THE MEANING OF THE BODHISATTA DOCTRINE IN THERAVĀDA BUDDHISM

ABSTRACT The doctrine of the Bodhisatta (Pāḷi, Saṃskṛta: Bodhisattva) holds an important place in Buddhist thought. It is particularly emphasized in the Theravāda tradition, where it refers to a person who aspires to attain Buddhahood for the purpose of liberating and saving all sentient beings. Rather than being solely focused on personal liberation, a Bodhisatta is someone motivated by profound compassion and wisdom, who takes a solemn vow to attain enlightenment in order to guide others toward the same goal. The Theravāda canon provides a definition of a Bodhisatta as an enlightened individual who is still on the path to full Buddhahood. This status is characterized by an unwavering commitment to attain liberation (vimutti) through the cultivation of morality, meditative discipline, and the accumulation of wisdom over countless lifetimes. Notably, even the penultimate life of a Bodhisatta occurring just before the attainment of Buddhahood is subject to the law of impermanence (anicca), underscoring the universality of conditioned existence. Canonical accounts emphasize the spiritual significance of the Bodhisatta’s final rebirth by describing miraculous phenomena that occur around the time of birth. These phenomena signal the exceptional nature of the Bodhisatta’s final life, which culminates in the attainment of Buddhahood. This is exemplified by Siddhattha Gotama, who, having perfected all the perfections (Pāḷi: pāramīs, Saṃskṛta: pāramitās), ultimately attained Buddhahood. This teaching holds great significance, as the Pāḷi Canon acknowledges that all previous Buddhas were once Bodhisattas in their earlier lives before achieving enlightenment. This supports the understanding that enlightenment is a gradual process, requiring extensive practice and numerous rebirths within saṃsāra (the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth). A distinction is made between a Bodhisatta and an Arahant (Pāḷi, Saṃskṛta: arhat). The ultimate goal of a Bodhisatta is to become a fully enlightened Buddha and to assist countless sentient beings, whereas an Arahant follows the path of a Buddha primarily to achieve personal liberation and escape from saṃsāra.