Buddhism Jean Smith

¶ … Enlightenment: Karma, Bodhisattvas, and Nirvana For some twenty-four hundred years, Buddhism has been a pre-dominantly Eastern religion. But in the last one-hundred-and-fifty years - ever since the first Asian immigrants arrived on these American shores as workers - the unique teachings and practices of Buddha have incorporated itself into Western society. And throughout the migration of this religion through the centuries, one goal has never changed: to achieve enlightenment as Buddha had under the bodhi tree.

And what Buddha did next is the fundamental foundation of Buddhism: he taught others how to achieve it, too: he didn't keep the secret to himself. But there is no secret in achieving enlightenment. It only requires commitment, aspiration, following certain practices and vows, and understanding many concepts within Buddhism can an individual become enlightened. Three of the concepts an individual must come to understand are the laws of karma, identifying Nirvana, and knowledge about Bodhisattvas. Bodhisattvas are individuals who seek enlightenment.

Bodhi translates to "enlightenment" and Sattvas refers to a person who has the courage and confidence to attain enlightenment, which is that state that possesses all good qualities and void of all ill effects; essentially, a Bodhisattvas is an ordinary person who is committed to lead their life in the same direction as Buddha through the same practices and vows. Bodhisattvas live their life by the Bodhisattvas Vow, which is a resolution to attain enlightenment and the fulfillment of Buddhahood.

Such a person understands that we are born with our desires and responding to those desires, but Bodhisattvas knows that our actions dictate our karma. Karma is the action of body, speech, and mind, and affects every aspect of an individual. It is a Sanskrit word that refers to action and to the laws of cause and effect; essentially, every action we commit is bound to produce a result. If we act with greed or hatred, we are planting the seed of suffering.

If we act with kindness and love, we will reap the benefits of our actions, such as abundance and happiness. The law of karma is a paramount law that governs everyone, and we all live with that understanding. If we act accordingly, knowing how our actions will be received, we can find harmony, wholeness and peace. I always thought Newton's Law was based on karma: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

But karma is not spontaneous: what we put out now, we will not get back now. It's like planting a crop: you must nurture it and allow it to blossom and grow. It is a large responsibility each sentient being must bear: the understanding of karma can be expressed on two levels: the experience of cause and effect, and the quality of mind. Karma also helps shows how a person's personality is developed. The experiences that condition our state of mind strengthen us.

There are six realms Buddha taught us that are karmically connected (four lower realms of suffering - the human realm - and the higher places of the various heaven realms). Once we understand and practice karma correctly, we can proceed toward Nirvana and eventually enlightenment. Nirvana is a Sanskrit word.