Bodhisatvas and do you know any?

[Cyan]

I was just thinking, and I know around 9-15 people who claim to be and match to the qualities of a Bodhisatva in may day to day life.

I havent mapped out where the specific Bodhisatvas are supposed to be and how they are supposed to act but I in general believe (audio disturbance getting heavy here so might be true) that I know about 50% of the bodhisatvas on first name basis (I can call them directly without the prayer portion).

How many do you know, is it relevant at all, and if you think it is, how did you meet them, what kind of people are they, and so on. What is the equivelant of the term bodhisatva in your perceptual field and how many of them do you know.

[Meerie]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhisattva
enlightened being?
how did you identify them if I may ask?
and are those people you know "in real life" or in cyberspace?

[Cyan]

Physical friends (people I know in physical sphere, instead of in internet sphere) not "in real life" which is kind of a silly term to begin with.

Talking about them, comparing notes on real life behavior VS states boddhisatva behavior, weeding out liars, corraborating with outside sources, you know, how people usually try to identify people around them.

I suppose you could say my overall identification of people in general is faulty, but that would be a larger topic and not sure if its related to here.

Boddhisatvas almost never talk of it directly, and most dont even know what a boddishatva is until presented with a list of features and go "oh, that fits me" but once they get it they "switch" to a bodisatva mode where they talk of their bodhisatva self in the first person.

Kind of like I were to talk with you and say "oh, i think your soul might be from venus" and you go "yeah, if you create it so that I was in venus then its possible I was in venus".

Anyway, It seems that roughly 25-45% of the people I meet are either bodhis, close to it, or buddhas. BUT that maybe my perceptual bias due to heavy proximity to new age / hippie / spiritual / advancing as a principle / growth oriented people.

Anyway, I consider it interesting how common folks like these are these days when about 1/4th or around in my social sphere are those to the level where they can do reality bending magic with me if I want. It's just funny is what it is.

I'm mostly curious as to how many in general know of or talk with openly to people who claim or are bodhisatvas, and if you do talk with them in person openly, then how many of them are always in the same mindset and never or almost never lie and are doing remarkably well in their life and have massive social pull in their own way.

[vervex]

If you look at Bodhisattva as being "bound to enlightenment", then all of us, even the ones knee deep in the illusion, are Bodhisattva in the sense that we all can awaken and be enlightened. Since we are all consciousness, we all have the possibility to pause, look and realize our true nature, if only we take the time and we have the willingness to do it.

If you used Bodhisattva as "enlightened" however, well, it is my understanding that being enlightened simply is the realization of our nature. Living as an awakened being is a process, a never-ending learning curve, and it doesn't necessarily come with powers. Some develop them but it is my understanding that we learn certain abilities if they are needed in our experience and when we are ready. Also note that it is not because someone has an ability that they are enlightened; some people develop or are even born with certain metaphysical skills but they do not always understand their nature, or what to do with such skills.

As for knowing people who are enlightened, assuming that was your question, I would say one physical person for sure; my partner in life. No one else in my family or close circle of friends has awareness of their consciousness, or show any signs of having such awareness at the very least. But it's alright; they will get there eventually, at their own pace They are still light; they're just oblivious of that fact. We are all one and that's what ultimately matters, regardless of all those labels, including the famous "enlightened" label.

[Cyan]

Boddhisatva is someone who has already enlightened but has decided for what ever reason to turn back at that moment of enlightenement for various reasons, most being to help others get to that point.

[bosphorus]

i know prophet muhammad who might be. coz somewhere jesus says he's in 3d

[Ankh]

If you look at Bodhisattva as being "bound to enlightenment", then all of us, even the ones knee deep in the illusion, are Bodhisattva in the sense that we all can awaken and be enlightened. Since we are all consciousness, we all have the possibility to pause, look and realize our true nature, if only we take the time and we have the willingness to do it.

If you used Bodhisattva as "enlightened" however, well, it is my understanding that being enlightened simply is the realization of our nature. Living as an awakened being is a process, a never-ending learning curve, and it doesn't necessarily come with powers. Some develop them but it is my understanding that we learn certain abilities if they are needed in our experience and when we are ready. Also note that it is not because someone has an ability that they are enlightened; some people develop or are even born with certain metaphysical skills but they do not always understand their nature, or what to do with such skills.

As for knowing people who are enlightened, assuming that was your question, I would say one physical person for sure; my partner in life. No one else in my family or close circle of friends has awareness of their consciousness, or show any signs of having such awareness at the very least. But it's alright; they will get there eventually, at their own pace They are still light; they're just oblivious of that fact. We are all one and that's what ultimately matters, regardless of all those labels, including the famous "enlightened" label.

I liked what you've said here. It somehow reminded me of this:

Enlightenment is of the moment, is an opening to intelligent infinity. It can only be accomplished by the self, for the self. Another self cannot teach/learn enlightenment, but only teach/learn information, inspiration, or a sharing of love, of mystery, of the unknown that makes the other-self reach out and begin the seeking process that ends in a moment, but who can know when an entity will open the gate to the present?

[AnthroHeart]

I have no ambition to become enlightened. My efforts to try in the past resulted in miserable failures.

[vervex]

I liked what you've said here. It somehow reminded me of this:

Enlightenment is of the moment, is an opening to intelligent infinity. It can only be accomplished by the self, for the self. Another self cannot teach/learn enlightenment, but only teach/learn information, inspiration, or a sharing of love, of mystery, of the unknown that makes the other-self reach out and begin the seeking process that ends in a moment, but who can know when an entity will open the gate to the present?

Yes, I hadn't read this quote before but it does sum it up quite nicely. Enlightenment is living in that moment of awareness.

I have no ambition to become enlightened. My efforts to try in the past resulted in miserable failures.

You know, in regards to self-realization/enlightenment, it's not really something you pursue (or an ambition). At least in my case I wasn't pursuing anything when I discovered/remembered my true nature. I began reading a book featuring conversations with Ramana Maharshi and a few pages in I just had this "ohhhhh" and "aaaaahhhhhh" moment, as if I finally found the switch to turn on the light in my mind. It was always there, I just never really knew where to look for it. Actually, I didn't even know what to look for!

Putting it simply, when you are in a state of calm and you have silenced though thoughts, contemplate your nature and ask yourself "Who am I?". You might be tempted to answer "I am a woman/man", "I am *my name*" or even "I am a seeker/wanderer/teacher". But all these answers are only roles we play in this lifetime. When you are not playing these roles, Who Are You? Who is the self beyond all these roles, beyond this human incarnation? Who is the you beyond the ego?

You might not have an answer. You might say "I don't know", and that is perfectly right: The self is everything and nothing. Your mind cannot conceptualize it (hence the silence). It doesn't respond to any name, definition or label. The nameless self is what it is. I am that I am. It is pure beingness. Its nature is to be, its nature is pure awareness.

Who am I?
I am.

Anything that comes after serves only to define it and therefore limit it.

-

Hope this helps a bit! If it doesn't Ramana Maharshi explains it better than I. And if still it doesn't come, worry not, if you truly desire truth, it will come one day, whenever you are ready.

[Unbound]

Silence speaks.

[Peregrinus]

I would postulate that enlightenment is natural state. The veils create agitation, catalyst, suffering, dukkha, or whatever one might desire to label it.

To achieve what Ra called "a desirable configuration", enlightenment, the basic tools are always the same; contemplation, meditation, prayer, fasting, and stillness.

I'm sorry can't name but a handful of Bodhisattva, but then again, have been moving towards stillness for some time.

[AnthroHeart]

Been trying for stillness quite a lot in the past, but it ends in the negative STS beings taking me over. The light exposes too much darkness and I can't handle it. That is if stillness = light. I'm not sure. But I don't seek stillness now. I just want to be happy.

[Unbound]

Looking in to your being makes my heart hurt, Gemini, there is so much confusion and I am afraid I am no help with it.

[Unbound]

Rather, not to say you are confused now, or are innately confused, but rather the confusion of your pathway is there as a memory.

[AnthroHeart]

Thanks for your advice Eternal. I'm finding solace in Creator more lately. Took my dog to the vet for a checkup and he's doing well, so I'm glad about that. Besides a few things going on, I am well otherwise. Yes, as my tagline says, I have some confusion about where I stand, in terms of harvestability. When I thought I was doing well, I had the choice to leave or stay behind to help others, and I chose to stay behind. It could have been illusory the choice, but I was convinced I was helping others in many of the choices I made.

[Unbound]

Silence speaks.

[AnthroHeart]

Your constant concern for 'where you stand' is one of your biggest confusions, for there is no 'you' to stand anywhere, you are a process, ever ongoing, and there is no end to that which you are becoming, so ease your mind of any such grading.

I have eased myself of any such notion of where I stand. Like you said, there is no "me" to stand anywhere. And I agree with that. I'm not so worried about which grade I have made now. The little worries in life, I will take them as they come without trying to get too worked up over them. I have changed my tagline to Veiled Creator, because it was most fitting I believe in this moment.

I believe as an infinite being of Creator, I have a lot to offer the Universe. It's just that I have to start, or rather continue, believing in myself. I'm sure I can do amazing things once I get past any residual doubts that I have.

[Unbound]

Continue onwards brightly, brother

[Peregrinus]

The stillness I was speaking of was of nature. For Siddhartha Gautama it was the Bodhi Tree, for Jehoshua the desert. Many masters dwell in caves, others in temples. Stillness is removal of self from distraction.

Anyone here ever played a video game? If one had an infinite number of lives, would losing a life, only to get another, appear to be such a tragedy? Would playing the game a second time, or on another level, appear to be a tragedy? Have fun, follow your passions. They are a direction, which is better than aimless wandering. As Jeff Bridges said in the 1974 movie Stay Hungry, "It doesn't much matter what you choose to do in life. It only matters that you choose something, and do it with all your heart".

[Cyan]

Your constant concern for 'where you stand' is one of your biggest confusions, for there is no 'you' to stand anywhere, you are a process, ever ongoing, and there is no end to that which you are becoming, so ease your mind of any such grading.

I have eased myself of any such notion of where I stand. Like you said, there is no "me" to stand anywhere. And I agree with that. I'm not so worried about which grade I have made now. The little worries in life, I will take them as they come without trying to get too worked up over them. I have changed my tagline to Veiled Creator, because it was most fitting I believe in this moment.

I believe as an infinite being of Creator, I have a lot to offer the Universe. It's just that I have to start, or rather continue, believing in myself. I'm sure I can do amazing things once I get past any residual doubts that I have.

I believe that as the universe itself, you may in indeed have something to offer to the universe.

[Spaced]

Your constant concern for 'where you stand' is one of your biggest confusions, for there is no 'you' to stand anywhere, you are a process, ever ongoing, and there is no end to that which you are becoming, so ease your mind of any such grading.

I have eased myself of any such notion of where I stand. Like you said, there is no "me" to stand anywhere. And I agree with that. I'm not so worried about which grade I have made now. The little worries in life, I will take them as they come without trying to get too worked up over them. I have changed my tagline to Veiled Creator, because it was most fitting I believe in this moment.

I believe as an infinite being of Creator, I have a lot to offer the Universe. It's just that I have to start, or rather continue, believing in myself. I'm sure I can do amazing things once I get past any residual doubts that I have.

I believe that as the universe itself, you may in indeed have something to offer to the universe.

An offer of self to self