Bodhisattva vow

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The bodhisattva vow (Skt. bodhisattvapraṇidhāna; T. byang chub sem pa'i smon lam; C. pusa yuan 菩薩願) is taken as a commitment to become a bodhisattva, one who works to lead all beings to the state of enlightenment. In particular, the bodhisattva vow is a commitment to develop bodhicitta, including practicing the six perfections in order to fulfill the aim of attaining enlightenment for the sake of all beings.

The vow is commonly taken in a ritual setting, overseen by a senior monastic, teacher or guru.[1] Whereas the prātimokṣa vows cease at death, the bodhisattva vow extends into future lives. The bodhisattva vows should not be confused with the Bodhisattva Precepts (Skt. bodhisattva-śīla), which are specific ethical guidelines for bodhisattvas.

One who has taken the vow is sometimes referred to as a bodhisattva-in-training.

Sumedha's vow to become a buddha

Illustrated Burmese manuscript depicting Sumedha (a past life of Shakyamuni) receiving a prediction from Dīpankara Buddha

The sources of the early Buddhist schools, like the Theravada Buddhavaṃsa and Nidanakatha (Prologue to the Jatakas), as well as the Mahasamghika Mahāvastu, contain stories of how in a previous life, Sakyamuni (then known as Sumedha) encountered the previous Buddha, Dīpankara, and made the vow to one day become a Buddha. Dīpankara confirmed that he would become a Buddha in the future. All early Buddhist schools held that making a vow in front of a living Buddha (and receiving a prediction), just like Sakyamuni had done, was the only way to become a bodhisattva.[2] This view remains the orthodox understanding of bodhisattva vows in the Theravada tradition.[2]

The Theravada Nidanakatha has the following verses attributed to Sumedha (the past life of the Buddha) when he made his vow to become a Buddha under the past Buddha Dipankara:

As I lay upon the ground this was the thought of my heart, if I wished it I might this day destroy within me all human passions.

But why should I in disguise arrive at the knowledge of the Truth? I will attain omniscience and become a Buddha, and (save) men and devas.

Why should I cross the ocean resolute but alone? I will attain omniscience, and enable men and devas to cross.

By this resolution of mine, I a man of resolution, will attain omniscience, and save men and devas, cutting off the stream of transmigration, annihilating the three forms of existence, embarking in the ship of the Truth, I will carry across with me men and devas.[3]

Similar vows in other past lives of the Buddha

According to the Mahāvastu, Shakyamuni Buddha's first vow to become a Buddha was made under another past Buddha also called Shakyamuni. The vow is reported as follows:

When (the Bodhisattvas) have laid up an abundant store of merit, and have body and mind well developed they approach the beautiful Buddhas and turn their thoughts to enlightenment, (each vowing).

"By the merit I have formerly laid up in store, may I have insight into all things. May not my vow come to naught, but may what I vow come to pass.

"May my store of the root of merit be great enough for all living beings. Whatever evil deed has been done by me, may I alone reap its bitter fruit.

"So may I run my course through the world as He whose mind is rid of attachments does. May I set rolling the wheel of dharma that has not its equal, and is honoured and revered of devas and men."[4]

The Mahāvastu depicts Shakyamuni taking other vows under other past Buddhas. When he meets the past Buddha Samitāvin, the text also contains another vow which is similar to the "fourfold vow" found in Mahayana sources:

May I in some future time become a Tathāgata, an Arhan, a perfect Buddha, proficient in knowledge and conduct, a Sugata, an unsurpassed knower of the world, a driver of tameable men, and a teacher of devas and men, as this exalted Samitāvin now is. May I become endowed with the thirty-two marks of a Great Man, and my body adorned with his eighty minor characteristics. May I have the eighteen distinctive attributes of Buddhahood, and be strong with the ten powers of a Tathāgata, and confident with the four grounds of self-confidence, as this exalted perfect Buddha Samitāvin now is. Having crossed over, may I lead others across; comforted, may I comfort others; emancipated, may I emancipate others. May I become so for the benefit and welfare of mankind, out of compassion for the world, for the good of the multitude, for the welfare and benefit of devas and men.[4]

Bodhisattva vow in Tibetan Buddhism

Shantideva's vow

The Tibetan Buddhist tradition widely makes use of verses from Shantideva's Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra when taking the bodhisattva vow. Practioners taking the bodhisattva vow typically recite verses 23 and 24 of the third chapter as part of the vow ceremony.[5][6] These verses state:

Just as all the Buddhas of the past
Have brought forth the awakened mind,
And in the precepts of the Bodhisattvas
Step-by-step abode and trained,

Likewise, for the benefit of beings,
I will bring to birth the awakened mind,
And in those precepts, step-by-step,
I will abide and train myself.[7]

Visualization while taking vow

The 14th Dalai Lama teaches the following way of taking the vow, which begins by reading "through the second and third chapters of the Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra up until the second line of verse 23." The Dalai Lama then writes:[8]

In order to take this vow, we should imagine that in front of us are the Buddha and his eight close disciples; the six ornaments, and the two supreme teachers, including Shantideva; and all the realized masters of the Buddhist tradition, in particular the holders of the Sakya, Gelug, Kagyu, and Nyingma schools of Tibet — in fact, all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Consider also that we are surrounded by all the beings in the universe. With this visualization, we shall now read the Seven Branch Prayer ...

Consider that we are surrounded by all the beings in the universe and generate compassion for them. Think of the Buddha and feel great devotion to him. Now, with compassion and devotion, pray, "May I attain Buddhahood!" and recite:

"Teachers, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, listen! Just as you, who in the past have gone to bliss, Conceived the awakened attitude of mind, Likewise, for the benefit of beings, I will generate this self-same attitude."

When we recite these lines for the third time, at the words, "I will generate this self-same attitude," think that you have generated this bodhichitta in the depth of your hearts, in the very marrow of your bones, and that you will never go back on this promise. Traditionally we now recite the last nine verses of the chapter as a conclusion to taking the vow.

Two lineages of the bodhisattva vow

In Tibetan Buddhism there are two lineages of the bodhisattva vow, which are linked to two sets of Bodhisattva precepts or moral rules. The first is associated with the Cittamatra movement of Indian Buddhism, and is said to have originated with the bodhisattva Maitreya, and to have been propagated by the Indian master Asanga. The second is associated with the Madhyamaka tradition, is said to have originated with the bodhisattva Manjusri and to have been propagated by Nagarjuna, and later by Shantideva. The main difference between these two lineages of the bodhisattva vow is that in the Cittamatra lineage the vow cannot be received by one who has not previously received the pratimokṣa vows.[9] Both traditions share a set of 18 major precepts (or "downfalls"). There are also sets of minor precepts.

Bodhisattva vow in East Asian Buddhism

Four extensive vows

In East Asian Buddhism, the most common bodhisattva vows are a series of "four extensive vows" outlined by the Tiantai Patriarch Zhiyi.[10] According to Robert F. Rhodes, Zhiyi presents two versions of the four vows. The first one is taken from the Chinese version of the Lotus Sūtra and states:[11]

  • Those who have not yet been ferried over, I will ferry over.
  • Those who have not yet understood, I will cause them to understand.
  • Those who have not settled themselves, I will cause them to be settled.
  • Those who have not attained nirvana, I will cause them to attain nirvana.

The second set of vows is original to Zhiyi's corpus and states:[11]

  • Sentient beings, limitless in number, I vow to ferry over.
  • Passions (klesa) which are numberless, I vow to extinguish.
  • The Dharma-gates without end (in number), I vow to know.
  • The supreme Buddha Way, I vow to actualize.

Zhiyi explains that these vows correspond to the Four Noble Truths and that these vows arise with the four truths as their basis.[11]

Shingon's Five Vows

Shingon Buddhism edits and expands the four vows into five vows (go sei) which are seen as the vows of Mahavairocana which include all bodhisattva vows.[12] These five vows are the following:[12][13]

  1. Beings are innumerable; I vow to save them all (shu-jo-mu-hen-sei-guan-do).
  2. Meritorious wisdoms are innumerable; I vow to accumulate them all (fuku chi mu hen sei gwan shu).
  3. The Dharma teachings are innumerable; I vow to master them all (ho mon mu hen sei gwan gaku).
  4. The Tathagata vows are innumerable; I vow to accomplish them all (nyorai mu hen sei gwan ji ji).
  5. Awakening is unsurpassed; I vow to attain awakening (bodai mu jo sei gwan sho bodai).

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ "The Ritual for Taking the Bodhisattva Vows". studybuddhism.com. Retrieved 2022-07-15. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Drewes, David, Mahāyāna Sūtras and Opening of the Bodhisattva Path, Paper presented at the XVIII the IABS Congress, Toronto 2017, Updated 2019.
  3. ↑ Rhys Davids, T. W. (1880). The Introduction to the Jātaka Stories from Buddhist Birth Stories or Jātaka Tales, p. 98. A revised edition by Ānandajoti Bhikkhu November, 2021.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Jones, J.J. (1949) The Mahavastu, Volume I, Chapter V - The many Buddhas (bahubuddha-sūtra). Buddhist Hybrid-Sanskrit: aho punar aham anāgatam adhvānaṁ bhaveyaṁ tathāgato ’rhaṁ samyaksaṁbuddho vidyācaraṇasaṁpannaḥ sugato lokavid anuttaraḥ puruṣadamyasārathiḥ śāstā devānāṁ ca manuṣyāṇāṁ ca yathāpīdaṁ bhagavān samitāvir etarahiṁ dvātriṁśatīhi mahāpuruṣalakṣaṇehi samanvāgato aśītihi anuvyaṁjanehi upaśobhitaśarīro aṣṭādaśāveṇikehi buddhadharmehi samanvāgato daśahi tathāgatabalehi balavāṁ caturhi vaiśāradyehi suviśārado yathāyaṁ bhagavān samitāvī samyaksaṁbuddho etarahiṁ evañ ca tīrṇo tārayeyaṁ āśvasto āśvāsayeyaṁ parinirvṛto parinirvāpayeyaṁ | taṁ bhaveyaṁ bahujanahitāya bahujanasukhāya lokānukaṁpāya mahato janakāyasyārthāya sukhāya hitāya devānāṁ ca manuṣyāṇāṁ ca || (suttacentral.net)
  5. ↑ Thrangu Rinpoche (author); Holmes, Ken; Doctor, Thomas (translators) (2002). A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life of Shantideva: A Commentary, p. 41. Sri Satguru Publications.
  6. ↑ Dalai Lama XIV Bstan-ʼdzin-rgya-mtsho, Dalai Lama XIV, Dalai Lama, Santideva (1994). A Flash of Lightning in the Dark of Night: A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life, p. 31. Shambhala.
  7. ↑ Shantideva, Padmakara Translation Group (2008). The Way of the Bodhisattva, pp. 83-84. Shambhala Publications.
  8. ↑ Dalai Lama XIV Bstan-ʼdzin-rgya-mtsho, Dalai Lama XIV, Dalai Lama, Santideva (1994). A Flash of Lightning in the Dark of Night: A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life, pp. 33-34. Shambhala.
  9. ↑ Lama Jampa Thaye, Rain of Clarity: The Stages of the Path in the Sakya Tradition. London: Ganesha, 2006.
  10. ↑ Chappell, David W. (1987), "Is Tendai Buddhism Relevant to the Modern World?" (PDF), Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, 14 (2/3), doi:10.18874/jjrs.14.2-3.1987.247-266, archived from the original on March 4, 2009
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 R hodes, Robert F. (1984) The four extensive vows and four noble truths in T’ien-t’ai Buddhism. Annual Memoirs of the Otani University Shin Buddhist Comprehensive Research Institute 2: 53-91.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Petzold, Bruno (1995). The Classification of Buddhism, p. 550. Otto Harrassowitz Verlag
  13. ↑ "Ajikan Meditation". shikokuhenrotrail.com. Retrieved 2023-03-24. 

Further reading

External links

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