An Illustrated Outline of Buddhism: The Essentials of Buddhist Spirituality (22 page)

trinsic. Frithjof Schuon has given a metaphysical exposition of the

relationship of the Buddha and the Bodhisattva as follows: The three

fundamental attributes of the Divine Nature—the three fundamental

hypostases of Unity—are Absoluity, Infinity, and Perfection. These

may be symbolized geometrical y as Center, Radii, and Circumference.

In Christian terms, the Father is the Absolute (the Center), the Holy

Spirit is the Infinite (the Radii), and the Son is the Perfect (the Cir-

cumference—the Incarnation of God in the world). In Buddhist terms,

Nirvāna
is
the Absolute (the Center), the Bodhisattva is the Infinite

(the Radii), and the Buddha is the Perfect (the Circumference—in this

case, the presence of
Nirvāna
in
samsāra
).
In both cases, the Infinite is the Radii emerging from the Center and returning to it. This symbolical way of looking at things enables us to see, firstly, the respective

functions of the Buddha and the Bodhisattva, and also the analogy

between the functions of the Holy Spirit and the Bodhisattva.1

1 See Frithjof Schuon, “Hypostatic Dimensions of Unity”, in
Sufism: Veil and Quintes-

sence
(Bloomington, IN: World Wisdom, 2006), and “The Mystery of the Bodhisattva”,

in
Treasures of Buddhism
; Titus Burckhardt, “The Image of the Buddha”, in
Sacred Art
in East and West
; Peter Masefield,
Divine Revelation in Pali Buddhism
; and Marco Pallis, “Is There Room for Grace in Buddhism?”, in
A Buddhist Spectrum
(Bloomington,

IN: World Wisdom, 2003).

Buddhas and Bodhisattvas

69

Bodhisattva Kshitigarbha, Kamakura period, Japan

70

An Illustrated Outline of Buddhism

The Bodhisattva’s Undertaking

I take upon myself . . . the deeds of all beings, even those in the

hel s, in the other worlds, and in the realms of punishment. . . . I

take their suffering upon me, . . . I bear it, I do not draw back from

it, I do not tremble at it, I have no fear of it, . . . I do not lose heart.

. . . I must bear the burden of all beings, for I have vowed to save

all things living, to bring them safe through the forest of birth, age,

disease, birth, and re-birth. I think not of my own salvation, but

strive to bestow on all beings the royalty of supreme wisdom. So

I take upon myself all the sorrows of all beings. I resolve to bear

every torment in every purgatory of the universe. For it is better

that I alone should suffer than that the multitude of living beings

should suffer. I give myself in exchange. I redeem the universe from

the forest of purgatory, from the womb of flesh, from the realm of

death. I agree to suffer as a ransom for all beings, and for the sake

of all beings. Truly I will not abandon them. For I have resolved to

gain supreme wisdom for the sake of all.

Vajradhvaja
Sūtra

Above
:
Sanjūsangendō Temple, Kyoto, Japan, 1226.

The hall contains 1,000 different images of the Bodhisattva Kwannon;

Right
: The central statue of Bodhisattva Kwannon, Sanjūsangendō Temple, Kyoto;

Following pages
: White Tārā (
left
) and Mahāvairochana (
right
), the Supreme Feminine and Masculine Principles, Mongolia, 17th century

72

An Illustrated Outline of Buddhism

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