The concept of Bodhisattva is present in all forms of Indian Buddhism, but it is not accepted or interpreted in the same way by all Buddhist traditions. Considerable doctrinal discrepancies developed within the early schools and later between the early schools and the Mahayana schools. In fact, the Bodhisattva's identity and career constitute one of the fundamental disagreements and dividing points between early and Mahayana forms of Buddhism. The controversy over the Bodhisattva's nature and role still persists and divides the Theravada tradition of Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia from the Mahayana traditions of Tibet, China and Japan.
目次
● The Term Bodhisattva ● Two Currents of Buddhist Doctrine ● Two Early Prototypes of the Bodhisattva Career
