My avatar (
sic) is of Manjushri, the bodhisattva of wisdom and knowledge. Bodhisattvas are mortals who having attained enlightenment, choose not to take the final step into nirvana or extinction and so escape the cycle of birth and rebirth. Rather, they have elected to remain behind to help other mortals achieve enlightenment. They are roughly the Buddhist equivalent to saints.
Manjushri’s purpose was to lead beings in an inquiry whereby they could discover the true nature of reality. For that reason, he is usually depicted displaying the two tools essential to that investigation: in his right hand he wields the double-edged sword of logic or analytic discrimination and in his left, a text on Buddhist teaching. Manjushri's sword of discriminating wisdom is tipped with flames to show that it severs all notions of duality. It can cut away delusion, aversion and longing, to reveal understanding, equanimity and compassion. Manjushri is depicted as a youth suggesting that age is not a necessary precursor to wisdom.
Originally Posted by Barry
My avatar (sic) is of Manjushri, the bodhisattva of wisdom and knowledge. Bodhisattvas are mortals who having attained enlightenment, choose not to take the final step into nirvana or extinction and so escape the cycle of birth and rebirth. Rather, they have elected to remain behind to help other mortals achieve enlightenment. They are roughly the Buddhist equivalent to saints.
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