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Rev. Caroline Brazier, Tokudo Minister
The great innovation of Mahayana Buddhism was the establishment of the bodhisattva ideal as the path to awakening. The bodhisattva vows to save all beings before entering nirvana him or herself and to ‘remain in the realm of birth and death working for the benefit of all beings until every last one is delivered from suffering.’
Whilst the Buddha himself had established a teaching based on ethical behaviour and had exemplified compassion and practical caring in his dealing with the early sangha, the spiritual tradition which emerged from his time was largely based on the idea of individual progression within the ordained sangha towards personal liberation. This was achieved through following a lifestyle of practice and asceticism. The path of the Arahat, as it was known, was the embodiment of nobility and was supported by adherence to a set of rules known as the vinaya.
About five centuries after the time of the Buddha, a new movement was established within Buddhism. This was partly the result of various changes which had happened in the Buddhist community and disputes which had arisen over its monastic vows. We can, however see that this movement in fact gave form to aspects of Buddhist thought which dated back to the time of the Buddha himself.
Mahayana Buddhism seems to have emerged as a distinct entity around the first century CE. It was particularly associated at that time with the growing popularity across East Asia of the Lotus Sutra. This text particularly expressed the bodhisattva ideal, a concept which was to become the hallmark of the Mahayana.
Vows and Aspiration
The bodhisattva ideal is centered on the bodhisattva vow. This vow to save all sentient beings is aspirational. In contrast with the practical monastic vows of the vinaya, which define behaviour, its tone is expansive and, in practical terms, its aim is unattainable. Vowing to save all sentient beings is a logical impossibility, especially if one is competing with all other Mahayana Buddhists for the privilege! Rather, vows of this kind primarily offer inspiration. They are intended as much to evoke particular mind states as they are to be literally achieved. This does not negate the intent of the practice in developing deep compassion, however. Compassion is the bedrock of Mahayana.
The idea of aspirational vows permeates Mahayana thought. The traditions of this movement, which is known as ‘the great way’, are big minded. The great vows of the tradition indeed evoke big-mindedness; they give birth to the vow-mind. In the text this month, in addition to reference to the bodhisattva vow itself, we read of the great bodhisattvas; celestial beings who are each associated with particular vows. These figures, including Dharmakara Bodhisattva, show that the vow-mind itself becomes a channel for the transformation of all sentient beings.
Vows and Personal Transformation
The bodhisattva vows are intended to cultivate compassion and to invite nobler mind states. They are also concerned with personal transformation. Many Mahayana traditions have extensive practices related to developing bodhisattva mind. More than this, the bodhisattva vows aspire to transcend selfishness through the focus on others. Transcending self is the path to enlightenment, since, in the service of others, one naturally moves away from self-preoccupation.
This link between the bodhisattva aspiration and personal transformation raises questions. Does a person aspire to save all beings altruistically, or is the aspiration basically for their own benefit because it is a route to enlightenment? In response to such critiques, some Mahayana Buddhists claim that in order to help all sentient beings they need first to be enlightened, since without the insight of an enlightened mind, they are likely to be acting out of self-interest anyway. Such arguments, however, seem to me rather circuitous and against the spirit of Mahayana.
The Bodhisattva Vow: Self Power or Other Power?
Although, the bodhisattva vow reads as the ultimate expression of intentionality, it is also deeply devotional. The eighth century India scholar, Shantideva, described bodhichitta, the bodhisattva mind, as a lightening flash in the dark of night. Aspiration to bodhichitta is as a gift, arriving unexpectedly to inspire the practitioner to joy-filled good works. This sense of the bodhisattva spirit is similar to the Pure Land idea of the nembutsu arising out of a moment of grace. The Bodhisattva vow can therefore be seen as an expression of transformation as much a route towards it, embodying the spirit of Buddha within everyday practice.
The vow-mind is not our own. According to the Shin tradition, it is Amida’s grace, working through us. In allowing the vow-mind to work within our lives, we do not choose our own enlightenment or to work for universal salvation, so much as we allow our lives to attune to the light, unfolding in the fruition of Amida’s vow, available to all who seek it.
In gratitude from: Rev. Caroline Brazier, Tariki Trust, UK. https://buddhistpsychology.typepad.com/my-blog/the-buddhisattva-vow-and-pureland-buddhism.html%20 Previously printed in the Wheel of Dharma.
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