Page 17 - Popular Deities of Chinese Buddhism (Illustrated) and Symbols

traits, so also are there different Bodhisattvas. A transcendent

Bodhisattva who enjoys the most devotion and popularity as

helper to liberation is A (Kuan Shih Yin), who

is the compassionate aspect of the Buddha. He and other popu-

lar Celestial Bodhisattvas described in this book will help to

remove incorrect ideas and speculative doubts from the minds of

those who have little or no knowledge of the Bodhisattvas of the

Mahayana teachings.

While the Hinayana Arhat accumulates meritorious karma for

his own salvation through following and practising the teach-

ings of the Buddha, he also serves others though his capacity to

do so is limited. e Mahayana Bodhisattva, on the other hand,

relentlessly carries out his mission of universal salvation, transfer-

ring his vast merits to the less fortunate ones so that they too

may enjoy the fruits of such merits. us the Bodhisattva Ideal

brings about much hope for the down-trodden and provides a

noble goal to those who are seriously on the Buddha’s path. e

Arhat ideal may not sound as noble as that of the Bodhisattva

but it does not necessarily mean that the Mahayana is in any way

superior to the Hinayana practice. Both are ideal paths that lead

to enlightenment and those who are aspiring to become Arhats

are not necessarily selfish since Arhatship cannot be attained if

there is even the slightest tinge of selfishness left in his being. A

true Buddhist will not indulge in glorifying his path of practice,

he should realise that without the Hinayana there can be no

Mahayana path. What is more important is that they both share

the same fundamental teachings such as:-

 