bodhisattva

 
Pronunciation: /ˌbɒdɪˈsɑːtvə/

noun

  • (in Mahayana Buddhism) a person who is able to reach nirvana but delays doing so through compassion for suffering beings.

Origin:

Sanskrit, 'a person whose essence is perfect knowledge', from bodhi 'perfect knowledge' (from budh- 'know perfectly') + sattva 'being, essence'