The Extraordinary Aspirations of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva
Venerable Thubten Chodron 
Texts to Recite and Contemplate 
Dec 13, 2025 A talk given at the Vimalakirti Buddhist Centre in Singapore. The talk is a commentary on the "The King of Prayers".
- Expanding our perspective to others
- The present is the only time we have to practice the Dharma
- The source of the prayer
- Sudhana sets out on his spiritual journey and meets spiritual teachers
- Dharma practice is not for ourself alone, it’s to benefit every single sentient being
- We direct our practice by having aspirations
- The ten aspirations of Samantabhadra
- To pay homage to and respect all buddhas
- To praise all the tathāgatas
- To make vast offerings to the buddhas
- To confess and make amends for all the nonvirtuous actions done
- To rejoice in the merit of all the buddhas and bodhisattvas
- To request the buddhas to turn the Dharma wheel
- To entreat the buddhas to remain in the world
- To continually follow the buddhas’ teachings
- To live harmoniously with sentient beings and respond to them according to their needs
- To dedicate the merit so all sentient beings will attain buddhahood
- The initial verses of the prayer
- Questions and answers
“The Extraordinary Aspirations of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva” (download)
Venerable Thubten Chodron
Venerable Chodron emphasizes the practical application of Buddha’s teachings in our daily lives and is especially skilled at explaining them in ways easily understood and practiced by Westerners. She is well known for her warm, humorous, and lucid teachings. She was ordained as a Buddhist nun in 1977 by Kyabje Ling Rinpoche in Dharamsala, India, and in 1986 she received bhikshuni (full) ordination in Taiwan. Read her full bio.
