bodhisattva

n. one who has attained Enlightenment but postpones entry into Nirvana in order to help others to also achieve Enlightenment (Buddhism)

In Buddhist thought, a bodhisattva (Sanskrit), bodhisatta (Pali) or โพธิสัตว์ (phothisat, Thai) literally means "enlightenment ('bodhi') being ('sattva')" in Sanskrit. Bodhisattvas are motivated by the wish to benefit other beings and to lead them to enlightenment. The Mahayana encourages everyone to become bodhisattvas and to take the so-called bodhisattva vows. With these vows one makes the promise to work for the complete enlightenment of all sentient beings.
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Noun
1. Buddhist worthy of nirvana who postpones it to help others
(synonym) Boddhisatva
(hypernym) deity, divinity, god, immortal
(hyponym) Maitreya

Bodhisattva (Sanskrit) [from bodhi wisdom + sattva essence] He whose essence has become intelligence; exoterically, one who in one or a few more incarnations will become a buddha. Occultly, when
"a human being, has reached the state where his ego becomes conscious, fully so, of its inner divinity, becomes clothed with the buddhic ray; where, so to say, the personal man has put on the garments of inner immortality in actuality, on this earth, here and now -- that man is a Bodhisattva. His higher principles have nearly reached Nirvana. When they do so finally, such a man is a Buddha, a human Buddha, a Manushya-Buddha. Obviously, if such a Bodhisattva were to reincarnate, in the next incarnation or in a very few future incarnations thereafter, he would be a Manushya-Buddha. A Buddha, in the esoteric teaching, is one whose higher principles can learn nothing more. They have reached Nirvana and remain there; but the spiritually awakened personal man, the Bodhisattva, the person made semi-divine to use popular language, instead of choosing his reward in the Nirvana of a less degree, remains on earth out of pity and compassion for inferior beings, and becomes what is called a Nirmanakaya . . . a Bodhisattva is the representative on earth of a Dhyani-Buddha or Celestial Buddha -- in other words one who has become an incarnation or expression of his own Divine Monad" (OG 19).
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In Mahayana Buddhism, a person who has achieved enlightenment , but has who has chosen to remain in this world to help those who are suffering, instead of going on to nirvana . This is the highest ideal. Kuan Yin is an important Chinese bodhisattva; her full name means "Hearing World's Cries Bodhisattva." Amitabha Buddha is an important Bohisattva in the Mahayana form of Buddhism called Pure Land. The idea of the bodhisattva should be contrasted to the arhat of Theravada Buddhism.