The Bodhisattva vow is a vow (Sanskrit: बोधिसत्त्व-प्रणिधानम्, bodhisattva-praṇidhāna, lit. bodhisattva aspiration or resolution; Chinese: 菩薩願, pusa yuan; J. bosatsugan) taken by some Mahāyāna Buddhists to achieve full buddhahood for the sake of all sentient beings. One who has taken the vow is nominally known as a bodhisattva (a being working towards buddhahood). This can be done by venerating all Buddhas and by cultivating supreme moral and spiritual perfection, to be placed in the service of others. In particular, bodhisattvas promise to practice the six perfections of giving, moral discipline, patience, effort, concentration and wisdom in order to fulfill their bodhicitta aim of attaining buddhahood for the sake of all beings.
The vow is commonly taken in a ritual setting, overseen by a senior monastic, teacher or guru. 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. ), which are specific ethical guidelines for bodhisattvas.
In the sources of the early schools
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.Drewes, David, Mahāyāna Sūtras and Opening of the Bodhisattva Path, Paper presented at the XVIII the IABS Congress, Toronto 2017, Updated 2019. This view remains the orthodox understanding of bodhisattva vows in the Theravada tradition.
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."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) 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. 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.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.
In Mahāyāna sutras
In the Mahayana Lalitavistarasutra, the bodhisattva Siddhartha (before becoming Sakyamuni Buddha) is said to have taken the following vow:I will attain the immortal, undecaying, pain-free Bodhi, and free the world from all pain.Dayal, Har (1970). The Bodhisattva Doctrine in Buddhist Sanskrit Literature, p. 65. Motilal Banarsidass Publ.The Sanskrit Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā sutra states that a bodhisattva should train themselves with the following thought:Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā (English translation by Edward Conze, Sanskrit text by Vaidya) Bibliotheca Polyglotta, University of Oslo. ātmānaṃ ca tathatāyāṃ sthāpayiṣyāmi sarvalokānugrahāya, sarvasattvān api tathatāyāṃ sthāpayiṣyāmi, aprameyaṃ sattvadhātuṃ parinirvāpayiṣyāmīti
My own self I will place in Suchness, and, so that all the world might be helped, I will place all beings into Suchness, and I will lead to Nirvana the whole immeasurable world of beings.The sutra further states that "with that intention should a Bodhisattva undertake all the exercises which bring about all the wholesome roots. But he should not boast about them." Another passage also states: Because in my presence, face to face with me, they have uttered the vow: "We, coursing in the practices of a Bodhisattva, shall set going on their way to full enlightenment many hundreds of living beings, yea, many niyutas of kotis of living beings. We shall hold up perfect enlightenment to them, instigate, encourage and excite them to win it, help it to come forth, help them to get established in it, help them to become irreversible."In later Indian Mahāyāna Buddhism (and in modern Mahayana as well), one can become a bodhisattva by taking the vow and giving rise to bodhicitta in a ceremonial setting. Indian Mahāyāna Buddhists often accomplished this through a ritual called the "seven part worship" (saptāṇgapūjā or saptavidhā anuttarapūjā), which consists of: vandana (obeisance), worship, refuge, confession, rejoicing, prayers and requesting the buddhas to remain in the world.Har Dayal, The Bodhisattva Doctrine in Buddhist Sanskrit Literature, Motilal Banarsidass Publ., 1999, p. 54.
Fourfold vows Fourfold bodhisattva vows (that is, a set of vows with four main components), are found in numerous Mahāyāna sutras. According to Jan Nattier, there is a set of four bodhisattva vows that appears in various sutras including the Ugraparipṛcchā Sūtra, the Lotus Sūtra (in the Dharmaraksa and Kumarajiva translations), the Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā (in the Chinese translation by Lokaksema and Chih Ch'ien), the Avadānaśataka and the Compassionate Lotus sutra.Nattier, Jan (January 2003). A Few Good Men: The Bodhisattva Path According to the Inquiry of Ugra (Ugraparipṛcchā): a Study and Translation. pp. 147-151. University of Hawaii Press. . Nattier translates this fourfold vow as follows: The unrescued I will rescue
The unliberated I will liberate
The uncomforted I will comfort
Those who have not yet reached paranirvana, I will cause to attain paranirvanaNattier also notes that a similar set of four vows (with small differences in wording) appears in the Dipankara Jataka, the Mahavastu, the Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā (in the Chinese translation by Kumarajiva), the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā and in some Lotus Sutra translations. Nattier translates this other fourfold vow as follows:
vayaṃ tīrṇāḥ sattvāṃs tārayema, muktā mocayema, āśvastā āśvāsayema, parinirvṛtāḥ parinirvāpayema
Having crossed over [ourselves], may we cause [all] beings to cross over. Liberated, may we liberate [them]. Comforted, may we comfort [them]. Having attained parinirvana, may we cause [them] to attain parinirvana.
Nattier further notes that "it is quite possible to identify clear antecedents of these vows in pre-Mahayana literature" and thus it is likely that these fourfold vows evolved from earlier passages (found in the Digha Nikaya and the Majjhima Nikaya as well as the Chinese Agamas) that describe the activity of the Buddha. One such passage states: Awakened, the Blessed One teaches the Dhamma for the sake of awakening.
Disciplined, the Blessed One teaches the Dhamma for the sake of disciplining.
Calmed, the Blessed One teaches the Dhamma for the sake of calming.
Having crossed over, the Blessed One teaches the Dhamma for the sake of crossing over.
Vows from the Avataṃsaka Sūtra
The Avataṃsaka Sūtra, a large composite text, contains various passages discussing the practices and vows that bodhisattvas undertake. One example can be found in book 18 of the text, which contains the following ten vows:Enlightening beings have ten pure vows: (1) they vow to develop living beings to maturity, without wearying; (2) they vow to fully practice all virtues and purify all worlds; (3) they vow to serve the Enlightened, always engendering honor and respect; (4) they vow to keep and protect the true teaching, not begrudging their lives; (5) they vow to observe with wisdom and enter the lands of the Buddhas; (6) they vow to be of the same essence as all enlightening beings; (7) they vow to enter the door of realization of thusness and comprehend all things; (8) they vow that those who see them will develop faith and all be benefited; (9) they vow to stay in the world forever by spiritual power; (10) they vow to fulfill the practice of Universal Good, and master the knowledge of all particulars and all ways of liberation. These are the ten pure vows of enlightening beings.Cleary, Thomas (1993). The Flower Ornament Scripture: A Translation of the Avatamsaka Sutra, p. 430. Shambhala Publications.
Ten vows of Samantabhadra
In the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, Samantabhadra makes ten vows which are an important source for East Asian Buddhism. Samantabhadra's vows also appear in the Samantabhadra-caryā-praṇidhānam, which is often appended to the end of the Avataṃsaka but originally circulated as an independent text.Osto, Douglas (2013). The Supreme Array Scripture, Chapter 55: The Vow to Follow the Course of Samantabhadra
Reciting these ten vows is also promoted by Shantideva in his Śikṣāsamuccaya.Goodman, Charles; Śāntideva (2016). The training anthology of Śāntideva a translation of the Śikṣā-samuccaya, pp. 274-275. Oxford University Press.