woopz...
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but capture sentiment. saves typin. not cheetin. exoanding notes. me cant be assd rewritin. getz too repetitive. Circular. Boring...
ThuS
**Bodhisattva**.
**The core idea:** Someone who generates *bodhicitta* — the spontaneous wish to attain full awakening not just for themselves, but for the benefit of all sentient beings. They delay entering final Nirvana to remain in Samsara and help others.
**Key distinctions:**
- **Mahāyāna:** Central ideal; any practitioner can take the vow
- **Theravāda:** Reserved for rare exceptions — primarily the historical Buddha before enlightenment, plus Maitreya (the coming Buddha)
**Six perfections (Pāramitās)** the bodhisattva cultivates:
1. Giving (dāna)
2. Moral discipline (śīla)
3. Patience (kṣānti)
4. Effort (vīrya)
5. Concentration (dhyāna)
6. Wisdom (prajñā)
**Notable figures:** Avalokiteśvara (compassion), Manjuśrī (wisdom), Vajrapāṇi (spiritual power), Tārā, Guanyin.
**The vow:** Made before a living Buddha, receiving prediction of future Buddhahood. Classic story: Sumedha meets Dīpankara Buddha and resolves to become a Buddha himself.
**Connection to your path:** Your "return to Malkuth with the head in Kether" mirrors the bodhisattva's refusal to abandon the earthly realm despite having glimpsed higher states. Both reject linear escape for embodied service — the magician who descends, the bodhisattva who lingers. Different maps, similar terrain.
