“Question: I don’t mean to be condescending, but isn’t “aspiring” to be a bodhisattva contradictory? Wouldn’t that mean that you are desiring/craving enlightenment?”
Aspire: as-pire, verb, direct one’s hopes or ambitions toward achieving something.
If I were to desire or crave to be a Bodhisattva then I would just call myself a Bodhisattva and eliminate the aspiring part, wouldn’t you think?
So then we could ask, “What’s the goal of every Buddhist?” To become a Buddha! That’s every Buddhist’s light at the end of the tunnel. That’s the goal of every Buddhist. So one way, the Mahayana way, to achieve Buddhahood is through the Bodhisattva’s way. To be a Bodhisattva doesn’t mean to be Enlightened. The Bodhisattva knows the way to Enlightenment, some take it and some don’t, but the job is to use that knowledge to help others achieve Enlightenment.
So we all “desire” to be a Buddha, but we don’t crave on the idea. The Buddha even said to not even attach to the Dharma. The Dharma is the tool, the way to liberation, but is not liberation itself. You can want and desire many things: good health, financial stability, a great marriage, etc., but we must not attach to them, that’s when it becomes problematic and suffering can arise.
All Buddhists are aspiring Buddhas. That’s the goal. That’s the desire. Does that make us selfish? Not at all! Once a Buddha, we’ll attain all the knowledge of all the Buddhas and be equal to all Buddhas, and we’ll be able to teach and liberate sentient beings from suffering and guide them to Nirvana.
Smile and be well!
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