The Vows of Samantabhadra (Summary)

In the Avatamaska Sutra it is recorded that Bodhisattva Samantabadhra makes 10 great vows concerning his Buddhist practice which becomes the leading guidelines of all Bodhisattvas and particularly of Sudhana. They are:

1. To venerate all the Buddhas.
2. To make praises to the infinite number of the Buddhas.
3. To make offerings to the Buddhas by practicing the Buddhist teachings so as to benefit oneself and others.
4. To repent and reform all karmic hindrance, accumulated from our thoughts, words, or actions throughout our past reincarnations.
5. To rejoice at other's merit and virtue.
6. To pray that the Dharma-Wheel will continue to be turned.
7. To petition that the Buddhas remain in the world to benefit more people.
8. To always follow the Buddha's path in order to attain Awakening.
9. To live harmoniously with all living beings, i.e., to respect all sorts of beings, and be as attentive to them as he would to his own parents or even to the Buddhas.
10. To dedicate all accumulated merits and virtue to all living beings for their salvation.

The above ten vows combine seeking Awakening for ourselves (the first eight vows) and saving others (the last two vows) by helping them attain Awakening and is typical of the vows of all the Bodhisattvas.

Text adapted from Internet Archive (retrieved, July 11th 2009)