What if the diagnosis we know as autism is actually the bodhisattva realized?
A bodhisattva is a Buddhist deity who has attained the highest level of enlightenment, but who delays their entry into Paradise in order to help others out of suffering.
A bodhisattva is anyone who has generated bodhichitta, a spontaneous wish and compassionate mind to attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings.
What if autism is here to teach the world compassion and wholeness? Not just abiding by the rules of what our culture tells us is normal or acceptable?
Symptoms for autism:
-Not taking part in “make-believe” play
-Not understanding social “rules”
-Noticing small details, patterns, smells
-Having a very keen interest in certain subjects or activities
-Impulsiveness (acting without thinking)
What if those with an autism diagnosis can sense much deeper than the rules we abide by and are showing us that something is fundamentally missing in our humanity?
What if those with an autism diagnosis are here to show us all the ways we are blinded by cultural conditioning that tells us there is something wrong with them and that they need our help?
But of course, in the United States, we diagnosis autism as neurodivergence.