四弘誓愿

General Buddhism | 佛法研讨
1

Master Ri-Chang brought up these verses:

众生无边誓愿度，烦恼无尽誓愿断，法门无量誓愿学，佛道无上誓愿成

From his Lamrim Commentary Track 131b

欸，喏！还是无垢的、正确的经典上面说得清清楚楚。现在假定你如理地了解，照着这样子去作，然后呢策发了大悲心、大菩提心以后，是的，你要利益无边有情，所以要求证这个无边佛的功德，住无量的时间，一直去积集一切的资粮─先发这个愿心。所以“众生无边誓愿度，烦恼无尽誓愿断，法门无量誓愿学，佛道无上誓愿成”，这个四句不是一个空话。是你如理地了解了以后，你内心上面的的确确，发起了这样的内心的状态，这个愿心。

Curious, I googled it:
https://baike.baidu.com/item/四弘誓愿

四弘誓愿指的是一切菩萨于因位时所应发起的四种誓愿。又称四弘誓、四弘愿行、四弘行愿、四弘愿。略称四弘，或称总愿。

2

I found articles in English on the Four Great Vows:

An English translation can be seen here:

  1. Sentient beings are numberless. We vow to save them all.
  2. Delusions are endless. We vow to cut through them all.
  3. The teachings are infinite. We vow to learn them all.
  4. The Buddha Way is inconceivable. We vow to attain it.

And there is an article going through the writer’s thinking on their own translation: