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I have taken the four great Bodhisattva Vows a long time ago, and I do intent to keep them, even if I do eventually attain Arahant level. Is it not possible for Arahant to continue to help sentient beings? I know many Mahayana people will say, " You can be a bodhisattva and continue helping sentient beings". You can then use your powers and help people in the six realms. LOL, that unfortunately for most people is only wishful thinking! I say wishful thinking because they (in their current state) cannot even help themselves, so how are they going to help others. Without some levels of attainments, you will not be able to help anybody at all. Moreover, you may even backslide and lose whatever attainments you may have. Yes, you can do social work and contribute to charity (like those in Tzu-Chi), but that's about all you can do as ordinary samsaric humans. How much are you willing to sacrifice? If you cannot even guarantee your own safety from being reborn in the lower realms, how can you truly help others? In order to help others, you must be able to do so, without losing your own level of wisdom and merits. You may continue to help people, but what you gain is only worldly merits. Perhaps you will be reborn into a happier realm, but does that guarantee that you will still practice the dharma in your future lives? What does practice mean to you? Why do you even meditate? Does eliminating your own defilements mean anything to you? How can you help others, when you are not able to eliminate your own defilements? At best, perhaps you can only suppress them for a while, but at any time they will arise again and again. Who is going to help you then? The worst thing that can happen to you is, IF you lose your connection to the DHARMA. If you busy yourself creating merits, but not dharma merits, then you may indeed lose your connection to the DHARMA in future rebirths. That may happen when you do not have a firm foundation in developing both merits and wisdom.
In the Buddhist scriptures, only 4 levels of Paths and Fruition are mentioned, namely Sotapanna, Sakadagami, Anagamin and Arahant. Within Arahant, there are 3 sub-categories, namely Sravaka, Pacceka Buddha and Sammasam Buddha. Where is the Path and Fruition of "Bodhisattva"? I don't see it anywhere here. From what I understand, correct me if you think I am wrong, but there is none. However, you may develop the Bodhisattva path and fruition AFTER these 4 paths and fruitions by developing your paramitas. By developing the virtues and merits (i.e. lots and lots of merits), then only you will have acquired the necessary skills to help other sentient beings. Otherwise you cannot! There are 52 levels of Bodhisattva bumis and these can be reconciled into the 5 Paths (i.e. Path of seeing, preparation, etc). Unless Arahants disappear after they attain Pari-Nibbana, then I do think it is possible to continue the paramitas towards achieving Sammasam Buddha.
So, the best approach in our current state of being humans, is to develop your practice and get certified as a Sotapanna, at the least. As a Sotapanna, you have only up to 7 more rebirths, and you will not be reborn in the lower realms in these 7 rebirths. At least, this is what is stated in the texts. That is sort of your "insurance and safety net" against being reborn into the lower realms. Once you go "down", it is very difficult to go up again. It may take aeons and aeons. And when you do, you may have to start your dharma practice all over again. Isn't that a waste of time?
In future, do not just verbalise the four Bodhisattva Vows, but understand that "sentient beings" include YOURSELF. First, focus on dealing with your own defilements! First, be a good example to others. Seriously. Then, you help others.
#bodhisattvavows #mahayana #Arahants
Do read these older posts when you have the time, such as this one. Even though the festival to pray to departed ones is over, do read it - https://buddha-and-me.blogspot.com/2013/04/a-pure-aspiration-prayer-to-triple-gem.html
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