Within the Mahāyāna tradition, ritual and ceremony function as structured means for embodying the bodhisattva ideal rather than as mere external observances. Practices such as taking the bodhisattva vows, reciting aspirations, and performing offerings are understood to generate merit (puṇya) and purify negative tendencies, with that merit often dedicated to the liberation of all beings. In this way, ritual action becomes an expression of the resolve to seek awakening not only for oneself but for others, and thus directly supports the cultivation of bodhicitta, the awakened heart-mind. The repetitive and mindful character of these practices also stabilizes attention, calms the mind, and helps transform unwholesome mental states, allowing the teachings to penetrate more deeply.

Rituals further serve as a concrete bridge between doctrinal understanding and lived experience. Through symbolic gestures, visualizations, and recitations, ceremonies encode central Mahāyāna themes such as compassion, wisdom, and the universality of buddhahood, making abstract principles accessible through body, speech, and mind. Devotional practices directed toward buddhas and bodhisattvas—such as chanting, praise, and visualization—foster a sense of connection with enlightened exemplars and invite their compassionate influence, while simultaneously offering models for practitioners to emulate. In Pure Land contexts, for example, the ceremonial recitation of buddha-names and related visualizations are oriented toward rebirth in pure realms where the Dharma can be more fully realized.

At the communal level, ritual and ceremony knit practitioners into a shared spiritual life. Group chanting, vow ceremonies, memorial services, and other public observances strengthen the saṅgha, create a collective field of intention, and offer mutual support on the bodhisattva path. Certain formal rituals also mark key transitions and transmissions: ordination, the conferral of vows, and empowerment rites function as symbolic thresholds, affirming commitment and, in some cases, conveying specific teachings or capacities from teacher to student. In all of these dimensions, ritual is regarded as a form of skillful means (upāya), a pedagogical and transformative technology that, when engaged with understanding, aligns everyday conduct with the Mahāyāna vision of universal awakening.