The Bodhisattva Vows

[dsiluvu]

The Eighteen Root Downfalls

1.    praising oneself and belittling others

2.    not sharing with others one’s wealth and Dharma

3.    not forgiving even when others apologise

4.    doubting and denying the doctrine of the Great Vehicle

5.    taking offerings intended for the Three Jewels

6.    abandoning the doctrine through sectarianism

7.    causing an ordained person to disrobe

8.    committing one of the five crimes of immediate retribution

9.    holding perverted views

10.   destroying places such as towns

11.   teaching emptiness to the untrained

12.   discouraging others from seeking full enlightenment

13.   causing others to break the vows of Individual Liberation

14.   belittling those who follow the path of Individual Liberation

15.   proclaiming false realisations such as the realisation of emptiness

16.   accepting gifts that have been misappropriated from the belongings of the Three Jewels

17.   laying down harmful regulations and passing false judgement

18.   giving up the pledge of altruistic aspiration

 
The Forty-Six Secondary Downfalls

1.  not making offerings every day to the Three Jewels

2.  acting out of desire because of discontent

3.  not paying respect to those senior in ordination and in taking the Bodhisattva vows

4.  not answering others’ questions out of negligence though one is capable of doing so

5.   selfishly not accepting invitations due to pride, the wish to hurt other’s feelings or anger or laziness

6.  not accepting others’ gift out of jealousy, anger etc or simply to hurt others

7.  not giving the Dharma teaching to those who wish to learn

8.  ignoring and insulting someone who has committed any of the five heinous crimes or defiled his or her vows of individual liberation, or treating him or her with contempt

9.   not observing the precepts of moral conduct because one wishes to ingratiate oneself with others

10. complying with the minor precepts when the situation demands one's disregard of them for the better benefit of others

11. not committing one of the seven negative actions of body, speech and mind when universal love and compassion deem it necessary in the particular instance

12. accepting things that are acquired through one of the five wrong livelihoods

13. wasting time on frivolous actions such as carelessness, lack of pure morality, dancing, playing music just for fun, gossiping and also distracting others in meditation

14. misconceiving that bodhisattvas do not attempt to attain liberation and failing to view delusions as things to be eliminated

15. not living up to one's precepts

16. not correcting others who are motivated by delusions

17. parting from the four noble disciplines

18. neglecting those who are angry with you

19. refusing to accept the apologies of others

20. acting out thoughts of anger

21. gathering circles of disciples out of desire for respect and material gain

22. wasting time and energy on trivial matters

23. being addicted to frivolous talk

24. not seeking the means to develop concentration

25. not abandoning the five obscurations which hinder meditative stabilisations

26. being addicted to the joy of meditative absorbtion

27. abandoning the path of Theravada as unnecessary for one following the Mahayana

28. exerting effort principally in another system of practice while neglecting the Mahayana teachings that one already has

29.  without good reason exerting effort to learn or practise the treaties of non-Buddhists which are not the proper object of one's endeavour

30.  beginning to favour and take delight in the treaties of non-Buddhists although studying them for a good reason

31.  abandoning any part of the Mahayana by thinking it is uninteresting or unpleasant

32.  praising oneself and belittling others because of pride and anger

33.  not going to Dharma gatherings or teachings

34.  disparaging the spiritual master

35.  not helping those who are in need

36.  not helping people who are sick

37.  not alleviating the suffering of others

38.  not explaining what is the proper conduct to those who are reckless

39.  not benefiting in return those who have benefited oneself

40   not relieving the sorrow of others

41.  not giving material possessions to those in need

42.  not working for the welfare of one’s circles of friends, students, employees, helpers

43.  not acting in accordance with the wishes of others if doing so does not bring harm to oneself or others

44.  not praising those who have good qualities

45.  not acting with whatever means are necessary according to the circumstances to stop someone who is doing harmful action

46.  not using miraculous powers, if one possesses this ability, in order to stop others from doing unwholesome actions

 
Many masters who say that we cannot wait until we have a really genuine aspirational bodhicitta in order to take Bodhisattva vows. If we did we would never have the chance to take the vows and that would be a great loss. On the other hand, if we are not keeping the easier vows perfectly, what is the point of taking the harder ones because there is no way we will be able to keep them? As Shantideva says in his Bodhisattvacharyavatara if we have not really mastered the activities we are doing now, it is pointless to start new ones.

 

First of all I should examine well what is to be done

To see whether I can pursue it or cannot undertake it.

(If I am unable) it is best to leave it,

But once I have started I must not withdraw.

 

(If I do), then this habit will continue in other lives

And evil and misery will increase,

Also other actions done at the time of its fruition

Will be weak and will not be accomplished.

[Positive Change]

Thank you Dsiluvu for posting this.

Gives us all an opportunity to study and learn these vows and put them into practice. Reading and going through these vows really gives us a wake up call as to how we are to think, act, behave, etc. If you really get down to it, it really is all common sense meaning it is about focusing on others whilst focusing on yourself to be more aware of your body speech and mind.

Some of the "vows" transcends religions as it should be common etiquette or purely the right thing to do. These vows should not be viewed as "scary" or "hard" as this is how we are suppose to be in the first place... not cold, selfish or angersome! Then again, thats just me!

[kurava]

At first reading, I thought these vows would take away my "freedom". After few discussions with my fellow sangha and having gone over each vow carefully together, I realized the vows actually protect us from creating the wrong causes .

The number of vows to keep may look daunting at first but one safe way to keep the vows is to always check our intention honestly before we decide to do  or not do something.

The vows are Buddhas' ways to help more people to attain true happiness 

[Positive Change]

At first reading, I thought these vows would take away my "freedom". After few discussions with my fellow sangha and having gone over each vow carefully together, I realized the vows actually protect us from creating the wrong causes .

The number of vows to keep may look daunting at first but one safe way to keep the vows is to always check our intention honestly before we decide to do  or not do something.

The vows are Buddhas' ways to help more people to attain true happiness 

Thank you Kurava,

I like the way you said that the vows are actually to protect us from creating the wrong causes and not to "limit" us at all. Once again a clear example of how to look at things on the positive side and not always looking from a selfish point of view.

With that in mind, the Bodhisattva vows are actually not difficult to keep/achieve as it is about keeping ourselves in check. It only becomes difficult when we choose our attachments and comfort zones over what we should be doing. The more difficult it is, the more we have to transform... For someone who is willing to transform and benefit others, these vows, I feel, really do come naturally!

[daibutsu]

It is always useful to be reminded of our vows.
Thanks for posting.

[Rihanna]

What you say is true: some of these vows transcends religions.
To me, its basic human ethics that we should hold not only when we are bound by oath/vows.

Thank you Dsiluvu for posting this.

Gives us all an opportunity to study and learn these vows and put them into practice. Reading and going through these vows really gives us a wake up call as to how we are to think, act, behave, etc. If you really get down to it, it really is all common sense meaning it is about focusing on others whilst focusing on yourself to be more aware of your body speech and mind.

Some of the "vows" transcends religions as it should be common etiquette or purely the right thing to do. These vows should not be viewed as "scary" or "hard" as this is how we are suppose to be in the first place... not cold, selfish or angersome! Then again, thats just me!

[dsiluvu]

Yes positive change... you are positive in saying these vows transcends all religion... it is a Bodhisattva's vows and a Bodhisattva naturally transcends all labels and would assist and help all beings because they are compassionate. Before one can become a Buddha fully, one will have to climb the mountain of a Bodhisattva... and I guess for me... I can start by trying to hold these vows as if I have them already.

To some it may be a prison, but I remember my Lama once said, that this is so only to those who have been doing the opposite...basically not so "nice" people... otherwise it is just pure logic and ethical ways of life that takes you on another level... thinking more of how we can help and benefit others. I know practising this sure is not as easy as it sounds, but I guess we need to start somewhere, one person a day, one day at a time hu?

My favourite vow would be  "not acting with whatever means are necessary according to the circumstances to stop someone who is doing harmful action". This explains why some Lama uses skilful, wrathful means to help wake his students up or to purify their negative karma.

What's everyone's favourite? We can all pick one and be mindful of it for the day

[vajrastorm]

Thank you, Dsiluvu, for posting the Bodhisatta Vows. I like what Kurava says about these vows being "Buddha's ways to help more people attain true happiness".

Whilst the Refuge Vows focus on commitment to abandoning harming of other beings in the form of the 5 Precepts and the ten non-virtuous actions of body, speech and mind that have to be abandoned, the Bodhisattva Vows revolve around  three sets of ethics. They are the ethics of abstaining from wrongdoing in general and actions contrary to the vows, in particular; the ethics of collecting virtues; and the ethics of working to benefit all living beings.

The vows also revolve around the motivation and practice of Bodhicitta and the Six Perfections. Thus, I find this Vow (in the 'Practice of Morality' Section) - 'not committing one of the seven negative actions of body and  speech when universal love and compassion deem it necessary in a particular instance' - very strong in its emphasis on the Bodhicitta motivation.

What is firmly proscribed are sectarianism and narrow-mindedness.

THe Bodhisattva Vows are most pronounced and emphatic about  cherishing others and about abandoning self-cherishing.

[DSFriend]

We have been "practitioners" since the day we were born, disciplined practitioners of the 8 worldly dharmas, practitioners of anger etc..

Now that we have encountered the dharma, why not use this skill to practice and hold on to something which brings us lasting happiness for ourselves and so many others.

If we do not decide, then the natural default is that we become practitioners of anger.

There's actually no option for us, if we know how much is at stack. The lost is not just happiness for this life, but countless future lives.

[buddhalovely]

THE FOUR BODHISATTVA VOWS

a) However innumerable sentient beings are, I vow to influence those seekers who have planted the causes and
conditions along the path in succeeding to achieve it.
b)However inexhaustible the defilements are, I vow to contribute in extinguishing them.
c) However immeasurable the dharmas are, I vow to master them.
d) However unattainable the Way is, I vow to attain it.

From The Diamond Cutter Sutra, Section III, The Real Teaching of the Great Way Buddha said:

"Subhuti, all the Bodhisattva Heroes should discipline their thoughts as follows: All living creatures of whatever class, born from eggs, from wombs, from moisture, or by transformation, whether with form or without form, whether in a state of thinking or exempt from thought-neccessity, or wholly beyond all thought realms--all these are caused by Me to attain Unbounded Liberation Nirvana. Yet when vast, uncountable, immeasurable numbers of beings have thus been liberated, verily no being has been liberated. Why is this, Subhuti? It is because no Bodhisattva who is a real Bodhisattva cherishes the idea of an ego-entity, a personality, a being, or a separated individuality."