Mahayana Bodhisattvas and Universal Salvation

Avlokiteshvara with Multiple Hands and Heads

Tibetan Monastery, Bodh Gaya "The Land of Enlightenment", Bihar

Source: Dr. Richa Singh

A rift in Buddhism emerged during the fourth Buddhist council, which was presided over by Vasumitra and held in Kashmir in the first century CE under the patronage of the Kushana king Kanishka. It led to the emergence of the Hinayana and Mahayana sects. Unlike earlier councils, in this council deliberations were conducted in Sanskrit rather than Pali. Through the dispatch of missionaries, Kanishka spread Mahayana Buddhism in China and Central Asia. There are quite a number of aspects that separate the two. Among them are the concepts of karma and karuna, or compassion. While the adherents of Hinayana believe in the law of karma and righteous deeds, and that as an arhat, one has to achieve his or her own redemption whereas Mahayanists maintain that the law of karuna supersedes the law of karma, and that salvation can be achieved not just through one’s own efforts but also by calling on the bodhisattva in faith. It is through the karuna of the bodhisattva a person can attain salvation. Since Mahayanism focuses on the salvation of others with bodhisattvas serving as their saviours, therefore, it is known as Mahayana, meaning "Great Vehicle" as maha in Sanskrit means great and yana means vehicle or journey. 

Bodhisattvas 

Bodhisattvas are enlightened beings. They have attained nirvana or enlightenment but out of compassion for others they prolong their parinirvana to become buddha so as to aid other beings (who are suffering due to ignorance) along the path to enlightenment and escape the cycle of death and rebirth. So, they are ‘buddha-to-be’ or future buddhas. They are living symbols of compassion. Therefore, in Mahayanism they are also worshipped, besides the Buddha. They act as mediators between buddhas and humans. They are often shown as princes with a five-leaved crown on the head and adorned with ornaments since they are not monks. Bodhisattvas are typically presented appearing like princes with jewels and wearing five-leaved crowns. 

• Avalokiteshvara 

Known as the Buddha of Compassion, Avalokiteshvara is the most widely recognized Bodhisattva. He is shown as an elegant man with multiple heads and arms. His image is sometimes seen with as many as thousand arms. He is depicted holding a lotus bloom in his palm and is also known as Padmapani, or the Lotus-bearer. He is thought to have come from Amitabh, the great Buddha. His home is in Amitabh's heaven, but he has chosen to remain in this world to help people and animals find salvation. He goes by the names Pyan-ras-gzigs or Chenrezig in Tibet and Kuan Yin or Guanyin as a goddess in China, but in Japan he is alternately worshipped as a god and as Goddess Kwannon. Traditionally, Chenrezig is revered as the founding father of the Tibetans and has been believed to be safeguarding Tibet. According to a popular narrative, King Songtsen Gampo (c. 620–49 CE) brought Buddhism to Tibet by inviting Indian Buddhist scholars to impart their knowledge on Buddhism. He is considered to be an embodiment of the bodhisattva as much as the Dalai Lama.   

Avlokiteshvara, Bodha Gaya, Bihar

Source: Dr. Richa Singh

Buddha in Bhumisparsha Mudra 

Itkhori, Jharkhand

Source: Dr. Richa Singh

It is to be noted that in Buddhist iconography, Buddha's bodily appearance is typically seen wearing a sanghati (a monastic robe), and devoid of any jewellery and crown, suggesting renunciation and acceptance of an austere lifestyle. However, the idea of a crowned and jeweled Buddha was introduced by Mahayana Buddhism, which worshipped Buddha as a universal monarch (chakravartin). As a result, occasionally we witness Gautama Buddha dressed in regal attire, complete with a beautiful crown and jewels, sitting cross-legged in the vajraparyankasana (thunderbolt position) on a beautiful lotus pedestal, with his right hand executing the bhumisparsha mudra or the earth-touching pose. Because Gautama Buddha at times is portrayed with jewels and a crown like a bodhisattva, people occasionally mistake Gautama Buddha—who is dressed in a regal robe and crown—for a bodhisattva as it is evident from the above image where the Buddha in the bhumisparsha mudra, the mudra which is closely associated with him and not with a bodhisattva, is mistakenly identified as Avlokiteshvara.

 Buddha Idol Flanked by the Statues of Padmasambhava or Rinpoche and Avlokiteshvara (on the Left)

Royal Bhutan Monastery, Bodh Gaya

Source: Dr. Richa Singh

• Manjushri   

He is the bodhisattva of wisdom. Saraswati is his shakti, or female force. He is usually seen holding two lotus petals. On the first day of each year there is a celebration in Nepal honouring him. He goes by Monju-Bosatzu in Japan. He is frequently pictured in Tibetan Buddhism as having multiple heads and arms. He originated, as the legend goes, in China. He is frequently depicted holding two lotus blooms, which hold his attributes, the Prajnaparamita-sutra, a holy book that upholds the bodhisattva ideal, and a sword of wisdom. 

• Maitreya

When Buddhism has entirely faded from this world, Maitreya, the next Buddha, will arrive. He is considered to be the last earthly Buddha as a result. He is the very definition of love. In Tibetan Buddhism, Maitreya is a highly revered deity. According to a legend, Maitreya granted direct guidance to Asanga, the sage who established the Yogachara School of Mahayana Buddhism.  

• Samantabhadra

A manifestation of the Dhyanibuddha vairocana is Samantabhadra. He stands for the compassion and law of Buddhism. He is revered as the guardian of people who impart the law or dharma. He is frequently shown with Gautama Buddha and another bodhisattva, Manjushri. 

• Padmasambhava

Among the founders of Tibetan Buddhism was Padmasambhava. He is revered by his disciples as the "second Buddha". He is said to be a contemporary of the Tibetan ruler Trisong Detsen (755-797 CE). His name Padmasambhava, meaning "He who is born from the lotus" comes from the legend that the buddha Amitabha created him and that he first emerged as a lotus blossom when he was eight years old. King Trisong Detsen invited him to preach Buddhism in Tibet. According to some narratives, he spent only a few months in Tibet, while other versions claim he spent fifty years there. It is believed that he brought Buddhism to Bhutan after traveling from Tibet. 

Padmasambhava

National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Bengaluru

Source: Dr. Richa Singh

Akasagarbha, Kshitigarbha, Mahasthamaprapta, Vajrapani, Skanda, Amitabh, etc. are some other bodhisattvas. Over time, when the Mahayana philosophy spread from India to distant lands, regional adaptations were introduced, and the concept of bodhisattva was incorporated. For example, Dizang Wang, Wenshu, Guanyin, and Puxian are the four main bodhisattvas, or pusas of Chinese Buddhism. Dizang Wang is the equivalent of the Indian bodhisattva Kshitigarbha. When the concept of bodhisattva entered Japan, Kshitigarbha was transformed into Jizo-Bosatzu. "He Who Encompasses the Earth" is the meaning of his name, Kshitigarbha. He became known as the protector of all travellers. His following was not very large in India, but he gained a significant number of adherents in China and Japan.  According to a Chinese legend, he was a young Indian boy of the brahman caste who, horrified over his mother's agony in hell, resolved to save everyone else there from the same terrible fate. He comforts those who are in hell, attempting to lessen the weight they bear due to their wicked deeds while they were still alive.  

India	China	Japan
Avalokiteshvara	Guanyin	Kwannon
Manjushri	Wenshu	Monju-Bosatzu
Samantabhadra	Puxian	Fugen-Bosatzu
Kshitigarbha	Dizang Wang	Jizo-Bosatzu

To sum up, the idea of bodhisattvas in Mahayana Buddhism is a powerful illustration of the values of kindness, selflessness, and compassion. Bodhisattvas encourage practitioners to move beyond the egocentric method of spiritual awakening and adopt a universal perspective that takes into account everyone's well-being. The idea of karuna for all is what led to the widespread acceptance of the concept of bodhisattva in various different nations.