Enlightenment (Bodhi)

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Bodhi (बोधि) is both the Pāli and Sanskrit word traditionally translated into English as "enlightenment."

The word "buddha" means "one who has achieved perfect bodhi." Bodhi is also frequently (and more accurately) translated as "awakening." Although its most common usage by far is in the context of Buddhism, bodhi is also a technical term with various usages in other Indian philosophies and traditions.

Bodhi is an abstract noun formed from the verbal root budh (to awake, become aware, notice, know, understand (as in budh-a) corresponding to the verbs bujjhati (Pāli) and bodhati or budhyate (Sanskrit).

In early Buddhism, bodhi carried a meaning synonymous with nirvana. Enlightenment precedes always nirvana but is not synonymous with it. There are different metaphors to describe the experience, which implied the extinction of raga (greed), dosa (hate), and moha (delusion). There are known as the roots of all harmful karma.

In the later school of Mahayana Buddhism, the status of nirvana was downgraded in some scriptures, coming to refer only to the extinction of greed and hate, implying that delusion was still present in one who attained nirvana, and that one needed to attain bodhi to eradicate delusion.

Therefore, according to Mahayana Buddhism, the arahant has attained only nirvana and thus is still subject to delusion, whereas the bodhisattva not only achieves nirvana but full liberation from delusion as well.

One thus attains bodhi and becomes a buddha. In Theravada Buddhism, a buddha is more than an arahant. He is a perfectly-enlightened capable of bringing others to awakening. An arahant may or may not be able to teach. In Theravada bodhi and nirvana, though different, carry the same denotation -- that of being freed from greed, hate, and delusion.

It should also be noted that in the Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra, "Great Nirvana" is equal in all respects to bodhi. Indeed, both schools agree that what the historical Buddha achieved is the state of perfect-enlightenment (samma-sambodhi) leading to buddhahood.

2.1 Modes of Enlightenment
2.1.1 Sāvaka-Bodhi (Arhat)
2.1.2 Pacceka-Bodhi (Pratyeka)
2.1.3 Sammā-Sambodhi (supreme Buddha)
3 Quotes
4 See also
5 Notes
6 External links
7 Further reading

In Theravada Buddhism
Bodhi means the awakening experience attained by Gautama Buddha and his accomplished male and female disciples. It refers to the unique consciousness of a fully liberated yogi. Bodhi is sometimes described as complete and perfect sanity, or awareness of the true nature of the entire universe.

After attainment, it is believed that one is freed from the cycle of samsāra: rebirth, suffering, death and redeath. (See moksha).

Bodhi is most commonly translated into English as "enlightenment." This word conveys the insight and understanding (wisdom) possessed by a buddha and is used to convey a saint [arahant]'s condition of being lit by the light of wisdom. There are two images of "light" contained in the term bodhi. One is quite literally a "light of wisdom" (nimitta, see also jhana), the other more obvious and figurative:

Bodhi expresses the notion of awakening from a dream, being aware, knowing reality. It might thus be more accurate to think of bodhi as spiritual "awaken-ness" or "awaken-ment." But it is "enlightenment" because imagery of light is extraordinarily prevalent in many Buddhist texts.

Bodhi is attained when the ten fetters that bind a being to the Wheel of Samsara have been dissolved. Then the Four Noble Truths have been thoroughly and intuitively understood. All volitional conditioning has reached cessation (nirodha), giving rise to a transcendent peace (nibbana).

At this moment, the psychological root-defilements of hankering (lobha), aversion (dosa), delusion (moha), fear (bhava), ignorance (avijjā), craving (tanha), and ego-centered consciousness (attā) are completely uprooted.

Bodhi is the ultimate goal of the supreme life (brahmacarya). It is achieved by observing the Noble Eightfold Path, the development of the paramitas (virtues associated with enlightenment), and profound wisdom into the dependently arisen nature of all phenomena.

In Mahayana Sutras
Certain Mahayana sutras stress that bodhi is always present and perfect. It simply needs to be "uncovered" or disclosed to purified vision. Thus, for example, the "Sutra of Perfect Awakening" has the Buddha teach that, like gold within its ore, bodhi is always there within the being's mind. It merely requires the obscuring mundane ore (the surrounding defilements of samsara and of impaired, unawakened perception) be removed.... More>>