Human destiny
A Buddhist’s goal or destiny is to attain A Buddhist’s ultimate goal is to attain Buddhahood, or become a Buddha. A Buddha is an enlightened being. . A Buddha is someone who is awake, or The realisation of the truth about life. In Buddhism it releases a person from the cycle of rebirth.. Buddhas combine perfect understanding with perfect love and compassion. The two main paths to Buddhahood are the path of the In Mahayana Buddhism the bodhisattva is one who has vowed to obtain enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. and the path of the A person who has achieved enlightenment following the Buddha’s teaching.. A third path is Form of Buddhism shaped by belief in the Pure Land - a step to enlightenment..
Bodhisattva (Mahayana)
The One of the major schools of Buddhism, it includes Tibetan and Zen Buddhism., or ‘great vehicle’, is the Bodhisattva path. A Bodhisattva has attained the To become a Bodhisattva a Mahayana Buddhist must become perfect in six areas of their lives. These are: generosity, morality, patience, energy, meditation, wisdom., which are perfect morality, patience, energy, wisdom, meditation and generosity.
A Bodhisattva does not seek enlightenment for themselves. Instead, they seek the end of all other beings’ suffering. They willingly stay on Earth to assist others. The word in Sanskrit is a combination of ‘bodhi’, meaning ‘enlightenment’, and ‘sattva’, meaning ‘essence’. Therefore, a Bodhisattva is someone whose essence is enlightenment.
Arhat (Theravada)
To follow the Arhat path, also called Arahant, is to seek perfect understanding and perfect calm in one’s own mind. An Arhat can see that pleasures merely distract them. An Arhat aims to cease craving and seeks total inner contentment, following the teachings of the Buddha.
The Arhat path is sometimes called the Hinayana, or ‘lesser vehicle’. However, as ‘lesser’ has negative connotations, the Arhat path is usually called Meaning ‘teachings of the elders'. It is primarily focused on the Arhat path to enlightenment. This branch of Buddhism can be found in Sri Lanka and South East Asia., or ‘teachings of the elders’. The word comes from the Sanskrit ‘Arhat’ and the Pali word ‘arahant’, meaning a ‘perfected person’ or ‘one who is worthy’.
Pure Land
Pure Land Buddhists follow A Buddha in the Mahayana tradition. He created a pure land after achieving enlightenment. , also known as Amitabha Buddha. Amida, featured in the Mahayana texts, was a king who attained enlightenment. He gave up his kingdom to create a pure land – a land free from suffering. This land, known as Sukhavati, or ‘land of bliss’, is a place where Pure Land Buddhists aim to be reborn. Those following this path read Amida Buddha’s teachings and focus on him as a role model. They also follow Buddhist teachings and practices with the aim of attaining Buddhahood.
Question
Which tradition follows the Bodhisattva path?
Mahayana Buddhism.
