Buddha and the gospel of Buddhism . giving away of wife and children. But Buddha-hood once attained, according to the old school, it remainsfor others to work out their salvation alone: Be yelamps unto yourselves, in the last words of to the Mahayana, however, even the attainmentof Buddhahood does not involve indifference to the sorrowof the world; the work of salvation is perpetually carriedon by the Bodhisattva emanations of the supreme Buddhas,just as the work of the Father is done by Bodhisattvas are specially distinguished from theSravakas (Arahats) and Pacceka
Buddha and the gospel of Buddhism . giving away of wife and children. But Buddha-hood once attained, according to the old school, it remainsfor others to work out their salvation alone: Be yelamps unto yourselves, in the last words of to the Mahayana, however, even the attainmentof Buddhahood does not involve indifference to the sorrowof the world; the work of salvation is perpetually carriedon by the Bodhisattva emanations of the supreme Buddhas,just as the work of the Father is done by Bodhisattvas are specially distinguished from theSravakas (Arahats) and Pacceka-Buddhas or PrivateBuddhas, who have become followers of the Buddha for the sake of their own complete Nirvana:x for the1 Hindus would express this by saying that Sravakas and Pacceka-Buddhas choose the path of Immediate Salvation : Bodhisattvas, thatof Ultimate Salvation. The deferred path of Liberation is the pathof all Bhaktas. It is the path of compassion or service.—P. N. Sinha,Commentary on the Bhagavata Purdna, p. Plate R 230 AVALOKITESVARA (Bodhisattva) Nepalese copper gilt, gth-ioth century Authors Collection System of the Mahayana Bodhisattvas enter upon their course out of compassionto the world, for the benefit, weal, and happiness of theworld at large, both gods and men, for the sake of thecomplete Nirvana of all beings. . Therefore they arecalled Bodhisattva Mahasattva. x A doctrine specially associated with the Bodhisattvaideal is that of the parivarta or turning over of ethicalmerit to the advantage of others, which amounts verynearly to the doctrine of vicarious atonement. Whereasin early Buddhism it is emphasized that each life isentirely separate from every other (also a Jaina doctrine,and no doubt derived from the Samkhya conceptionof a plurality of Purushas), the Mahayana insists onthe interdependence and even the identity of all life; andthis position affords a logical basis for the view thatthe merit acquired by one may be devoted to the g
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