RE: The Ten Stages of the Mahayana Bodhisattva Path

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The Ten Stages of the Mahayana Bodhisattva Path

in mindfulness •  7 years ago 

So what does it mean to give ones life for the sake of other beings? Give me an example.

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  ·  7 years ago (edited)

Can you clarify your question within the context of the Bhumis @baah, I don't understand...

As in becoming a renunciate? Or giving up householder life to teach the Dharma like the Buddha did...he gave up his kingdom and family but in the end saved them from war and death

Or you could be like Vimalakirti and be a rich merchant and give up everything he held dear and still continue on as a rich layperson...the sutra makes me laugh because it makes fun of bodhisattvas and arahants...hehehe

http://www2.kenyon.edu/Depts/Religion/Fac/Adler/Reln260/Vimalakirti.htm

I was actually asking moon-girl what she means by "giving ones life", it seemed to imply a trade in some extraordinary circumstance of one's life for another, not necessarily devoting ones life to helping beings escape samsara.

  ·  7 years ago (edited)

In the Jatakas there are stories of giving ones life but not in the sutras I’ve read @moon-girl what sutra are you referring too? Extremes of hurting oneself for the sake of salvation are not what Buddha taught and Buddha can’t save other beings, he teaches others how to save themselves.

Reading the Vimalakirti story, thank you for sharing.