..."anybody they know of who calls themselves a Bodhisattva, ha(s) extreme indulgence in False Personality."
I don't think a Buddhist who took the vow would go around calling themself a Bodhisattava, just like if you're a true Christian you're not supposed to make a show of praying in public. I can sort of see where taking the vow would be an act of the personality instead of Essence, but the motivation is compassion, so would it be true personality taking the vow or false personality?
Yes! The greatest Buddhist teachers would NEVER go around calling themselves Bodhisattvas! They call themselves worthless or stupid or dull, even thought they are clearly not. The only type of person I can think of who would actually call themselves a Bodhisattva would be some new age charlatan trying to get followers.
I think whether taking the vow was an act of false or true personality would depend on the person. I'm sure there are people who take the vow because it puffs up their ego to think of how incredibly devoted and self-sacrificing they are, or it soothes their guilt, or makes them feel righteous, or makes their Mom or spouse or friends happy, etc. In other words, their actual reasons for doing it differ from their stated reasons.
Show Posts
