Nothing is more essential for the benefit of sentient beings than bodhicitta. This precious mind is unequaled and is the unique path through which countless beings may attain liberation. Recognizing its unsurpassed value, His Holiness Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche would confer the bodhisattva vow upon his disciples each year on the auspicious anniversary of Buddha Shakyamuni’s First Turning of the Dharma Wheel. For this purpose, he employed The Concise Sadhana of the Bodhisattva Vow, a liturgy of his own composition. Though concise, this sadhana is imbued with profound blessings, encapsulating the essential meaning in a clear and accessible form.
In 2020, on the same sacred occasion, Khenpo Sodargye used this sadhana to bestow the bodhisattva vow upon fortunate disciples. In doing so, he not only upheld the unbroken lineage of His Holiness, but also provided practical guidance on how to genuinely arouse bodhicitta in the mind.
The Concise Sadhana of the Bodhisattva Vow integrates the essence of The Way of the Bodhisattva with The King of Aspiration Prayers. It is a pith-instruction style sadhana that is simple, easy to understand, and endowed with the blessings of a close lineage. It primarily follows the tradition of Profound View, while also skillfully incorporating essential points from the tradition of Vast Conduct. Whether you are taking the vow yourself or conferring it upon others, you may rely on this sadhana as a clear and accessible guide.
This sadhana holds special significance for the close disciples of His Holiness Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche, who often used it to bestow the bodhisattva vow. After His Holiness’s parinirvana, Khenpo Rinpoche deeply wished to continue transmitting the vow in his teacher’s tradition, but lacked the original liturgy. In early 2020, Khenpo Rinpoche discovered an audio recording of His Holiness conferring the bodhisattva vow using this very sadhana. Overjoyed—as if recovering a long-lost wish-fulfilling jewel—he immediately transcribed the text and translated it into Chinese.
Later that year, on the auspicious anniversary of Buddha Shakyamuni’s First Turning of the Dharma Wheel, Khenpo used this sadhana to bestow the bodhisattva vow upon fortunate disciples, providing both the full reading transmission and His Holiness’s explanation. It is Khenpo’s heartfelt wish that this sadhana be widely used for conferring and receiving the bodhisattva vow, ensuring its preservation as an unbroken lineage for generations to come.
