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THERAVĀDA BUDDHISM
ANKUR BARUA
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Dr. ANKUR BARUA
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1
THE BODHISATTA CONCEPT IN
THERAVĀDA BUDDHISM
Introduction
one can efficiently aid other beings to develop an insight to know things as truly as
Buddhahood are recorded in the texts of the Jataka. Lay Buddhists of Theravāda
tradition often seek inspiration in his skills as a good layman from these texts, which
not only account his historical life, but also many other previous lives.1,3
Etymology1,2,3
Buddhism. Etymologically the term can be separated into two parts, bodhi and
'enlightenment' and 'sattva' derived from sant, the present participle of the root as,
'to be', means 'a being' or 'one who is' or 'a sentient being.' Hence, the term is
also a suggestion that the Pāli term may be derived from bodhi and satta, (Skt.
2
original Pāli texts of early Buddhism, the term Bodhisatta was used more exclusively
The concept of Bodhisatta, along with that of Buddha and of the cakravartin (world-
ruler), was in vogue in India even before the appearance of Gotama Buddha. When
Prince Siddhattha (who later became Gotama Buddha) took conception in the womb
of Queen Maya, a seer predicted that this son would become either a world-ruler
Buddha himself once admitted that he was not a god, but a Buddha. This implies
upasampada,sacittapariyodapanam
etam buddhana sasanam. This proves that it contains the teachings of not just a
single Buddha, but of all the Buddhas. The Amagandha Sutta is similarly recorded as
occurring at a particular context both in time and space. So, the Buddha is a person
who re-discovers the Dhamma, which had become lost to the world. Gotama
Buddha himself, as well as others, used the term Bodhisatta to indicate his career
from the time of his renunciation up to the time of his enlightenment. During the
later period, use of this term “Bodhisatta” was extended to denote the period from
3
Gotama's conception to the enlightenment. Thereafter, this term was used to refer
all the Buddhas from their conception to Buddhahood. By applying the doctrine of
kamma and rebirth, which had general acceptance even in pre-Buddhist India, the
use of the term “Bodhisatta” was further extended to refer to the past lives of
Gotama Buddha and all those who aspire for Perfect Enlightenment.3,4,5,6,7
details of six Buddhas prior to Gotama. This discourse is attributed to the Buddha
himself, who gives the time, caste, family, length of life etc. of his predecessors.
After briefly outlining the lives of these six buddhas, Gotama begins an in-depth
recollection of the first buddha, Vipassii, from his life in Tusita heaven until he
dispersed his monks for the purpose of spreading the teachings. In this
Bodhisatta, but also takes the life events of Vipassii as the example for all future
where the term "Bodhisatta" pertains to each of the six previous buddhas is
In the Buddhavaṃsa, a later work belonging to the Khuddaka Nikāya, the number of
buddhas increases to twenty-five with Gotama Buddha as the last and this number
Buddha started the story of the six Buddhas merely by saying that ninety-one
kappas ago there was such and such a Buddha. This indirectly implies that the
Buddhas are not limited by number. So, if the Buddhas are innumerable, the
4
The Pāli Canon had also mentioned the name of Metteya (Pāli: Metteya, Sanskrit:
Maitreya) as the future Buddha after Sakyamuni or Gotama Buddha. But in the Pāli
next fully-awakened Buddha to come into existence long after the current teachings
of the Buddha are lost. In the Cakkavattisīhanādasutta of the Dīgha Nikāya, the
Gotama Buddha foretold that in future, an Exalted One named Metteya, who is
specifically in the Pāli Canons, but the possibility of attaining Buddhahood is not
was regarded as a difficult, but possible path open to anyone who desires to attain
the Buddhahood.3,5,8
In later Theravāda literature, the term Bodhisatta is fairly frequent in the sense of
someone on the path to enlightenment. The later Pāli commentarial tradition also
recognizes the existence of two additional types of Bodhisattas. These are the
sammāsambuddha].1,3
5
6
Textual Transmission of the Bodhisatta Concept in Theravāda Buddhism
The use of the term "Bodhisatta" occurs in a number of the suttas (Pāli: sutta,
referring to the present life of Gotama, the term "Bodhisatta" is also used in relation
to the penultimate life of Gotama in Tusita (Pāli: Tusita) heaven, as well as his
conception and birth. In later canonical texts, the Bodhisatta ideal is further
Bodhisatta vow. This is believed to have been introduced from the Mahāyāna
tradition which upholds the 'Bodhisatta ideal.' In the Suttanipāta, the Bodhisatta
T. Sugimoto had analyzed the contexts in which the word “Bodhisatta” is employed
in the Nikāyas. He had suggested six different usages of the term “Bodhisatta” in
(2) The Bodhisatta who is still imperfect but surpassing that state
(4) The Bodhisatta who is the master of meditation and a seer of the dhamma
All these types of Bodhisatta depicted in the Nikāyas can be broadly summarized
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(A) The Bodhisatta referring to the state before the attainment of Enlightenment
in the life of Gotama Buddha. Here, the Bodhisatta is depicted as the One
(B) The Bodhisatta as a generic term referring to the previous existence of any
Buddha in the past. This theory is based on the acceptance on plurality of the
buddhas.
In the Khuddaka Nikāya, the word “Bodhisatta” does not occur as often as in the
other four Nikāyas, but there is further development of this concept found here. The
old stratum of Khuddaka Nikāya includes the last two chapers of Suttanipāta while
the new stratum includes texts like Buddhavaṃsa, Cariyāpiṭaka and Apadāna.
(a) The Suttanipāta refers to Gotama Bodhisatta as a being who was born in this
world for happiness and wheal of the people (hitasukhatāya). This idea of a
Buddha’s career as the Bodhisatta from the time of making his abhinīhāra
Here, the term “Bodhisatta” refers to an ideal person, who makes a vow to
of compassion for all sentient beings. He performs various acts of merit and
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finally receives a prophecy of his future Buddhahood. In addition, he
had also made a vow to become a Bodhisatta only after the attainment of
lying in the mud and offering his body to the Dīpańkara Buddha to walk on.3,8
become a Buddha. In this aspect, the Jātaka stories might be a later fabrication in
an attempt to connect the mode of fulfillment of pāramīs with the varied forms of
Buddhahood was thus introduced for the first time in Pāli tradition and it further
treasure that is more permanent and which follows beings from birth to birth.
This treasure results from giving (dāna), morality (sīla), abstinence (samyama),
and observing restraint (dama). This treasure fulfills all desires, leads to a
rebirth in a beautiful body and leads to rebirth in the human realm from which
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Extinguishment" of Arahants or pratyekabuddhas or completely enlightened
buddhas.3,8,9
The Udāna also mentions the word “Bodhisatta” at one place, but it is with
would die within seven days after their birth. It is the Dhammatā (general nature)
that certain things are predetermined for a Bodhisatta these are his parents, Bodhi
of the Bodhisatta doctrine and introduce new concepts in the Theravāda tradition.
Through the Buddhavaṃsa and Cariyāpiṭaka contain certain ingredients that can be
canonical texts give its meanings as the realization of the Four Noble truths (arya-
10
The interpretation of “bodhi” as the Four Noble Truths and Seven Factors of
enlightenment testify clearly that it can be achieved by anyone and the attainment
“sambodhi” was applied to Arahants as well, but the two terms “abhisambodhi” and
knowledge which he attains rightly (sammā) and by himself (sāmaṃ). This also
other words, it is all that is to be discovered and known by a Buddha alone. When
the word “bodhi” is described in the sense of knowledge (ñāṇa) in the Aṭṭhakathā
ways. These are: (1) Tree (rukkha) – referring to the Bodhi tree, (2) Path (magga),
also discuss some definitions of the word “Bodhisatta” which are not found in the
the Bodhisatta as a wise being who is concerned with awakening; a being whose
Keeping with the tradition found in the Pāli Canons, the term “Bodhisatta” was used
11
as the one who is being attached to bodhi or knowledge. This is also described as
the One, who is full of knowledge (ñāṇavā), insightful (paññavā) and wise
(paṇḍito).3,8
12
The meanings of the term “Bodhisatta” according to the commentaries can thus be
classified into four categories:8
Aṭṭhakathā literature and its development followed a natural corollary resulting from
the interpretations of the word Bodhi. So, the interpretation of Bodhisatta in the
The late Aṭṭhakathā texts made three distinctions on the existing Bodhisatta
qualities to distinguish them from one another. Thus, there appeared the qualifying
and sabbaññu-bodhisatta.3,8,9
The social importance of the Bodhisatta concept found in the Aṭṭhakathā should also
Lanka. An attempt had been made in the past to merge the personality of
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Bodhisatta from commentarial texts with the ideal individual socially and ethically.
Common people began to respect him not only as a person with highest virtues, but
also a person with utmost administrative capability. The idea that anyone may
form in the Theravāda Buddhist Pāli Canon. But later this concept was taken up
copyists had taken the Bodhisatta vow and were following the Bodhisatta-yāna to
Bodhisattas has its source in the Bodhisatta career of Gotama as depicted not
only in his life as Prince Siddhattha, but also in his penultimate earthly life
fulfilling the perfection of giving as King Vessantara. He gave away his elephant to
alleviate a drought in nearby Kāliṅga. He gave away his wealth, his kingdom even
his wife and children and was even willing to give away his own life out of
The paradigm for close association between the institution of kingship and
Buddhahood originally came from Gotama, when he was a Bodhisatta. This was
later adopted by Theravādin kings by the second century B.C. The Bodhisatta-like
of Sri Lanka. By the eighth century C.E., the amalgamation between the institution
of kingship and Bodhisattas became even stronger. During this time, certain
Theravādin kings in Sri Lanka, Burma, and Thailand had openly declared themselves
as the Bodhisattas.3,10, 11
14
It might be argued that these Bodhisatta kings were influenced by the Mahāyāna
doctrines when they adopted certain qualities of the Bodhisatta or took the
Bodhisatta vow. But this does not dismiss the fact that the Bodhisatta ideal was
Mahāyāna ideas at a given point of time. But this does not mean that certain
teachings by his meditation teacher, bhikkhu Doratiyaaveye of Sri Lanka (ca. 1900),
refused to practice such techniques. He felt that it would pose hindrance in his path
to attain the level of arahant in this lifetime or within seven lives. He saw himself as
a Bodhisatta who had already made a vow to attain Buddhahood in the future.3,10,11
The vow to become a Buddha was also taken by certain Theravādin textual copyists
and authors. The author of the commentary on the Jātaka (the Jātakāṭṭhakathā)
concludes his work with the vow to complete the ten Bodhisatta perfections in
the future so that he will become a Buddha and liberate the whole world with its
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gods from the bondage of repeated births and guide them to the most excellent
during the twelfth-century, he wrote that he wished to become a Buddha at the end
of his work.9
16
Conclusion
Buddha from Bodhisatta, he did so as a human being and lived and passed away as
such. He himself admitted that he was a Buddha and not a supernatural being. He
was only the discoverer of a lost teaching. His greatness was that he found out what
his contemporaries could not discover at all or only discovered partially. Both
Buddhism, it not only refers to Gotama and all previous buddhas before their
enlightenment, but it also applies to any being who wishes to pursue the path to
perfect Buddhahood.11,12 Though the Theravādins believe that anyone can become a
Bodhisatta, they do not stipulate or insist that everyone must become a Bodhisatta
path to take, that of the Srāvaka, that of the Pratyekabuddha, or that of the
general adherence to the ideal by numerous Theravādin kings, monks, scholars and
Theravāda doctrine and the Bodhisatta ideal became reserved for only certain
exceptional people. Thus, when the path of Buddhahood was made more difficult
during the process of exalting the buddhas, the Thravādins had to emphasize the
importance of the following sāvaka-bodhi more than before as the alternative and
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emotional and devotional significance for the Buddhists, but the accomplishment of
The Bodhisatta-yāna and the goal of Buddhahood were already accepted as one of
three possible goals by followers of Theravāda Buddhism. However, this same goal
was viewed as the only acceptable goal by the followers of Mahāyāna Buddhism.
Hence, it should be stressed that the change introduced by the Mahāyāna traditions
was not an invention of a new ideology or any innovative thinking, but it was rather
prominence.12
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References
2. Kariyawasam, A.G.S. 2002. The Bodhisattva Concept. Kandy, Sri Lanka: Buddhist
Publication Society.
4. Ñāṇamoli, B. 1992. The life of the Buddha. Kandy, Sri Lanka: Buddhist Publication
Society.
6. Endo, T. 2009. The Buddha Concept in Theravada Buddhism. Hong Kong: The
8. Endo, T. 2009. The Bodhisatta Concept in Theravada Buddhism. Hong Kong: The
94.
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12. Ray, R. 1994. Buddhist Saints in India: A Study of Buddhist Values and
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