In the Mahāyāna vision, the bodhisattva vow is both a formal declaration and a profound inner resolve. At its heart lies the commitment to attain complete Buddhahood for the sake of all sentient beings, rather than seeking liberation for oneself alone. Classical formulations express this in various ways, such as the four universal vows: beings are numberless and are to be saved, delusions are inexhaustible and are to be ended, Dharma gates are boundless and are to be entered, and the Buddha’s way is unsurpassable and is to be realized. These formulations give voice to a determination to work tirelessly for the welfare of all beings, to develop perfect wisdom and compassion, and to refrain from entering final nirvāṇa until all beings are liberated.

This vow is usually taken within a ritual framework that begins with taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha. Confession and purification of past unwholesome actions often precede the explicit generation of bodhicitta, the mind of awakening directed toward universal liberation. The vow may be taken before a qualified teacher, an assembly, or in the presence of Buddha images and the Three Jewels, with the Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions invoked as witnesses. Mahāyāna sources distinguish between aspiring bodhicitta, the heartfelt wish to awaken for all beings, and engaging bodhicitta, the decision to actually undertake bodhisattva conduct; the vow is considered fully assumed when this engaging bodhicitta is generated.

Once undertaken, the vow is maintained through a disciplined ethical and contemplative life. The bodhisattva precepts provide an ethical framework that emphasizes intention, compassion, and the refusal to abandon beings, supplementing more general Buddhist moral guidelines. Daily recollection and renewal of bodhicitta—often by reciting the vow and dedicating any merit for the benefit of all beings—helps to keep the original resolve vivid and operative. The six perfections (generosity, ethics, patience, energy, meditation, and wisdom) function as the concrete expression of the vow, so that each act of giving, restraint, endurance, effort, concentration, or insight becomes a way of guarding and deepening the commitment.

Mahāyāna texts also describe how the vow can be damaged and how it may be restored. Persistent self-centeredness, despair about the possibility of helping beings, or deliberate rejection of the Mahāyāna ideal are seen as causes for the decline of bodhicitta. To counter this, practitioners are encouraged to cultivate compassion, faith, and joy in others’ virtue, and to engage in confession and purification when lapses occur. Rituals of repentance and the re-generation of bodhicitta serve to repair breaches and renew the original intention. Association with good spiritual friends who embody bodhicitta further stabilizes the vow, which is regarded as a lifelong and even multi-life commitment to remain engaged in saṃsāra until all beings are brought to liberation.