While I’m on the subject of Jesus and cosmic consciousness… I always really liked the idea of the Bodhisattva in Buddhism. Apart from Steely Dan’s awesome song of the same name, a Bodhisattva is a person who, just as they are about to achieve nirvana, and become a Buddha, has turned aside, in order that they may go back into the world and lead others to illumination. Basically, they are so moved by compassion that they sacrifice themselves and take a vow to stay behind until every last being has been liberated. Also, one of the characteristics of a Bodhisattva is that they are able to take on the suffering of others for them. Which is extremely close to the whole “He died for our sins” part of Jesus.

The most famous Bodhisattva seems to be Avalokiteshvara, whose legend goes like this:

Avalokitesvara, was on the verge of entering into nirvana, thus leaving behind forever the world of samsara. Just as his meditation was deepening and his insight into the transience of all phenomena growing, he was distracted by a great groaning, rising up all about him in the world. He came out of his trance and, looking around him, asked: What is this groaning I hear? All the birds and trees and grass and all sentient beings replied to him: O Avalokitesvara, our lives are times of suffering and pain; we live in a delusion from which we cannot seem to escape. You are so beautiful and so kind. Your presence here among us has given us joy and a reason for living. We all love you so, and we are saddened by the prospect of your leaving us. And so we groan.

At that the young saint was filled with compassion and chose not to enter nirvana, but to remain in the cycle of birth and death so that the others would not have to suffer. And he vowed to renounce nirvana until all sentient beings were equally enlightened. He saw that it was better that one should suffer than that all should. And he took upon himself their suffering, so that he alone would wander the cycles of karma, far from the homeland.

One of the other perspectives on the Bodhisattva is also that just as he achieves nirvana, he realizes that he was already in it all along, that the world which we all inhabit is heaven, and there is no difference between it an nirvana.