Bodhisattva vow

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Bodhisattva vow (Skt., praṇidhāna). The vow in Mahāyāna Buddhism to follow the six pāramitās (perfections) and attain Buddhahood, the taking of which is deemed as the first entering of the Mahāyāna path. The core of the bodhisattva vow is: ‘I vow to attain enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings’. For the ‘four great vows’ in Zen, see HONGAN SHIGUSEIGAN.