The Six Bodhisattva Characters are Generosity, Discipline, Patience, Concentration, Meditation, and Wisdom.

When the first five Bodhisattva Characters are fully developed, then Wisdom will appear.

The main wisdom of a bodhisattva is the wisdom to be aware of the truth of life.

The truth of life has two parts united as one: the forms of all kinds of life, and the essence of these forms. By observing all kinds of life-forms, you can become aware of their essence. This truth is conveyed in the saying, “Back to the essence: Nirvana.”

The forms of life constantly change. They appear and disappear, come into existence and cease to exist, but the power that make things constantly change, appear, and disappear remains. A wave can rise or fall in the ocean, but the power behind the wave remains. This power is the essence of the wave: water. Likewise, the essence of all constantly changing life-forms also remains the same.

Buddhism calls this essence Emptiness. We can only be aware of Emptiness when our consciousness is completely open and calm, just as empty space is completely open and calm.

The essence of our lives is the ability to be aware of all life-forms. This ability is constantly aware of the changing life-forms, but it is not aware of itself. When the bodhisattva sees that all life-forms constantly change and are an illusion, then the blind desire that tries to hold onto this illusion ends.

This is the first stage of bodhisattva wisdom: awareness of the true essence of all life-forms and the end of all desire (emotional, mental, and physical). The wisdom described here is the ability of the bodhisattva, not any acquired knowledge.

Wisdom ability is not knowledge of wisdom. Wisdom ability is the process, while knowledge of wisdom is the result of that process. Someone who has wisdom ability can observe the truth of life and discover all kinds of knowledge, but when others try to learn the knowledge, it doesn’t mean they have the same ability.

When people study a wise person’s teachings they do not acquire the ability, only the knowledge. Knowledge can be taught, but wisdom ability cannot: you must develop it for yourself.

Wisdom ability comes only from training your observing ability to be aware of the truth of life. We can say, for example, that knowledge is like a bridge. Wisdom ability is the architect of the bridge. People who acquire the knowledge are those who pass over the bridge. But just because you can cross over a bridge does not mean that you can design or build a bridge. If you want to do this, you must learn by analysing and studying the existing bridge as well as simply using it to cross the river.

The second stage of a bodhisattva’s wisdom builds on the first stage: his completely calm observing ability keeps him from being lost in the illusions of life-forms, and he is aware that other peoples’ consciousnesses are still lost. They do not see the essence of the changing illusions and feel all kinds of fear, insecurity, and suffering. His compassion rises up and he forms the Will to help people develop their consciousness, so that they too can be aware of the truth of life and release all their suffering.

Then he learns the second type of wisdom: how to help others develop their Consciousness to understand the truth of life.

The first stage of bodhisattva wisdom can be compared to the architect who designs and builds a bridge. The second stage can be compared to the architect who can not only build bridges, but also teach others how to build bridges.

A Buddha is one who has completely developed these two types of wisdom.

• Wisdom is to know that we have no wisdom.
• Wisdom is to know that there is wisdom to learn.
• Wisdom is always to follow wisdom.
• Wisdom is to learn what stupid is.
• Wisdom accepts wisdom.
• Wisdom avoids stupidity.
• Wisdom accepts that stupidity can happen, but tries not to repeat the same mistake.
• Wisdom doesn’t judge good or bad in life, but knows clearly what good and bad are.
• Wisdom is to think wisely until there’s no wise thinking, just being wise naturally.
• Wisdom is not to try to be wise, but to try not to be stupid.
• Wisdom is to know what our limitations are and how to overcome them.
• Wisdom is to understand there are no limitations in true life, and how to discover it.
• Wisdom doesn’t come only from thinking: it also comes from generosity, discipline, patience, concentration, and meditation.
• True Wisdom is to be pure. Tricky Wisdom tricks you to be wise.
• Pure Wisdom is being kind without ego, caring without negative personal emotion, joyful without stupidity, and free without greed.