bodhisattva
English edit
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Etymology edit
Borrowed from Sanskrit बोधिसत्त्व (bodhisattva, “enlightened existence”).
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
bodhisattva (plural bodhisattvas)
- (Buddhism) A person who has taken specific lay or monastic vows and who is on the road to perfect knowledge; specifically, one who foregoes personal nirvana in order to help others achieve enlightenment.
- 2021, Ruth Ozeki, The Book of Form and Emptiness, Canongate Books (2022), page 414:
- Kimi was a true bodhisattva, and her English skills were excellent.
- (Buddhism) An enlightened being existing in a form of existence beyond the ordinary forms of physical reality understood and acknowledged by scientific thought, resembling the Western notion of angels, but with a wealth of its own nuances and expectations. These include the compassionate working for enlightenment of all sentient beings.
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bodhisattva
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