Great Practice, Boundless Vows: Samantabhadra Bodhisattva and the Path of Action
Wisdom Alone Is Not Enough
If Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva represents "Great Wisdom," then Samantabhadra Bodhisattva represents "Great Practice."
These two bodhisattvas stand on either side of Shakyamuni Buddha, together known as the "Three Sages of the Avatamsaka." They are like the two legs of the Dharma—wisdom is one leg, action is the other. Without either, the Dharma cannot walk.
Many people who study Buddhism love to research doctrines, love to listen to sutras and teachings, love to debate philosophy. All of this is good, but if one stays only at this level, it's merely "describing food to count treasure"—talking about the taste of fine cuisine while counting someone else's jewels, having neither eaten nor possessed anything oneself.
Samantabhadra exists to remind us: once you understand the principles, you must act. The Dharma is not an academic subject for research; it is a path for practice.
The name "Samantabhadra" means "Universally Worthy" or "Goodness Pervading All Places." Why can goodness pervade all places? Because he doesn't just speak nice words—at every place, at every moment, he is practicing virtuous actions. This action-power that fills the entire dharma-realm is Samantabhadra's defining quality.
That White Elephant
Samantabhadra's mount is a six-tusked white elephant. This image is very common in Buddhist art and easy to recognize.
Why an elephant? The elephant is the largest land animal, possessing immense strength, able to carry heavy loads and travel long distances without tiring. This symbolizes the bodhisattva's vows and actions—vast, steadfast, enduring. Becoming a Buddha through practice is not a matter of a single day; it requires accumulation over countless eons, enduring countless difficulties and setbacks. The elephant image perfectly expresses this indomitable spirit.
Why white? White symbolizes purity. The bodhisattva acts in the world but is not stained by the world. He does many things, helps many people, yet his heart remains forever pure—without attachment to appearances, without seeking reward. This is the realm of "formless action."
Why six tusks? The six tusks represent the Six Perfections (Pāramitās)—giving, ethical discipline, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and wisdom. These are the six fundamental methods of bodhisattva practice, the essential path from ordinary being to Buddhahood. The six-tusked white elephant signifies that Samantabhadra, through the myriad practices of the Six Perfections, carries all sentient beings across the ocean of birth and death.
A single image contains so many layers of meaning. Buddhism's symbolic system is truly exquisite.
The Ten Great Vows
What Samantabhadra is most famous for is his "Ten Great Vows." These ten vows come from the "Chapter on Samantabhadra's Vows and Practices" in the Avatamsaka Sutra and are considered the complete outline of the bodhisattva path, the highest guide for practice.
The ten vows are:
- To pay homage to all Buddhas
- To praise the Tathagatas
- To make abundant offerings
- To repent of karmic hindrances
- To rejoice in others' merits
- To request the turning of the Dharma wheel
- To request that the Buddhas remain in the world
- To always follow the Buddhas in learning
- To constantly accord with all beings
- To universally dedicate all merit
If we merely recite these ten as slogans, that would be a great waste. Let's look more deeply at a few of them.
"To pay homage to all Buddhas"—this is not just bowing before Buddha statues. The sutra says to pay homage to all Buddhas of past, present, and future, with body, speech, and mind "without weariness or fatigue." What does this mean? It means respect for all awakened ones, reverence for truth, and—if we believe all beings possess Buddha-nature—respect for every life.
"To repent of karmic hindrances"—this is not simply saying "I was wrong." The sutra says that from beginningless time, the unwholesome karma created by body, speech, and mind through greed, hatred, and delusion is boundless. We must repent of each and every transgression, and moreover "maintain this repentance moment after moment, without interruption." This is continuous self-reflection, an attitude of honesty with oneself.
"To rejoice in others' merits"—when we see others doing good or achieving success, to genuinely feel happy for them without jealousy or envy. This sounds simple but is difficult to do. Our minds tend toward comparison, toward thinking "their gain is my loss." Rejoicing in merit means breaking through this zero-sum mentality and cultivating a spirit of mutual flourishing.
"To constantly accord with all beings"—this does not mean doing whatever beings do, but adapting to their capacities and needs, providing appropriate help. To those who are hungry, give food; to those who are cold, give clothing; to those who are confused, give guidance. Not imposing one's own ideas on others, but seeing what the other truly needs.
"To universally dedicate all merit"—to dedicate all merit to all sentient beings, wishing that they all may attain Buddhahood. This is the last and most crucial of the ten vows. It expands the merit of the previous nine from one's personal circle to all beings without limit. Without this vow, the prior practice remains self-centered; with this vow, everything becomes bodhisattva action.
A Vow Is Not a Wish
Some might ask: What's the use of making vows? Isn't it just wishful thinking?
No. In the Dharma, "vow" and "wish" are very different.
A "wish" is fleeting, passive, without responsibility. "I wish I had a million dollars"—and that's the end of it. A "vow" is firm, active, and must be fulfilled with one's life. "I vow to liberate all beings"—then one must act in every way to realize this vow.
A vow is a commitment—a commitment to oneself and a commitment to all beings. Once the vow is made, one must act. In the process of acting, the power of the vow gives direction, gives motivation, gives reason to persist in the face of difficulty.
Why could Amitābha Buddha establish the Pure Land? Because in his causal stage he made forty-eight great vows, then spent countless eons cultivating, practicing, and accumulating merit, ultimately fulfilling every vow. The vow is the cause; the accomplishment is the effect. Without the vow at the causal stage, there would be no Buddha-land afterward.
Samantabhadra's Ten Great Vows work the same way. They are not meant to be merely recited but to be acted upon, one by one. Today, pay homage to one Buddha; tomorrow, repent of one mistake; the day after, rejoice in one good deed... Day by day, the vows and actions are fulfilled, and the bodhisattva path is accomplished.
The Golden Summit of Mount Emei
In Sichuan, China, there is Mount Emei, considered the sacred site of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva.
Mount Emei is one of the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains of China, renowned for its beautiful scenery and deep Buddhist culture. At the summit stands a huge statue of Samantabhadra called "The Ten-Direction Samantabhadra," forty-eight meters tall, glittering with gold—truly spectacular.
Why "Ten Directions"? Because Samantabhadra's vows and practices extend to all ten directions of the dharma-realm. There is no place he cannot reach, no being he will not save. The ten directions symbolize this boundless, all-pervading commitment.
Standing at the Golden Summit of Mount Emei, watching the sea of clouds surge and the Buddha-light appear, one easily feels a sense of transcendence. Perhaps this is the meaning of a sacred site—it gives us an opportunity to step out of daily trivialities and feel something greater.
Of course, the true sacred site is in the heart. Samantabhadra does not necessarily reside on Mount Emei; he dwells in every heart that vows to practice goodness. If in your own life you practice homage, offering, repentance, rejoicing, and dedication, then wherever you are is Samantabhadra's sacred ground.
Action Arises from Understanding; Understanding Is Perfected through Action
Buddhism has a saying: "Action arises from understanding; understanding is perfected through action." This means correct action comes from correct understanding, and true understanding is completed through practice.
This saying beautifully describes the relationship between Mañjuśrī and Samantabhadra. Mañjuśrī represents understanding; Samantabhadra represents action. First, wisdom guides us to know what to do; then through doing, wisdom truly takes root, deepens, and becomes complete.
We often have a misconception that theory and practice are separate—first learn theory, then practice. It's not like that. True learning is learning by doing, doing by learning, understanding and action advancing together, each enhancing the other.
Reading the Diamond Sutra a hundred times is not as good as truly letting go of one attachment once. Listening to a thousand lectures is not as good as truly helping one person. Conversely, acting blindly without the guidance of wisdom can also lead astray.
Samantabhadra and Mañjuśrī are like two mentors on our path of practice—one teaches us how to think, the other teaches us how to act. Following them step by step, we will ultimately arrive at the state of Buddhahood.
Living the Dharma
The greatest inspiration Samantabhadra gives me is this: the Dharma is meant to be lived, not merely spoken.
We can read many sutras, listen to much teaching, understand many principles. But if these stay only in our heads and have no connection to our lives, it's all wasted.
None of Samantabhadra's Ten Great Vows is some obscure and abstruse theory. All can be practiced in daily life. Paying homage to all Buddhas can start with respecting those around you. Making abundant offerings can start with sharing what you have. Repenting of karmic hindrances can start with reflecting on what you did wrong today. Rejoicing in others' merits can start with sincerely praising someone else's achievement.
The greatness of the Dharma lies not in how profound its philosophy is, but in the fact that it can be lived. When we live the Dharma as our life, practicing the bodhisattva path every day, we walk alongside Samantabhadra.
May we all learn from Samantabhadra—making great vows, engaging in great practice, integrating the Dharma into every corner of life, letting our ocean of vows be boundless, letting our practice never cease.