Bodhisattva
(Sk.). Comprises two concepts: Bodhi—enlightenment or awakening, and Sattva—the essence. Bodhisattvas were the disciples of Buddhas, who voluntarily renounced their personal liberation and, following the example of their Teacher, entered upon a long, weary, thorny path of help to humanity. Such Boddhisattvas appear on earth in the midst of the most varying conditions of life. They possess the qualities of the maximum development of energy, courage, patience, constancy of striving and fearlessness. There are three joys of Bodhisattvas: the joy of giving, the joy of helping and the joy of eternal perception. Patience, always, in all, and everywhere. The Sons of Budda, the Sons of Conquerors, Bodhisattvas in their active compassion are the Mothers to the all-existing. From among their number came the founders of the great kingdoms, great religions and philosophies, many alchemists and several saints. (LHR I, pp 365-366)
A self-sacrificing, compassionate helper of humanity. ... Physically indistinguishable in any way from the rest of humanity, they nevertheless differ completely in their psychology, constantly being the heralds of the principle of the common welfare ... What qualities must a Bodhisattva possess? In the Teaching of Gotama Buddha and in the Teaching of Bodhisattva Maitreya, given by Him to Asanga, according to tradition in the fourth century, the maximum development of energy, courage, patience, constancy of striving and fearlessness were first of all underlined. Energy is the basis of everything, as it alone contains all possibilities. Buddhas are eternally in action; immobility is unknown to Them. Like the eternal motion in space, the actions of the Sons of Conquerors manifest in the worlds. (LHR I, pp 365-366)
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