Bodhicitta
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions
|
1997
|
|
© The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions 1997, originally published by Oxford University Press 1997. (Hide copyright information)
Copyright
Bodhicitta (Skt., ‘thought of enlightenment’). An important concept in
Mahāyāna Buddhism, having both a personal and a cosmic aspect. In the personal sense it denotes the spontaneous generation of the resolve to strive for enlightenment. The cosmic aspect of the doctrine locates the seed or first stirrings of this impulse in a transpersonal matrix or resource along absolutistic lines. Here it is reality itself, under its various denominations such as the ‘Body of Truth’ (
dharmakāya), the ‘Womb of
Tathāgatas’ (
tathāgatagarbha), or ‘True Suchness’ (
bhūtatathatā), which engenders the possibility of enlightenment.
In
Tantric Buddhist symbology bodhicitta is identified with the seed or semen which is produced through the union of male and female, representing the fusion of wisdom (
prajña) with compassion (
karuṇā) in the bliss of perfect enlightenment.
Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.
|
Thomas Leonidas Crittenden
Book article from: The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition
Thomas Leonidas Crittenden , 1819-93, Union general in the Civil War, b. Russellville, Ky.; son of John J. Crittenden and brother of George B. Crittenden. He served in the Mexican War and was (1849-53...
|
|
Crittenden, Thomas Leonidas
Book article from: The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military
Crittenden, Thomas Leonidas (1819–93) Union army...Mexican War (1846–48), Crittenden was selected to carry the news of...leading to Chickamauga (1863), Crittenden retreated, thinking the battle lost...
|
