The eighth paramita, pranidhana, generally means aspiration. More specifically, it means spiritual aspiration. It is a sense of spiritual resolve or commitment. So pranidhana is often described and lived into through vows and prayers.

It makes sense that the Tibetan word for this paramita is monlam, which means prayer aspirations or vows. Through monlam, we publicly declare our spiritual aspirations in a way that calls us to accountability. There’s also a sense of calling on a power beyond. Spiritual aspiration is not sheer human will; we must be supported and encouraged by a power far beyond our own.

Sometimes, the easiest way to understand what something means is to consider its opposite. Lama Surya Das says the opposite of pranidhana is indecisiveness, lack of focus, passiveness, duplicitousness, being discouraging or discouraged, and alienation. When we lack aspiration, we don’t focus on the needs of others and only on the base needs of self. We are scattered and undisciplined. When we move toward aspiration, we become inspired and determined. We gain clarity on our vocation, our purpose in the world.

The best and clearest practice of aspiration is through the Bodhisattva vow. (Bodhisattvas, remember, are simply people who choose to live for the benefit of all beings. In other words, they are servant leaders.)

The Bodhisattva Vow exists to awaken bodhicitta, which Pema Chodron defines as an awakened heart. When we awaken bodhicitta, we become open to enlightenment. Aspiration directly implores us to awaken our hearts in this way, and to move from that wakeful state into purposeful action.

The Bodhisattva Vow is meant to feel overwhelming and slightly impossible. It’s not an aspiration for nothing! Many people recite this vow daily (or multiple times a day) as a way of focusing their actions and words toward their highest spiritual intentions. There are numerous translations, but here’s one for you to ponder:

The many beings are numberless, I vow to save them;

Greed, hatred, and ignorance rise endlessly, I vow to abandon them;

Dharma gates are countless, I vow to wake to them;

Buddha’s way is unsurpassed, I vow to embody it fully.

This post is part of the Paramita Project, where I’m practicing one paramita each month. You’ll be able to read all my posts on this month’s paramita, pranidhana, here.