Learning about Akshobhya Buddha

【Learning about Akshobhya Buddha】
 
By Qiu Huimin (邱惠敏)  

What are the fundamental vows of Akshobhya Buddha? Based on Chapter One, The Mind of Wisdom, and Chapter Four, The Practices Completed by the Bodhisattvas, from The Sutra of the Land of Akshobhya Buddha, Venerable Yin Shun summarized Akshobhya Buddha's vows into three main categories:

1. Fundamental Vows
2. Bodhisattva Vows
3. Pure Land Vows Among these, there are four Fundamental Vows, followed by twelve Bodhisattva Vows, listed as follows:
 
I. Fundamental Vows

1. Until attaining Buddhahood, never give rise to hatred and anger.
2. Never fall onto the paths of Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas.
3. To abandon the five hindrances: desire or wrath, sloth and torpor, restlessness, doubt, and remorse.
4. To refrain from the ten unwholesome deeds: killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, divisive speech, harsh speech, idle talk, covetousness, ill will, and wrong view.  

II. Bodhisattva Vows

1. Always act in accordance with the aspiration for sarvajñajñāna (omniscient wisdom).
2. Remain in harmony with sarvajñajñāna.
3. Become a monastic in every lifetime.
4. Cultivate the dhūta-guna (ascetic practices).
5. Unhindered eloquence in expounding the Dharma.
6. Maintain dignity in the three deportments—walking, standing, and sitting.
7. Refrain from the pārājika offenses (grave transgressions), false speech, and idle gossip.
8. Do not smile when expounding the Dharma to women.
9. Be free from agitation when teaching the Dharma, and regard fellow bodhisattvas as great teachers.
10. Do not make offerings to the tīrthikas (heretics) during Dharma assemblies.
11. When giving material or Dharma offerings, refrain from discriminative thoughts.
12. When seeing someone about to be executed, be willing to sacrifice oneself to save them.
    
Three Major Features of Akshobhya Buddha’s Fundamental Vows
 
Akshobhya Buddha's Fundamental Vows and Bodhisattva's Vows are characterized by three distinctive features. The first is never giving rise to hatred or anger. Akshobhya Buddha's very first vow states:
 
"If my mind gives rise to (1) hatred and anger toward any person, or any living being that crawls or flies; (2) the thought of becoming a Śrāvaka or Pratyekabuddha; or (3) the thought of sexual desire; …then, even if I were to attain Supreme Buddhahood, I would be deceiving all Buddhas."
 
As the saying goes, "A single thought of anger opens a hundred thousand doors of obstruction." In Buddhist teachings, anger is often compared to fire—the fire of anger and hatred can burn away all roots of virtue and merit. A single outburst of wrath not only destroys the merits one has accumulated, but also brings harm to other beings. Anger is like a blade that cuts down one's own wisdom life.
 
Throughout history, countless tragedies have occurred due to the loss of sanity resulting from anger and hatred. Only by following Akshobhya Buddha's example—practicing Sarvajñajñāna and cultivating a mind of compassion through the Bodhisattva Path—can one truly extinguish the fire of hatred.
    
The second feature is the vow to become a monastic in every lifetime and to cultivate the dhūta practices. In the scripture, Akshobhya Bodhisattva vows:
 
"Aspiring to accomplish Supreme Buddhahood, if I should fail to give rise to Sarvajña, or fail to live as a monastic in every lifetime, or to wear the patched robes in every lifetime, or to possess the triple robes in every lifetime, then even if I were to attain Supreme Buddhahood, I would be deceiving all Buddhas."
 
This expresses his firm determination to pursue the Bodhisattva Path as a monastic in every lifetime. Venerable Yin Shun noted that in Akshobhya Buddha's Pure Land, the śrāvaka disciples neither dwell in monasteries nor follow a formal code of precepts. The Buddha did not establish any precepts, nor did the disciples undergo full ordination. Instead, they live solitary lives of practice—independent and fully devoted to cultivating the Path. This reflects the ideal monastic life of Shakyamuni Buddha's time (purity in body, speech, mind, and livelihood) and the way of practice of the early disciples (the Noble Eightfold Path), as embodied in Akshobhya Buddha's Abhirati (Joyous) Pure Land.
    
The third feature concerns expounding the Dharma to women. Although Buddhas and Bodhisattvas vow to liberate all sentient beings, it is rare to find explicit emphasis on guiding women—especially given the traditional belief that one cannot attain Buddhahood in a female form. Yet Akshobhya Bodhisattva vowed that when teaching the Dharma to women, he would ever be mindful of the truths of impermanence, suffering, and non-self, and would never smile with his teeth visible. His intention was that women, too, might realize the Three Dharma Seals and attain liberation, while at the same time avoiding attachment or the arousal of sexual desire. Moreover, when Akṣobhya attains Buddhahood, his Pure Land will include both men and women, where women can attain Buddhahood without transforming into male form. This marks the most distinctive feature of Akshobhya's Pure Land among all others.
    
A Map for Cultivating the Bodhisattva Path
    
In Pure Land and Chan, Venerable Yin Shun explains:
 
"Akshobhya means Unshakable, symbolizing compassion and freedom from hatred, constantly abiding in Bodhicitta. Based on prajñā wisdom and the realization of ultimate truth, it emphasizes both the arousing of Bodhicitta and the realization of wisdom. … It reveals the complete course of the Bodhisattva Path—from the initial awakening of aspiration to the ultimate attainment of Buddhahood.”
 
In other words, Akshobhya Buddha's fundamental vows embody the full expression of cultivating the Bodhisattva Path, wherein the accumulation of wholesome roots and merits must be guided first and foremost by wisdom.
    
Akshobhya's vows center on the vast cultivation that ultimately leads to enlightenment. From the first of his Fundamental Vows to the second of his Bodhisattva Vows, the sequence of aspirations not only outlines the path of practice but also highlights the common pitfalls along the way. (For instance from arrogance arises hatred). Therefore, practitioners must cultivate compassion, temper the five hindrances, and uphold the ten wholesome deeds. These form the basic foundation of the Bodhisattva Path. Beyond the cultivation of merits, Akshobhya emphasizes that all practices should remain inseparable from the aspiration for Sarvajñajñāna. Merit and wisdom must be cultivated together, each supporting the other. This also reveals a key feature of early Mahāyāna practice, which stresses undertaking the Bodhisattva Path through one's own cultivation of wisdom rather than relying on the grace or salvific power of others.
    
From the third to the seventh of his Bodhisattva Vows, Akshobhya Bodhisattva resolves to be reborn as a monastic in every lifetime: upholding the dignity of the sangha, observing the precepts with purity, and living the austere life of a renunciant. This includes strictly following the dhūta practices—alms-begging, eating once a day, wearing the triple robe made of discarded cloth, dwelling in the araṇya or forests, sitting in the open air, and residing near burial grounds. Additionally, he vows to cultivate unhindered eloquence in expounding the Dharma and to refrain from committing the pārājika offenses. Akshobhya Bodhisattva thus exemplifies the realization of a Mahāyāna practitioner—beginning with devoted personal practice and discipline, then guiding others toward the Dharma and inspiring them to arouse the Bodhicitta.
 
The remaining vows, from the eighth to the twelfth, reflect the conduct of a Bodhisattva and the practice of the pāramitās. Akshobhya Bodhisattva vows to expound the Dharma to women, to refrain from making offerings to the tīrthikas, to practice giving with a mind free from discrimination, and to be willing to sacrifice his life to save those in danger. These vows highlight that Akshobhya Bodhisattva's practice is firmly grounded in wisdom—wisdom that discerns clearly, remains unshaken by false teachings, and ultimately leads to enlightenment. With the perfection of wisdom free from outflows, he is able to liberate countless sentient beings and realize the Joyous Buddha Land.


 

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Resource: Issue 352 of Humanity Magazine, Dharma Drum Publishing Corporation
Photo: Venerable Chang Duo (常鐸法師)
Translation: Claire
Editing: Keith Brown, Venerable Yan Hsiang (演香法師)