Bodhi, Bodhi

Originally nirvana and bodhi refer to the same thing; they merely use different metaphors for the experience. But the Mahayana tradition separated them and considered that nirvana referred only to the extinction of craving (= passion and hatred), with the resultant escape from the cycle of rebirth. This interpretation ignores the third fire, delusion: the extinction of delusion is of course in the early texts identical with what can be positively expressed as gnosis, Enlightenment. How Buddhism Began, Richard F. Gombrich, Munshiram Manoharlal, 1997, p. 67 . Therefore, according to Mahayana Buddhism, the arahant has attained only nirvana, thus still being subject to delusion, while the bodhisattva not only achieves nirvana but full liberation from delusion as well. He thus attains bodhi and becomes a buddha. In Theravada Buddhism, bodhi and nirvana carry the same meaning, that of being freed from greed, hate and delusion. It should also be noted that in the Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra, "Great Nirvana" ( maha-nirvana ) is equal in all respects to Bodhi and indeed is the state of perfect Buddhahood.

Bodhi is most commonly translated into English as enlightenment . This word conveys the insight and understanding (wisdom) possessed by a buddha and is similarly used in Christian mysticism to convey the saint's condition of being lit by a higher power - the merging of the human and the divine in theosis. There is no image of "light" contained in the term "bodhi", however. Rather, it expresses the notion of awakening from a dream and of being aware and knowing (reality).

Here, the Tathagatagarbha (Buddha-Matrix) is tantamount to the indwelling transformative and liberational power of bodhi, which bestows an infinitude of unifying vision.

This is also the understanding of Bodhi found in Yogacara Buddhism. To achieve this vision of non-duality, it is necessary to recognise one's own mind. Writing on the main sutra of Shingon Buddhism - the Mahavairocana Sutra - Buddhist scholar and translator of that scripture, Stephen Hodge, comments: '... when the MVT Mahavairocana Sutra speaks of knowing your mind as it truly is, 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 definition ... that emptiness ( sunyata ) is the absence of this imaginary split.

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 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.' Stephen Hodge, The Maha-Vairocana-Abhisambodhi Tantra, With Buddhaguya's Commentary , RoutledgeCurzon, London, 2003, pp.31-32.

One that develops samm-sambodhi is known as samma-sambuddha, and it is needed much more time of parami accumulation here than to become a pratyekabuddha.A samm-sambodhi is the one who gives rise to the path (previously) unarisen, who engenders the path (previously) unengendered, who points out the path (previously) not pointed out. He knows the path, is expert in the path, is adept at the path. And his disciples now keep following the path and afterwards become endowed with the path, this is the difference between an arahant and a buddha.

Source: Wikipedia > Bodhi