bodhisattva

• boddhisatva
• bodhisvatta

Borrowed from Sanskrit बोधिसत्त्व (bodhisattva, “enlightened existence”).

• IPA^(key): /boʊ̯diːˈsʌtvə/, /boʊ̯diːˈsɑtvə/

• Audio (US):

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bodhisattva (plural bodhisattvas)

1. (Buddhism) A person who has taken specific lay or monastic vows and who is on the road to perfect knowledge; specifically, one who foregoes personal nirvana in order to help others achieve enlightenment.
   • 2021, Ruth Ozeki, The Book of Form and Emptiness, Canongate Books (2022), page 414:

     Kimi was a true bodhisattva, and her English skills were excellent.

2. (Buddhism) An enlightened being existing in a form of existence beyond the ordinary forms of physical reality understood and acknowledged by scientific thought, resembling the Western notion of angels, but with a wealth of its own nuances and expectations. These include the compassionate working for enlightenment of all sentient beings.

• mahasattva

• bodhisattva vows

• bodhisvatta