Discourse on the Sūtra of the Anthology of Father and Son (217)

The Great Vows of a Bodhisattva

A Bodhisattva should vow to be the sovereign refuge for those who have no protector. Sentient beings are, in truth, all without refuge, suffering and alone. While living in this human world, we may seem to have family and dependents to rely upon, yet all family and loved ones are unreliable. Family and loved ones are also suffering, alone, and without refuge; they all need a place of reliance. Each person has nothing to depend on; when life ends, one departs alone. In the three evil realms, even the closest relatives cannot accompany one; one can only walk alone on a path that is unfamiliar, lonely, desolate, and painful. Therefore, the Bodhisattva must vow to be the reliance and refuge for these helpless sentient beings, leading them towards brightness and liberation.

A Bodhisattva should vow: having crossed over oneself, then cross over others. Only after one has oneself crossed over can one help others cross over. If a Bodhisattva only has the mind to rescue others but remains oneself within the bitter sea of samsara, then one lacks the power to rescue sentient beings. For example, someone who has never been to a distant place with beautiful scenery cannot lead others to appreciate the scenery together; they might get lost halfway and naturally fail to reach the destination. Therefore, one must first have been to the scenic place, personally experienced the beautiful sights, and clearly understood the path in between, before one can lead others there. This is the principle that one must cross over oneself before being able to cross over others.

A Bodhisattva should vow: having liberated oneself, then liberate others. Only after liberating oneself can one cause others to attain liberation. Only when one has the ability to free oneself from the three realms, unbound by the three realms, can one lead others together onto the correct path of liberation. If one has not oneself attained liberation, one does not know the correct path to liberation and cannot lead sentient beings onto the path of liberation.

A Bodhisattva should vow: having attained peace and security oneself, then grant peace and security to others. The Buddha has already reached the other shore of Nirvana, attained the ultimate bliss of Nirvana's extinction, and achieved peace and security in body and mind. To rescue sentient beings and grant them peace and security, He returned to the three realms, yet His body and mind remained peaceful, secure, and at ease, unconfused and unbound by the realms of the five desires and six dusts in the Saha world. Only thus can He guide sentient beings to gradually attain peace and security. Shakyamuni Buddha came to the Saha world, manifested the eight phases of a Buddha's life, took birth as Prince Siddhartha, surrounded by the five desires. Yet the prince's mind had long transcended these worldly realms, was not stained by any realm, and attained mental peace and security. He was unconfused and undisturbed in any situation, able to renounce all worldly desires and familial affections, resolutely leaving home to cultivate the path. After attaining enlightenment, He began to liberate countless sentient beings extensively. Bodhisattvas should also emulate the conduct of all Buddhas, diligently cultivate to attain peace and security of body and mind, and then grant peace and security to innumerable sentient beings. If one's own mind has not yet attained peace and security, if greed, attachment, and clinging persist, one is easily confused within the five desires and six dusts, subsequently creating evil karma and suffering incessantly. In such a state, how can one grant peace and security to others when one is not even secure oneself?