Question:
I have read many spiritual works, and many of them mention Bodhisattvas as beings who come back and reincarnate for highly spiritual purposes. I am quite confused about it. Would you please provide some insights into the nature and level of consciousness of these Bodhisattvas. In other words, are they already fully evolved into Enlightenment and achieved Unity Consciousness or are they still experiencing Divine Consciousness, as the Saint does?
Answer:
I am not an expert in Buddhism, but I understand that a Bodhisattva is a concept from the Mahayana school of Buddhism which says the ideal aspirant is one who vows not to accept entry into nirvana until all others can go there also. The scriptural justification for this is tied to the story of Buddha’s temptation by Mara at the time of his enlightenment. It was presented to him that on attaining enlightenment, he could simply disappear into nirvana if he wanted. He chose to stay on earth and teach others. So the Bodhisattva is one who out of compassion has decided to stay on the earth plane to help humanity to move to the next level in the evolution. So even though they no longer have to reincarnate, after their body dies, they will come back to the earth plane in some form to help others.
The Bodhisattva is enlightened, but they may or may not have attained Unity Consciousness yet. Once the Intuitive Response, or Cosmic consciousness has become permanent, then one’s Self is awakened and you are eternally free. That is basic enlightenment. You are out of the woods so sto speak, and off the wheel of birth and death at last, but there are still more expansive states of enlightenment that lie ahead, including the Sacred Response, or Unity consciousness. A Bodhisattva can be at any level of enlightenment from the Intuitive Response onward. However, the real sense of what a Bodhisattva is doesn’t pigeonhole so neatly into these states of consciousness, because being a Bodhisattva is a specific role of service to humanity that one has taken on, and that role of compassion is more important than where one is in the spectrum of enlightenment.
Love,
Deepak
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Thanks Deepak, as I think I forgot all the terms and I believe you might have listed some of them in your HTKG book, so I should go back and read it, as it been about 5 1/2 years since I've read it. For some reason, I never grasp before that enlightenment had different levels, but that would make sense. It seems to be more like waking up to ourself and the more awake, the higher the level achieved. For some reason, I thought enlightenment was a total and complete one time event, but I guess it could be for some.
Love,Char
Dear Deepak
It says in the Bhagavat Gita in chapter 2:"When we act without longing, without desire, free from the sense of 'I' or 'Mine',this is the state of 'Brahman',or 'Divine Consciousness',and we will attain 'eternal freedom".
How is this possible?
By understanding(Gyana Yoga),or experiencing(Karma Yoga)that "Action, in every case, is performed by the three Gunas, which act upon the Gunas. It further says:"Only the one who is deluded things,'I am the doer'."(Chapter 3,V.26).
By realizing that it was never 'I'(Ego),who was doing anything to begin with, one comes to the conclusion that the 'I' existed only in the imagination of the mind, and that there was no 'I' that could do anything independently.
There was never an 'I' or 'Me', to incarnate or re-incarnate,it has always been Brahma (God),who has been taking on different forms,yet always remained Brahma.
Incarnation happened, but it was not 'you' or 'I' who was incarnating.
So 'who' is making 'what' decision to come back to earth, again and again?
Who, or what is in charge?
As long as the ego, or 'I' things it is making any decisions or is 'the doer', the search goes on, and 'Enlightenment' has not happened yet.
As I see it: The only chance 'we' can have of surviving, after the dead of our body's, would be as Brahma(God),and there would be no individuality left.
'Unity Consciousness', one including everything.
Aham Brahmasmi - I am the totality.(Upanisad 1.4.10) WE ARE THAT!
Peace,
Gunter
bodhisattva buddhas in daily life chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with SGI.org
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