- The Four Bodhisattva Vows

Let us look at the origination of the bodhisattva inspiration when the Buddha rose from his seat under the bodhi tree and decided to teach.

This event has since been taken by the Mahayanists as a bodhisattva vow with two aspects of the same coin:

(1)   to become a Buddha ourselves, and

(2)   to help all beings to become Buddhas.

These are two inseparable, the awakening mind for oneself and for all others. In order to do that, a bodhisattva has to remain in samsara on purpose to help others. Being an endless vow, his/her practice is endless.

The Four Bodhisattva Vows

From records, a personal commitment and recitation of the Four Bodhisattva Vows was probably first introduced in China around the 6th century. They may have been derived from an early Sanskrit song hymns. At the turn of the 8th century, we find Chinese Ch’an Master Hui-Neng (638–713) teaching the implications of the Four Bodhisattva Vows.

Today, they are recited at the end of their services in many Mahayana monasteries. Their practice is based on:

1. Sentient beings are infinite, as a bodhisattva, I vow to liberate them (by sharing the Dhamma with others, we are skilfully planting the seeds of enlightenment in all beings).

2. Desires and afflictions are inexhaustible, as a bodhisattva, I vow to cease them (to realise that we are all deluded).

3. The dhammas are boundless, as a bodhisattva, I vow to practise and to transcend them (to have the wisdom to dispel all illusions).

4. The Buddha’s Awakening is ultimate, as a bodhisattva, I vow to attain it ( Buddhahood as the absolute attainment).

Vows are essential tool for Mahayana practitioners. Though these vows are seemingly impossible aspirations, we have to bear in mind that a life led by vow is a life inspired by vows. The person and the vow are one, thus a bodhisattva life is itself a vow.

In other words, a bodhisattva cannot live without being led by vows for it has become the direction of his/her life. He/she aims at the infinite and absolute, beyond ‘self’ by taking one step at a time toward the infinite. The practice, the journey is a manifestation of absolute awakening itself. This practice has become the whole of a bodhisattva life and in the company of others, ad-infinitum. Thus, the bodhisattva journey is the goal itself.

The Four Noble Truths

The Four Bodhisattva Vows are the guiding force, the compass that leads us to live out this reality. They are also directly connected to the Four Noble Truths.

1.  I, as a bodhisattva, vow to enable people to be released from the truth of suffering.

2.  I, as a bodhisattva, vow to enable people to understand the truth of the cause of suffering.

3.  I, as a bodhisattva, vow to enable people to settle down in the truth of the cessation of suffering.

4.  I, as a bodhisattva, vow to enable people to walk the Noble Eightfold Path that leads to great awakening.

A Bodhi-Mind

With a bodhisattva’s mind of compassion and wisdom, we can accept and cherish all living beings, and by purifying our own conduct, we can help to transform society at large. Even in the midst of suffering, each of us can attain the altruistic bodhi-mind and at the same time to help others arouse this awakening mind of compassion and wisdom.

If you change yourself you will change your world. If you change how you think then you will change how you feel and what actions you take. And so the world around you will change. Not only because you are now viewing your environment through new lenses of thoughts and understanding but also the change within can allow you to take action in ways you wouldn’t have or thought about while stuck in your old habituated thought patterns.

The Four Immeasurables 

Though these vows are seemingly impossible aspirations, spiritual development still occurs in the world, enlightened beings still live among us, perhaps helping us where we might least expect them.

Despite all the problems, cruelty and acts of atrocities in our world, we must never see the bodhisattva ideal as irrelevant or beyond our reach. Beyond the exotic celestial bodhisattvas, the life of bodhisattvas is in ordinary everyday activities – those simple acts of the “Four Immeasurables of loving-kindness, compassion, rejoice and equanimity”.

Our warmth and caring attitude, infectious smiles, concern for others, willingness to help, friendly greetings, cheerfulness, generosity, and how to be gentle, graceful, nice, polite, humble and considerate – all these are our own heedful qualities in full blossom. They can be everywhere where we may barely recognise them. They are no more than ordinary human beings shoring up the deficits in empathy and compassion.

Conclusion

When we see each other as awakening beings in the making, we can find encouraging ways to support each other, instead of disregarding or underestimating each other. All of us are wonderful, unique beings with our own talents, strengths, insights and potential to be awaken Buddhas.

We must continue to improve ourselves in order to continue caring for all beings.

The Four Bodhisattva Vows are not impossible aspirations. They are possible to follow and realise if we are discerning and heedful enough to put the Dhamma into practice.

Many stories began with the introduction of “once upon a time”.

There is no reason why such great aspirations in the Four Bodhisattva Vows shall be an exception.