uphold the precepts To rejoice in the merit and virtues of buddhas, bodhisattvas and all sentient beings To ask the buddhas to preach the Dharma To ask the buddhas to refrain from entering nirvana To always follow the buddhas' teachings To serve/benefit all sentient beings To transfer the merit from all practices to the liberation of all beings Vows from Mahayana treatises Shantideva's vow The Tibetan Buddhist Tradition widely makes use of verses from chapter three of Shantideva's Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra, which is entitled Embracing Bodhicitta. Various forms of these verses are used to generate bodhicitta and take the bodhisattva vow. The set of verses which are considered to be the actual taking of the bodhisattva vow are verses 23 and 24 of the third chapter. These verses state: In the Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra, the actual taking of the vow is preceded by various other preparatory practices and prayers, particularly what is called the Seven Branch Practice (Tib. yan lag bdun pa), often done through the recitation of a prayer. The seven branches are: Prostration to the three jewels, supplicating Buddhas and bodhisattvas Making physical, verbal and mental offerings to the Buddhas Confessing one's negative deeds, "one admits to doing the negative deed, one feels true remorse and then one resolves not to do it again." Rejoicing in the goodness and virtues of others Requesting the Buddhas to turn the wheel of Dharma (to teach the way) Requesting the Buddhas not to pass away into final extinction, but to keep coming back to teach and help others Dedicating the merit of all good deeds for the benefit of all beings The 14th Dalai Lama teaches the following way of taking the vow, which begins by reading "through the second and third chapters of the Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra up until the second line of verse 23." The Dalai Lama then writes: In order to take this vow, we should imagine that in front of us are the Buddha and his eight close disciples; the six ornaments, and the two supreme teachers, including Shantideva; and all the realized masters of the Buddhist tradition, in particular the holders of the Sakya, Gelug, Kagyu, and Nyingma schools of Tibet—in fact, all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Consider also that we are surrounded by all the beings in the universe. With this visualization, we shall now read the Seven Branch Prayer ... Consider that we are surrounded by all the beings in