient beings come into
existence. This mechanism is called pratitya samutpada or dependent
origination. The knowledge or understanding of this is called bodhi.
Buddha's awakening[edit]
In the suttapitaka, the Buddhist canon as preserved in the
Theravada-tradition, a number of texts can be found in which Gautama
Buddha tells about his own awakening.[1][2]
In the Vanapattha Sutta (Majjhima, chapter 17)[3] the Buddha describes
life in the jungle, and the attainment of awakening. After destroying
the disturbances of the mind, and perfecting concentration of mind, he
attained three knowledges (vidhya):[4][5]
Insight into his past lives
Insight into the workings of
Karma

Karma and Reincarnation
Insight into the Four Noble Truths
Insight into the
Four Noble Truths

Four Noble Truths is here called awakening.[6] The
monk (bhikkhu) has
...attained the unattained supreme security from bondage.[7]
Awakening is also described as synonymous with Nirvana, the extinction
of the passions whereby suffering is ended and no more rebirths take
place.[8] The insight arises that this liberation is certain:
Knowledge arose in me, and insight: my freedom is certain, this is my
last birth, now there is no rebirth.[8]
So awakening is insight into karma and rebirth, insight into the Four
Noble Truths, the extinction of the passions whereby
Nirvana

Nirvana is
reached, and the certainty that liberation has been reached.[8]
The Buddhist Path[edit]
Main article: Buddhist Paths to liberation
The Buddhist tradition gives a wide variety of descriptions of the
Buddhist Path (magga) to liberation.[9] Tradition describes the
Buddha's awakening,[10] and the descriptions of the path given in the
Sutta Pitaka.[web 1][web 2] By following this path
Buddhahood

Buddhahood can be
attained. Following this path dissolves the ten fetters[11] and
terminates volitional actions that bind a human being to the wheel of
samsara.
The Theravada-tradition follows the Path to purification described by
Buddhaghosa

Buddhaghosa in his Visuddhimagga. It features four progressive stages
culminating in full enlightenment. The four stages are Sotapanna,
Sakadagami,
Anagami

Anagami and Arahat.[11][12][web 3]
Three types of buddha are recognized:[13]
Arhat

Arhat (Pali: arahant), those who reach
Nirvana

Nirvana by following the
teachings of the Buddha.[13] Sometimes the term Śrāvakabuddha (Pali:
sāvakabuddha) is used to designate this kind of awakened
person[citation needed];
Pratyekabuddhas (Pali: paccekabuddha), those who reach
Nirvana

Nirvana through
self-realisation, without the aid of spiritual guides and teachers,
but don't teach the Dharma;[13]
Samyaksambuddha (Pali: samma sambuddha), often simply referred to as
Buddha, one who has reached
Nirvana

Nirvana by his own efforts and wisdom and
teaches it skillfully to others.[13]
Development of the concept[edit]
The term bodhi acquired a variety of meanings and connotations during
the development of Buddhist thoughts in the various schools.
Early Buddhism[edit]
Main article: Early Buddhism
In early Buddhism, bodhi carried a meaning synonymous to nirvana,
using only some different metaphors to describe the insight, which
implied the extinction of lobha (greed), dosa (hate) and moha
(delusion). In
Theravada

Theravada Buddhism, bodhi and nirvana carry the same
meaning, that of being freed from greed, hate and delusion.
Mahayana[edit]
Main article: Mahayana
In Mahayana-thought, bodhi is the realisation of the inseparability of
samsara and nirvana,[14] and the unity of subject and object.[14] It
is similar to prajna, to realizing the Buddha-nature, realizing
sunyata and realizing suchness.[14]
Mahayana

Mahayana discerns three forms of bodhi:[15]
Arahat

Arahat – Liberation for oneself;[a]
Bodhisattva

Bodhisattva – Liberation for living beings;
Full Buddhahood.
Within the various Mahayana-schools exist various further explanations
and interpretations.[14]
Buddha-nature[edit]
In the
Tathagatagarbha

Tathagatagarbha and
Buddha-nature

Buddha-nature doctrines bodhi becomes
equivalent to the universal, natural and pure state of the mind:
Bodhi

Bodhi is the final goal of a Bodhisattva's career [...]
Bodhi

Bodhi is pure
universal and immediate knowledge, which extends over all time, all
universes, all beings and elements, conditioned and unconditioned. It
is absolute and identical with Reality and thus it is Tathata. Bodhi
is immaculate and non-conceptual, and it, being not an outer object,
cannot be understood by discursive thought. It has neither beginning,
nor middle nor end and it is indivisible. It is non-dual (advayam)
[...] The only possible way to comprehend it is through samadhi by the
yogin.[16]
According to these doctrines bodhi is always there within one's mind,
but requires the defilements to be removed. This vision is expounded
in texts such as the
Shurangama Sutra

Shurangama Sutra and the Uttaratantra.
In
Shingon

Shingon Buddhism, the state of
Bodhi

Bodhi is also seen as naturally
inherent in the mind. It is the mind's natural and pure state, where
no distinction is being made between a perceiving subject and
perceived objects. This is also the understanding of
Bodhi

Bodhi found in
Yogacara

Yogacara Buddhism.
To achieve this vision of non-duality, it is necessary to recognise
one's own mind:
... it means that you are to know the inherent natural state of the
mind by eliminating the split into a perceiving subject and perceived
objects which normally occurs in the world and is wrongly thought to
be real. This also corresponds to the
Yogacara

Yogacara definition ...
that emptiness (sunyata) is the absence of this imaginary split[17]
Harmonisation of the various terms and meanings[edit]
During the development of
Mahayana

Mahayana
Buddhism
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Buddhism the various strands of
thought on
Bodhi

Bodhi were continuously being elaborated. Attempts were
made to harmonize the various terms. The Buddhist commentator
Buddhaguhya

Buddhaguhya treats various terms as synonyms:
For example, he defines emptiness (sunyata) as suchness (tathata) and
says that suchness is the intrinsic nature (svabhava) of the mind
which is Enlightenment (bodhi-citta). Moreover, he frequently uses the
terms suchness (tathata) and Suchness-Awareness (tathata-jnana)
interchangeably. But since Awareness (jnana) is non-dual,
Suchness-Awareness is not so much the Awareness of Suchness, but the
Awareness which is Suchness. In other words, the term
Suchness-Awareness is functionally equivalent to Enlightenment.
Finally, it must not be forgotten that this Suchness-Awareness or
Perfect Enlightenment is Mahavairocana [the Primal Buddha, uncreated
and forever existent]. In other words, the mind in its intrinsic
nature is Mahavairocana, whom one "becomes" (or vice versa) when one
is perfectly enlightened.[17]
See also[edit]
Buddhism
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Buddhism portal
Bodhicitta
Bodhi

Bodhi Day
Bodhi

Bodhi tree
Enlightenment in Buddhism
Satori
Notes[edit]
^ This also includes Pratyekabuddha, but is not being mentioned by
Fischer-Schreiber et al.
References[edit]
^ Warder 2000, p. 45-50.
^ Faure 1991.
^
Bhikkhu

Bhikkhu Nanamoli 1995.
^ Warder 2000, pp. 47–48.
^ Snelling 1987, p. 27.
^ Warder 2000, p. 47-48.
^
Bhikkhu

Bhikkhu Nanamoli 1996, p. 199.
^ a b c Warder 2000, p. 49.
^ Buswell 1994, p. 1-36.
^ Harvey 1995, p. 21-25.
^ a b Walsh (translator) 1995, p. 25-27.
^ Harvey 1995, p. 71-72.
^ a b c d Snelling 1987, p. 81.
^ a b c d Fischer-Schreiber 2008, p. 51.
^ Schreiber 2008, p. 51.
^ Sebastian 2005, p. 274.
^ a b Hodge 2003, p. 31-32.
Web references[edit]
^ Samyutta Nikaya 56.11 Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta: Setting the Wheel
of Dhamma in Motion
^ Digha Nikaya 2 Samaññaphala Sutta: The Fruits of the Contemplative
Life
^ Thanissaro Bhikkhu: Stream Entry Part 1: The Way to Stream-entry
Sources[edit]
Bhikkhu

Bhikkhu Nanamoli;
Bhikkhu

Bhikkhu
Bodhi

Bodhi (1995), The Middle Length Discourses
of the Buddha. A New Translation of the Majjhima Nikaya, Boston:
Wisdom Publ.
Buswell, Robert E. JR; Gimello, Robert M. (editors) (1994), Paths to
Liberation. The Marga and its Transformations in Buddhist Thought,
Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers CS1 maint: Extra text:
authors list (link)
Faure, Bernard (1991), The Rhetoric of Immediacy. A Cultural Critique
of Chan/
Zen

Zen Buddhism, Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University
Press, ISBN 0-691-02963-6
Gombrich, Richard F. (1997), How
Buddhism
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Buddhism Began, Munshiram
Manoharlal
Peter N. Gregory (1991), Sudden and Gradual (Approaches to
Enlightenment in Chinese Thought), Motilal Banarsidass.
ISBN 8120808193
Harvey, Peter (1995), An introduction to Buddhism. Teachings, history
and practices, Cambridge University Press
Hodge, Stephen (2003), The Maha-Vairocana-Abhisambodhi Tantra, With
Buddhaguya's Commentary, London: RoutledgeCurzon
Fischer-Schreiber, Ingrid; Ehrhard, Franz-Karl; diener, Michael S.
(2008), Lexicon Boeddhisme. Wijsbegeerte, religie, psychologie,
mystiek, cultuur an literatuur, Asoka
Sebastian, C.D. (2005), Metaphysics and Mysticism in Mahayana
Buddhism, Delhi: Sri Satguru Publications
Snelling, John (1987), The Buddhist handbook. A Complete Guide to
Buddhist Teaching and Practice, London: Century Paperbacks
Walsh (translator), Maurice (1995), The Long Discourses of the Buddha:
A translation of the Digha Nikaya, Boston: Wisdom publications
Warder, Anthony Kennedy (2000), Indian Buddhism, Delhi: Motilal
Banarsidass Publishers
Further reading[edit]
A. Charles Muller (translator) (1999), The
Sutra

Sutra of Perfect
Enlightenment. State University Press of New York
Lu K'uan Yu (translator) (1978), The Surangama Sutra. Bombay: B.I.
Publications
Kenneth R. White (editor) (2005), The Role of
Bodhicitta

Bodhicitta in Buddhist
Enlightenment Including a Translation into English of the
Bodhicitta-Sastra, Benkenmitsu-nikyoron, and Sammaya-kaijo. New York:
The Edwin Mellen Press.
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