For some Buddhists (Mahayana), the aim of ones practice is to become a Bodhisattva, which is an expression of “bodhichitta” (which is the desire to attain enlightenment for the sake of others). Many Buddhists, both lay practitioners and monks, take the “Bodhisattva vow” to reinforce this commitment:
May I attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings.
Beings are numberless; I vow to liberate them.
Delusions are inexhaustible; I vow to end them.
Dharma gates are boundless; I vow to enter them.
The Buddha Way is unobtainable; I vow to obtain it.
Peace and Love, Jim
