Level 3: Bodhisattva Vow

The bodhisattva vow is a promise one makes, generally in front of a respected teacher, to do all in their power to help others. It is a commitment to stay the Buddhist path until one’s own awakening, in the service of all beings everywhere. Many Mahayana Buddhists repeat this vow in the form of a daily prayer, as a reminder of their motivation to practice.

The four immeasurables prayer is the wish for all beings to experience loving-kindness, compassion, shared joy and equanimity. The Buddha taught that adopting these four selfless attitudes was the way to freedom from suffering. An enlightened being wishes as much for all beings everywhere, to an immeasurable degree.

The Mahayana 7-branch prayer is a devotional prayer, often spoken as a preliminary to meditation practice. Within this prayer, practitioners mentally bow to the noble ones and make offerings and confess negative actions. They rejoice in their efforts to be of benefit to all beings and ask their teachers to remain and keep teaching, and finally dedicate the merit to all beings.

Compassion is central to Buddhism and cannot be separated from wisdom. As we progress in our meditation practice, we realize we are not separate from others and therefore, our freedom is tied to the freedom of all beings. The wisest thing to do then, is to act compassionately towards everyone.