Living beings are limitless, I vow to liberate them all.
Blind passions are limitless, I vow to sever them all.
Dharma gates are inexhaustible, I vow to know them all.
Unsurpassed is awakening, I vow to realize it.
Commentary from Genshin’s Ojoyoshu, Section on the Correct Practice of the Nembutsu
To begin with, the manifestation of practice is generally called the mind that vows to become a Buddha. It is also referred to as the mind that seeks the highest awakening while transforming living beings below. The manifestation of practice is also expressed as the Four Universal Vows.
These vows can be understood in two ways. The first way is to understand the Four Universal Vows as they arise from life situations. This is compassion conditioned by a feeling of sympathy for living beings[1], or compassion conditioned by an appreciation of the Dharma[2]. The second way is to understand the Four Universal Vows as they arise from true reality. This is unconditioned compassion[3].
Continue reading “The Four Universal Bodhisattva Vows”