Heretofore studies of the Bodhisattva doctrine in Buddhism - the basis of Mahayana Buddhism - have concentrated on Sanskrit sources. The distinctiveness of the present volume lies in the variety of languages and cultures in which research has been done. Traditionally, a Bodhisattva has been understood in view of the Buddha's former lives or as a superhuman making his way toward the enlightened state. The eleven studies making up this volume indicate a need to question uncritical acceptance of such interpretations of the Bodhisattva doctrine. Although the studies are scholarly, they are nonetheless accessible to laypersons as well as scholars and should prove to instructive for both.