3.1.10. The Bodhisattva

“Just as illusions, hallucinations, and dreams are seen, yet do not truly exist, so too, all phenomena are like this.”
— Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra (The Diamond Sūtra)

There comes a stage in this alchemical journey where the work ceases to be primarily about our own freedom from suffering. The focus broadens almost of its own accord, turning outward toward others still ensnared in the coils of saṃsāra. It is here that the figure of the bodhisattva becomes most luminous—not merely as an ideal, but as a living way of being, rooted in profound understanding and sustained by a quiet, effortless compassion.

A bodhisattva is a peculiar kind of being. They have pierced through many of the fetters that bind most to suffering and delusion, yet instead of dissolving entirely into the freedom they have glimpsed, they turn back. It is not a heroic decision in the way we might romantically imagine. Rather, their profound regard for the welfare of others makes complete and solitary liberation somehow irrelevant.

Not every bodhisattva returns to the world in the same way. Some continue to develop internal skills in solitude, refining supreme meditative attainments, particularly those involving the subtle body—intricate internal yogas that deepen their capacity for realisation. Others embrace the world of appearances directly, allowing the inevitable suffering of life to become part of their practice. It is little wonder that teachings at this level often recommend both solitary retreats in remote hermitages and an equally profound, non-meditative absorption in the ordinary flow of daily life.

The vow and the many paths

Scriptures differ on who exactly qualifies as a bodhisattva. Some broaden the term to include anyone who follows the path of the Mahāyāna, the Great Vehicle; others reserve it for those who have formally sworn the bodhisattva vow in the presence of a living Buddha. But it is simpler, and perhaps more honest, to see it as an inward turning of intent: a commitment to realise the truth not just for oneself, but for the benefit of all beings.

There are many pathways from this vow to the full flowering of Buddhahood. The longest are also the gentlest, spanning countless lifetimes of accumulated merit and ever-deepening bodhicitta—the heartfelt wish for all to awaken. Shorter paths demand an intense, unwavering dedication. These include tantric approaches that harness the subtle body through elaborate deity visualisations, as well as wisdom paths involving a direct, non-meditative recognition of awareness itself, given only when one’s mind is mature enough to receive such “pointing-out instructions.”

Selflessness and subtle learning

The bodhisattva perceives reality without contamination by “I” or “mine.” Selflessness comes so naturally that it informs every choice. Such beings may master vast bodies of knowledge—from detailed deity practices to the complexities of the Abhidhamma—not out of personal ambition but because they see clearly how this might serve others. For one still caught in self-reference, the sheer effort would seem pointless.

Once it is recognised that the mind creates both the objects it perceives and the perceiver who seems to experience them, something profound shifts. Seeing clearly that subject and object are equally empty, the mind grows supremely disinterested in chasing after appearances. Thoughts return to being simply thoughts, feelings to feelings, perceptions to perceptions—each arising and passing without an imagined owner to grasp them.

Awake among dreamers

Thus the bodhisattva moves through the world much as one awake might wander among dreamers. They still think and feel, yet do not mistake these passing ripples for reality. The old habit of papañca—the compulsive proliferation where one thought spawns countless others—steadily diminishes. Where most adults spend every other moment mulling over their words or worrying about appearances, the bodhisattva allows such echoes to fade almost before they sound.

Over time, even the inclination to think or spin out internal narratives wanes. Awareness grows steadier, clearer, resting more and more in a quiet equanimity. The mind is no longer driven outward by cravings or fears, nor does it contract around the notion of a self.

Compassion and the four immeasurables

With the collapse of self-clinging, the bodhisattva’s heart naturally opens. They embody the four brahmavihāras—kindness, compassion, appreciative joy, and equanimity—not through effortful practice, but as spontaneous expressions of seeing things as they are. How could one not be kind in a world full of beings so painfully mistaken about their own nature? Even insults and harm are recognised as flailings of confused minds, stirring compassion rather than resentment.

The Four Immeasurables (Brahmavihāras)

Equanimity deepens into an abiding state. The bodhisattva sees that both saṃsāra and Nibbāna arise from the same empty mind—without true distinction apart from how they are grasped. Remaining aware of awareness itself, they dwell in an unshakable poise that ripens eventually into the eighth bhūmi, where discursive thought falls away entirely.

Toward omniscience

From there, this awareness refines further, moving through the formless jhānas until stabilising in the subtle realm of neither perception nor non-perception. Here, omniscience becomes possible—a direct, unbroken knowing of the life continuum without the mediation of cognitive thought. It is a timeless, limitless awareness, the final quiet flowering of countless lifetimes of subtle cultivation.

So the bodhisattva stands, awake in a world still dreaming, guided by a profound compassion that arises as naturally as breathing. Their very presence becomes an unspoken teaching: that nothing truly binds us, and all appearances are lighter than we ever imagined. From here, the path draws on toward the luminous clarity of Buddhahood itself.

This text is excerpted from the upcoming book Citrinitas: A Course in Modern Alchemy. The complete volume will include additional study guides, glossaries, and extended teachings. Learn more about the book here.