The Sutra of Queen Śrīmālā of the Lion’s Roar
15,590 words
The Sutra of Queen Śrīmālā of the Lion’s Roar (Śrīmālādevī Siṃhanāda Sūtra) is a Mahayana text no longer extant in Sanskrit but preserved in both the Chinese and Tibetan Buddhist canons. It teaches the doctrines of Tathāgatagarbha and the One Vehicle (Skt. ekayāna), through the words of the Indian queen Śrīmālā....
Chapter III - The Three Great Vows
At that time Śrīmālā again, in the presence of the Buddha, professed the three great vows:
“By the power of my earnest aspiration, may I bring peace to innumerable and unlimited living beings. By my virtuous deeds, throughout all rebirths may I attain the wisdom of the True Dharma.” This is called the first great vow.
“Having attained the wisdom of the True Dharma, for the sake of all living beings, may I explain [the Dharma] without wearying.” This is called the second great vow.
“In accepting the True Dharma, may I abandon body, life, and wealth and uphold the True Dharma.” This is called the third great vow.
At that time the Lord prophesied to Śrīmālā, “With reference to the three great vows, just as all forms are contained in space, so likewise the bodhisattva vows, which are as numerous as the sands of the Ganges River, are all contained in these three great vows. These three vows are the truth and are extensive.”