BODHISATTVA
Bodhisattva, Boddhisatva
(noun) Buddhist worthy of nirvana who postpones it to help others
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
bodhisattva (plural bodhisattvas)
(Buddhism) A person who has taken specific lay or monastic vows and who is on the road to perfect knowledge; specifically, one who foregoes personal nirvana in order to help others achieve enlightenment.
(Buddhism) An enlightened being existing in a form of existence beyond the ordinary forms of physical reality understood and acknowledged by scientific thought, resembling the Western notion of angels, but with a wealth of its own nuances and expectations. These include the compassionate working for enlightenment of all sentient beings.
Synonyms
• mahasattva
Source: Wiktionary
Bo"dhi*sat, Bo`dhi*satt"va, Bo`dhi*satt"wa, n. [Skr. bodhisattva
(perh. through Pali bodhisatto); fr. bodhi knowledge, enlightenment +
sattva being, essence.] (Buddhism)
Definition: One who has reached the highest degree of saintship, so that in
his next incarnation he will be a Buddha, or savior of the world. --
Bo"dhi*sat`ship, n.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition