What Does a Bodhisattva Do?

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The terms Bodhisattva, the Sanskrit form prominent in Mahāyāna Buddhism, and Bodhisatta, the Pāli term used in early Theravāda texts, both refer to one who aspires to become a fully awakened Buddha for the benefit of all beings. Contrary to the common belief that the Bodhisatta path is exclusive to Mahāyāna tradition, early texts, particularly in the Pāli Canon, show that the aspiration to become a Buddha through countless lifetimes of compassion, virtue, and wisdom was present from the beginning. The Bodhisatta strives to perfect the ten paramitas, developing moral purity, selflessness, and mental discipline through meditation and ethical living. Their journey is marked by acts of immense kindness, sacrifice, and perseverance, often facing great trials for the benefit of others. This lecture will shed light how the early Buddhists revered the Bodhisatta ideal and how it inspired a spiritual tradition of selfless awakening for the benefit of all.

John Cianciosi was ordained a Buddhist monk in Thailand in 1972 and trained under the late Venerable Ajahn Chah. Later, he was appointed abbot of Wat Pah Nanachat, the International Forest Monastery established to provide training for the growing number of Ajahn Chah’s Western disciples. In 1982, he was asked to establish a Buddhist monastery in Perth, Western Australia. For the next 14 years, he was instrumental in successfully establishing Bodhinyana Monastery and Dhammaloka Buddhist Centre. In 1995 he left monastic life and moved to the Chicago area, where he continues to share his insights and wisdom. He is the author of and is currently the director of public programs at the Theosophical Society in America.

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