Samantabhadra's 10 Great Vows

In the Āvataṃsaka-sūtra, the Buddha states that Samantabhadra Bodhisattva made ten great vows in his path to full Buddhahood:

1. To pay homage and respect to all Buddhas.

2. To praise the Thus Come One.

3. To make abundant offerings.

4. To repent misdeeds and evil karmas.

5. To rejoice in others' merits and virtues.

6. To request the Buddhas to continue teaching.

7. To request the Buddhas to remain in the world.

8. To follow the teachings of the Buddhas at all times.

9. To accommodate and benefit all living beings.

10. To transfer all merits and virtues to benefit all beings.

In the upcoming posts, we shall explore each of the 10 vows in deeper explanations as these 10 vows are the very basics of practice for a practitioner of Pureland Buddhism. In the Western Pureland under the leadership of Amituofo, all the Bodhisattvas practice according to the 10 great vows. If you do not practice the 10 great vows, it will be difficult for you to gain your lotus seat in Western Pureland.