BODHISATTVA PATH. A bodhisattva (Pali, bodhisatta) is a person who, according to Buddhism, is on the path to attaining the status of an enlightened being. More specifically the term is commonly used for one on the path to becoming a fully enlightened buddha. The "path of the bodhisattva" is usually known in Sanskrit as the bodhisattvamārga (bodhisattva-path), the bodhisattvayāna (bodhisattva-vehicle), or the bodhisattvacaryā (bodhisattva-conduct). It is the path followed by such a person from the time he or she first attains bodhisattva status until reaching the "fruit of the path," commonly full buddhahood.

There is no significant difficulty with the meaning of bodhi. This derives from the Indo-Aryan root budh-, from which the word buddha also derives, literally "awakening," or "enlightenment." The real problem is with sattva. This commonly means in Sanskrit a "[sentient] being," an "essence," or sometimes "courage." Thus a...