Who Are the Eight Bodhisattvas? Guide to Their Qualities and Practices

There is a vow before the enlightenment, the unwavering promise to awaken not for oneself alone, but for the liberation of all beings. This is the heart of the Bodhisattva path in Mahayana Buddhism. Let’s discover these Great 8 Bodhisattvas along with their qualities and practices in Mahayana Buddhism. 

The Bodhisattva Ideal

A Bodhisattva (Sanskrit: Bodhi-sattva, “awakening being”) is one who generates Bodhichitta. They are not a god but an enlightened being who compassionately postpones personal nirvana to help others reach awakening.

While a Buddha represents the complete state of enlightenment and freedom from the cycle of suffering, a Bodhisattva embodies the active path of compassion and wisdom taken to get there. 

From the countless Bodhisattvas mentioned in the Mahayana Sutras, eight are revered as the Eight Great Bodhisattvas and are the central pantheon in Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism.  

They are not just individual figures but represent the complete range of a Buddha’s enlightened qualities, from wisdom and compassion to power and action. 

In Vajrayana and Tibetan art, they often surround the central Buddha in mandalas or thangkas, each expressing a distinct facet of enlightened awareness. 

The Eight Great Bodhisattvas: Names, Meanings, and Qualities

These Eight Bodhisattvas personify the essential virtues of enlightenment: wisdom, compassion, power, vows, and purity of mind.

1. Manjushri: The Bodhisattva of Transcendent Wisdom

Manjushri represents prajna, the luminous wisdom that cuts through ignorance like a flaming sword.

He is often shown holding a sword in his right hand and a lotus bearing the Prajnaparamita Sutra in his left, signifying the unity of knowledge and compassion. He is the voice of insight and clarity, dissolving the fog of delusion.  

Explore our Manjushri thangka collection 

His mantra: Om A Ra Pa Ca Na Dhih. Reciting his mantra enhances memory, intelligence, and spiritual insight. Also, practitioners visualize his golden radiance entering their mind, igniting discriminating wisdom and eloquence in speech. 

2. Avalokiteshvara: The Bodhisattva of Infinite Compassion 

Avalokiteshvara, also known as Chenrezig, embodies boundless compassion. He listens to the cries of the world and works tirelessly to relieve the suffering of all beings. 

When his compassion became overwhelmed by the world’s pain, his body split into a thousand pieces, and Amitabha Buddha restored him with a thousand arms and eleven heads, enabling him to help all beings simultaneously. 

His famous six-syllable mantra, Om Mani Padme Hum,” translates to “The jewel in the lotus,” expressing the union of wisdom and compassion.

Four-Armed Chenrezig: compassion balanced with wisdom

Thousand-Armed Avalokiteshvara: infinite mercy and assistance

3. Vajrapani: The Bodhisattva of Power and Protector of the Dharma

Vajrapani is the guardian of the Buddha’s energy, the embodiment of fearless strength and determination. He holds a vajra, symbolizing the indestructible power of enlightenment that destroys delusion. 

He appears in both peaceful and wrathful forms, often surrounded by flames, symbolizing the transformation of ignorance into wisdom. He is the spiritual strength behind Manjushri’s wisdom and Avalokiteshvara’s compassion. 

His mantra “Om Vajrapani Hum” invokes protection from external and internal obstacles. Meditating on a Vajrapani thangka or any form of his imagery awakens confidence, stability, and the courage to engage in compassionate action. 

Explore our Vajrapani Thangka collections 

4. Maitreya: The Bodhisattva of Loving-Kindness and the Future Buddha

Maitreya represents loving-kindness and is prophesied to be the next Buddha who will appear in the world when the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha fade. 

He is depicted seated upright with both feet on the ground, showing readiness to rise and serve. His presence inspires hope, warmth, and renewal. 

His common root mantra, “Om Maitri Maitri Mahamaitri Soha,” is believed to develop loving-kindness and compassion, remove negative energy, and transform powerlessness into strength. 

Explore our Maitreya Buddha Thangka collection. 

5. Ksitigarbha: The Bodhisattva of Great Vows and the Earth’s Compassion

Ksitigarbha embodies the vow to rescue beings from the lowest realms of suffering, particularly the hell realms. He vowed not to become a Buddha until all beings in hell are liberated, exemplifying selfless perseverance and fearless compassion. 

He is portrayed as a monk with a shaven head, carrying a Kakkhara that opens the gates of hell and a jewel that illuminates the darkness. 

He is invoked for protection of children, travelers, and the deceased, symbolizing steadfast love and karmic healing. His practice brings strength during grief, transition, and loss. 

6. Akasagarbha: The Bodhisattva of Boundless Space and Hidden Treasures

Akasagarbha is the Bodhisattva of boundless wisdom and virtue, as vast as space itself. He represents the limitless potential of the mind: unstained, infinite, and luminous. He is invoked for enhancing intelligence, creativity, and pure conduct, as well as purifying karmic obscurations caused by speech or ignorance. 

Reciting his mantra clears mental confusion, awakens, and develops openness and tolerance. He teaches that wisdom is not confined; it expands endlessly like the sky.

7. Samantabhadra: The Bodhisattva of Great Practice and Universal Virtue

 Samantabhadra represents the perfection of practice, vows and meditation He is the active expression of wisdom and compassion in daily life. 

He is often depicted with his consort, Samantabhadri, in a sacred union called yab-yum, representing the union of wisdom and compassion.

Samantabhadra meditation emphasizes right action, ethical living, and the unbroken continuity of mindfulness. He inspires practitioners to embody enlightenment in every thought, word, and deed. 

Samantabhadra thangka with his consort Samantabhadri in yab-yum union

8. Sarvanivaranaviskambhin: The Bodhisattva Who Removes All Obstacles

Sarvanivaranaviskambhin represents the purification of all mental and karmic obstacles: ignorance, doubt, pride, attachment, and delusion. He is often invoked at the beginning of teachings or meditation to clear hindrances that block spiritual progress. 

In thangka art, he completes the circle of the Eight Great Bodhisattvas, signifying the purification of the practitioner’s inner and outer world.

Chanting or meditating on his name helps remove emotional confusion, karmic heaviness, and resistance to practice. He brings clarity, smooth energy flow, and open receptivity to Dharma teachings. 

Also, each of these Bodhisattvas mirrors a specific Buddha quality. Together, they represent the Eightfold Radiance of the Buddha’s Heart, a living enlightenment that radiates in all directions. 

1. Who are the Eight Great Bodhisattvas?

The eight bodhisattvas are the eight principal attendants of the Buddhas in Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism, who represent the main enlightened qualities of the Buddha. They are Manjushri, Avalokiteshvara, Vajrapani, Maitreya, Ksitigarbha, Akasagarbha, Samantabhadra and Sarvanivaranaviskambhin. 

2. Who is the current Bodhisattva?

The current Bodhisattva widely recognized in Buddhist tradition is Maitreya. Maitreya is regarded as the future Buddha who presently resides in the Tushita heaven, a celestial realm where he awaits the appropriate time to be reborn in the human realm and teach the Dharma anew. 

3. What is the difference between a Buddha and a Bodhisattva?

A Buddha has attained complete enlightenment and transcended samsara. A bodhisattva, though enlightened, remains in the world to help all beings reach that same liberation. 

4. Why are there specifically Eight Great Bodhisattvas?

They represent the eightfold aspects of the Buddha’s enlightened mind, collectively embodying the fullness of awakening in symbolic form.