-20- Study of the Bodhisatta-Dhammas
~ By Buddhadāsa Bhikkhu ~
The term bodhisatta-dhamma means ‘the good characteristics of a Buddha-to-be.’ We happen to have a statue of the Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva on the grass lawn next to here. Bodhisatta-dhammas are those dhammas (qualities) of a philanthropist or a selfless person, who, aiming at becoming a Buddha, prepares himself or herself to finish off the ego. With the ego or selfishness destroyed, he or she becomes an arahant (noble one) or a Buddha. Literally, a bodhisatta [Sanskrit: bodhisattva] is a satta (an entity) in the process of growing bodhi (knowledge). The bodhi for one to attain enlightenment is like a seed of a plant innately carried by an individual’s mind. But most people do not have a chance to make it grow into the plant. On the contrary, they let it die away. For those who wish to become a Buddha, in accord with Theravada Buddhism, they sow the seed of bodhi.
In Mahayana Buddhism, they go one step further by resolving to help all other people attain enlightenment before they themselves would finally do the same. This sounds rather overbearing, but it may be a strategy to encourage people to become good Samaritans. Taking this literally, one may see the resolution as that of an eccentric. Since people are born every day – hence no apparent end of the human race – and a bodhisatta would be the last to realize nibbāna, then he or she would definitely have no chance to accomplish his resolution.
Anyway, try to think that, if we still have a ‘self,’ we can never make it to nibbāna. But if we continually reduce selfishness until we can finally destroy it, then we will become arahant and realize nibbāna as arahants do. Just remember that a bodhisatta is a broad-minded, selfless person.
In summary, the bodhisatta-dhammas are suddhi (purity), paññā (wisdom), mettā (friendliness), and khanti (tolerance).
A bodhisatta has to have suddhi, that is, pure, undefiled mind. He or she would never be deluded by sensual desires and all the worldly baits.
As for paññā, a bodhisatta has to be knowledgeable about everything that is really necessary to be known, but not of what is unnecessary to learn. The religious term for such a wise person is a sabbaññū – one who knows all about cessation of dukkha. The Buddha was a sabbaññū. But, if he were to come back to life today, don’t expect him to be able to drive a car, for he has not taken a driving lesson yet. However, concerning cessation of dukkha or how to quench it, he really and profoundly knows all about it. A bodhisatta has adequate wisdom to attain enlightenment.
Mettā is a manifestation of selflessness. It’s love for others, seeing others as fellow mortals. Mettā means friendliness or, simply, friendship. It makes one see everybody else not as an enemy, but as a friend who commonly suffers through birth, old age, illness, and death. It is inherently accompanied by karuṇā (compassion) because, when you are friendly, you are ready to help others. Even if we don’t explicitly mention it, karuṇā is always included in mettā. So are muditā (altruistic joy) and upekkhā (equipoise) because when you love others, you appreciate them for their success, or else you wait for a chance to help them when they suffer a setback. Upekkhā does not mean deserting others when the situation seems hopeless. Actually, it means that, even though we cannot help them now, we get ready for a chance to do so. This is the real, correct meaning of upekkhā, but just using the word mettā is enough.
The last characteristic of a bodhisatta is khanti (tolerance). This is most important because without khanti, you cannot solve a problem; your wisdom is ineffective. You think about helping others, but when you get into trouble doing so, you quit. So you have to have khanti with you until you succeed. A literal meaning of this word khanti is ‘proper’ or ‘appropriate.’ If you do not have it, you are not apt to progress in your spiritual training. Only when you have it are you likely to succeed. Another word, dama, similarly means tolerance or appropriateness. For completeness, we should have khanti or dama in both meanings, righteously being tolerant until appropriately successful.
Suddhi, purity, paññā, wisdom, mettā, friendliness, and khanti, tolerance, are bodhisatta-dhammas, but people in general can practice them too – just like walking after a bodhisatta, so to speak. Try them, and you will benefit from them. Being an amateur bodhisatta will get you closer to nibbāna than not being one. Always have purity and righteousness, accumulate wisdom, give boundless friendship, and have tolerance, waiting as long as it’s necessary while incessantly fighting impediments, accumulating experience, and correcting errors. Then you are sure to succeed in higher spiritual training, which will lead you to the ultimate cessation of suffering. This is what bodhisatta-dhammas are all about.
You may go to gaze at the statue of the Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva. The original statue was made of bronze. It was found here in Chaiya and was brought to the National Museum in Bangkok, where people can take a look at it. The one here at Suan Mokkh is a copy of the original. Look at the face of the statue, and think carefully. You will be impressed with it, and your mind will be drawn to it. When you go to the grass lawn to stand or sit for a look at the statue, you will sense that such a face shows purity, wisdom, compassion, and tolerance.
The Bodhisattva statue as present here is considered artistically excellent. It is rarely seen in India, where people are not quite keen about bronze statues but are good at making stone carvings. The craftsmanship of the statue here is the best, and most likely created by Indians. It is a high-class art object, classified in the fine-art category, being the pride of Thailand’s National Museum. When I went to India, I brought a photograph of the Bodhisattva statue and showed it to officials at various museums there. They were stunned by its beauty and admitted that it is a high-class art object. Even though the statue was not found in India, but in Thailand, it is an example of supreme Indian art just the same. The National Museum in Bangkok is very proud of it, and for it to be displayed abroad, they would ask for a three million baht insurance policy.
Try to gaze at the statue, and you will be impressed and pleased with it. For those who have a refined mind, they will perceive the bodhisatta-dhammas – purity, wisdom, compassion, and tolerance – expressed by it. That kind of perception will take hold of your mind, making you appreciate the four qualities yourselves. This means that the statue has a Dhammic, spiritual effect on you; it’s not just a passive art object. So when the sun is bright, take a good look at it from a corner of the lawn; you will see some beautiful things and benefit from the Avalokiteśvara statue.
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“24 Benefits of Suan Mokkh,” is a series of weekly posts published to commemorate the 88th anniversary of the foundation of Suan Mokkh in May 1932 in Chaiya, southern Thailand.
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For other Dhamma teachings by Buddhadāsa Bhikkhu (audios, free ebooks, interviews, poems), please visit Suan Mokkh – The Garden of Liberation.
Photograph from the Buddhadāsa Indapañño Archives collection (Ref. BW-07-061_014)