You Can Ask What a Ritual Means
You do not have to choose between joining silently and rejecting an unfamiliar ceremony. There is another possibility: ask about one part.
Poster lesson 25 / 63 · Intermediate
Bodhisattas / Bodhisattvas
The artwork is preserved from the original collection. Read the accompanying explanation for context and distinctions between traditions.
Read the lesson
Bodhisatta is Pāli; bodhisattva is Sanskrit. Early discourses use the term for the Buddha before awakening. In Mahāyāna, the bodhisattva path centres on awakening for the benefit of beings, cultivating wisdom and compassion. Traditions describe the stages differently. This is not a hierarchy for judging ordinary people. Reflect on how helping others and examining your own motives can support one another.