The Buddhist term for a being who postpones final nirvana to help others awaken is bodhisattva.
In Mahayana Buddhism, a bodhisattva is understood as someone who develops bodhicitta, the intention to attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings. Bodhisattvas cultivate wisdom and compassion while working toward complete awakening.
The bodhisattva ideal became one of the defining features of Mahayana Buddhism. Famous examples include Avalokiteshvara, associated with compassion, and Manjushri, associated with wisdom. In East Asia, Avalokiteshvara is widely known through forms such as Guanyin and Kannon.
The word does not simply mean a charitable person. In Buddhist usage, it refers to a spiritual path and vow. An arhat, by contrast, is a person who has reached liberation according to early Buddhist and Theravada frameworks, while a pratyekabuddha is a “solitary Buddha.”