How do Bodhisattas remember their vow in future lives? If they haven’t received a definite prophecy yet, how do they remember to keep aspiring for it in future lives until they receive it? Does aspiring for Buddhahood whenever one does good deeds make it more likely that one will aspire for it again in future lives?
Also, I realized if someone aspires for Buddhahood and is afraid of bad realms, he shouldn’t be afraid of the aspiration or the prophecy itself. Instead, he should be afraid of bad actions because the aspiration or prophecy doesn’t lead one to bad realms. Bad actions lead one to bad realms, so as long as one practices Dana, Sila, and Bhavana, they will avoid bad realms
From the Commentary on the Chronicle of Buddha Dīpaṅkara
Praise of Giving (Dāna)
“Giving is regarded as the supreme cause
of happiness and other blessings;
and it is said to be the foundation
and the stairway to Nibbāna.“Giving is the refuge of human beings;
giving is their friend and final reliance;
for beings overwhelmed by suffering,
giving is the highest destination.“Because it helps one cross over suffering,
giving is described as a boat;
because it protects from fear,
it is praised as a city.“Because it is difficult to assail,
it is even called a serpent;
and because it is unstained
by the dirt of greed and defilements,
it is like a lotus.“There is no support in the world
equal to giving for a person;
therefore practice it
with right intention and resolve.“Giving is the cause of heaven;
what wise person, delighting in welfare,
would not give?“Hearing that prosperity among the gods
arises from giving,
what person would not give that gift
which brings happiness
and gladdens the mind?“One who practices giving
is surrounded by celestial nymphs
and delights for a long time
in the Nandana and Sura-nandana gardens.“The giver obtains abundant joy;
he gains honor in this world;
he attains endless fame;
he becomes trustworthy.“Having given, that person gains wealth and long life;
he obtains a pleasant voice and beauty;
in heaven he sports with the gods,
dwelling in celestial mansions
echoing with the cries of intoxicated peacocks.“Wealth may be seized by thieves, enemies, kings, water, or fire;
but giving is a treasure that cannot be taken away.
It leads to the ground of disciple-knowledge,
to the level of a Paccekabuddha,
and even to Buddhahood.”
Praise of Morality (Sīla)
“Morality is the supreme cause of happiness;
through morality the virtuous one goes to heaven.
For one who has entered saṃsāra,
morality is protection, shelter, and final refuge.“There is no support equal to morality
for people, here or hereafter.
Morality is the supreme foundation of virtues,
as the earth is for all that moves and stands.“Morality alone is truly beautiful;
morality is unsurpassed in the world.
One who conducts himself according to noble practice
is called virtuous.”There is no ornament like morality;
no fragrance like the fragrance of morality;
nothing cleanses defilements like morality;
nothing cools the burning of passions like morality;
nothing generates fame like morality;
no stairway to heaven like morality;
and no door to enter the city of Nibbāna like morality.As it is said:
“Kings adorned with pearls and jewels
do not shine
as do ascetics adorned with morality.“No fragrance equals the fragrance of morality;
it spreads alike
with and against the wind.“Not the fragrance of flowers,
nor sandalwood, nor jasmine—
but the fragrance of the virtuous
spreads in all directions.“Not even the Ganges, Yamunā,
or the great rivers
can cleanse beings of their defilements;
but the water of morality
washes away impurity.“Not clouds, winds, sandalwood,
garlands, jewels, or moonbeams
can cool beings’ inner heat
as does noble morality,
which is supremely cooling.“Morality removes the fear of self-reproach and blame;
it always brings praise and good reputation.“What other stairway to heaven is there
equal to morality?
What other door
for entering Nibbāna?“Know the unsurpassed benefits of morality—
it is the root of virtues
and destroys the strength of faults.”
Its a habit. They sometimes remember sometimes they dont. You have to already be of impeccable character and perfection when you even make the first aspiration in order to ensure that you will also have the aspiration in future lives.
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I really like this excerpt from the commentary on the Buddhamvamsa.
Tattha tassa puṭṭho viyākāsīti tena dhammasenāpatinā puṭṭho hutvā tassa byākāsi, attano abhinīhārato paṭṭhāya abhisambodhipariyosānaṃ sabbaṃ buddhavaṃsaṃ kathesīti attho.
“Having been questioned by him, he explained” means that, having been questioned by the General of the Dhamma (the Venerable Sāriputta), he answered him. The meaning is that he related the entire lineage of the Buddhas (Buddhavaṃsa), beginning from his original aspiration (abhinīhāra) for Buddhahood and continuing all the way to the attainment of Perfect Enlightenment.
Karavīkamadhuragiroti karavīkasakuṇassa viya madhurā girā yassa so karavīkamadhuragiro, karavīkamadhuramañjussaroti attho.
“Having a voice sweet as a karavīka bird” means one whose speech was sweet like the song of the karavīka bird. In other words, he possessed an exceedingly sweet and melodious voice.
Tatridaṃ karavīkānaṃ madhurassaratā – karavīkasakuṇā kira madhurarasaṃ ambapakkaṃ mukhatuṇḍakena paharitvā paggharitaṃ phalarasaṃ pivitvā pakkhena tāḷaṃ datvā vikūjamāne…
Now this is the sweetness of the karavīka bird’s voice:
It is said that karavīka birds peck ripe mangoes full of sweet juice with their beaks. After drinking the flowing fruit juice, they sing melodiously while beating rhythm with their wings.
When they sing:
Four-footed animals begin to sway as though intoxicated.
Herds of grazing animals drop the grass already in their mouths and listen to the sound.
Fierce beasts pursuing smaller animals stop with one foot raised, remaining motionless as if painted in a picture.
The animals being chased forget their fear of death and also stand still.
Birds flying through the sky spread their wings and remain suspended while listening.
Even fish in the water stop moving and listen attentively to the sound.
Such is the sweetness of the voice of the karavīka bird.
Nibbāpayanto hadayanti kilesaggisantattasabbajanamānasaṃ dhammakathāmatadhārāya sītibhāvaṃ janayantoti attho.
“Cooling hearts” means producing coolness and refreshment in the minds of all beings who have been scorched by the fires of defilements, through the nectar-like stream of Dhamma discourse.
Hāsayantoti tosayanto.
“Making them rejoice” means delighting and gladdening them.
Sadevakanti sadevakaṃ lokaṃ.
“Together with the devas” means the world together with its devas.
Atītabuddhānanti atītānaṃ buddhānaṃ.
“Past Buddhas” means the Buddhas of former times.
Amhākaṃ bhagavato abhinīhārassa purato pana taṇhaṅkaro medhaṅkaro saraṇaṅkaro dīpaṅkaroti cattāro buddhā ekasmiṃ kappe nibbattiṃsu.
Before our Blessed One made his aspiration for Buddhahood, four Buddhas arose in a single aeon:
Taṇhaṅkara Buddha
Medhaṅkara Buddha
Saraṇaṅkara Buddha
Dīpaṅkara Buddha
Tesaṃ aparabhāge koṇḍaññādayo tevīsati buddhāti sabbe dīpaṅkarādayo catuvīsati buddhā idha ‘‘atītabuddhā’’ti adhippetā.
After them came twenty-three more Buddhas beginning with Koṇḍañña Buddha. Thus, the twenty-four Buddhas beginning with Dīpaṅkara are here referred to as the “Past Buddhas.”
Jinānanti tasseva vevacanaṃ.
“Jinas” is simply another name for Buddhas, meaning “Victors.”
Desitanti kathitaṃ.
“Taught” means explained or spoken.
Catuvīsatiyā buddhānaṃ catusaccapaṭisaṃyuttaṃ dhammakathaṃ.
This refers to the Dhamma discourse concerning the Four Noble Truths taught by those twenty-four Buddhas.
Nikīlitanti tesaṃ caritaṃ kappajātigottāyubodhisāvakasannipātaupaṭṭhākamātāpituputtabhariyāparicchedādikaṃ nikīlitaṃ nāma.
“Nikīlita” refers to the recorded details concerning each Buddha, such as:
their life story,
the aeon in which they appeared,
birth,
clan,
lifespan,
Bodhi tree,
chief disciples,
assemblies,
attendants,
parents,
sons,
wives,
and other related particulars.
Buddhaparamparāgatanti dīpaṅkaradasabalato paṭṭhāya yāva kassapaparamparato āgataṃ desitaṃ nikīlitaṃ vāti attho.
“Handed down through the succession of Buddhas” means transmitted through the lineage beginning with Dīpaṅkara Buddha and continuing down to Kassapa Buddha, whether in the form of teachings or recorded accounts.
Pubbenivāsānugatāya buddhiyāti … pubbenivāsānussatiñāṇenāti attho.
“By knowledge following past lives” means by the Knowledge of Recollection of Former Lives (Pubbenivāsānussati-ñāṇa), through which one remembers former existences, whether one life, two lives, many lives, and so on.
Pakāsayīti byākāsi.
“He revealed” means he explained.
Lokahitanti sabbalokahitaṃ buddhavaṃsaṃ.
“For the welfare of the world” refers to the Buddhavaṃsa, which benefits the entire world.
Atha bhagavā karuṇāsītalena hadayena sadevakaṃ lokaṃ savane niyojento ‘‘pītipāmojjajanana’’ntiādimāha.
Then the Blessed One, with a heart cooled by compassion, encouraging the world together with the devas to listen, spoke the words beginning with:
“Generating rapture and gladness.”
Tattha pītipāmojjajanananti pītipāmojjakaraṃ pītiyā pubbabhāgaṃ pāmojjaṃ, pañcavaṇṇāya pītiyā janananti attho.
“Generating rapture and gladness” means producing gladness (pāmojja), which is the precursor to rapture (pīti), and giving rise to the five kinds of rapture.
Sokasallavinodananti sokasaṅkhātānaṃ sallānaṃ vinodanaṃ viddhaṃsanaṃ.
“Removing the dart of sorrow” means removing and destroying the painful darts known as grief.
Sabbasampattipaṭilābhanti sabbāpi devamanussasampattiādayo sampattiyo paṭilabhanti etenāti…
“Obtaining all prosperity” means that through this teaching one gains every kind of prosperity, including human prosperity and divine prosperity. Thus the Buddhavaṃsa teaching is called “the means to obtain all prosperity.”
Cittīkatvāti citte katvā, buddhānussatiṃ purakkhatvāti attho.
“Having made it the object of one’s mind” means having established it in one’s heart, placing recollection of the Buddhas at the forefront.
Suṇāthāti nisāmetha nibodhatha.
“Listen!” means:
“Attend carefully; understand well.”
Madanimmadananti jātimadādīnaṃ sabbamadānaṃ nimmadanakaraṃ.
“Destroying pride” means crushing all forms of conceit and intoxication, such as pride of birth, pride of status, pride of learning, pride of wealth, and all other kinds of pride.
Sokanudanti soko nāma ñātibyasanādīhi phuṭṭhassa cittasantāpo…
“Dispelling sorrow” refers to grief, which is the mental anguish experienced by one afflicted by losses such as the death or misfortune of relatives.
Although grief is, in ultimate analysis, a form of mental suffering (domanassa), it is characterized by inward brooding, mental fixation, and continual lamentation. Because this teaching drives away such grief, it is called “the dispeller of sorrow.”
Saṃsāraparimocananti saṃsārabandhanato parimocanakaraṃ.
“Liberating from saṃsāra” means freeing beings from the bondage of the cycle of rebirth.
Another reading is:
Saṃsārasamatikkama — “crossing beyond saṃsāra.”
Sabbadukkhakkhayanti…
“The destruction of all suffering.”
The commentary explains that the word dukkha (suffering) is used in many senses throughout the scriptures:
painful feeling,
the basis of suffering,
objects associated with suffering,
causes of suffering,
places of suffering.
Here it should be understood as both:
the suffering itself,
and the causes of suffering.
Therefore, “destruction of all suffering” means the ending of all suffering beginning with birth, aging, and death.
Magganti ettha kusalatthikehi maggīyati, kilese vā mārento gacchatīti maggo…
“Path” means that which is sought by those who desire wholesome states, or that which proceeds while destroying defilements.
Here the Buddhavaṃsa teaching is called a path because it serves as a path leading toward Nibbāna.
Sakkaccanti sakkaccaṃ cittīkatvā, ohitasotā hutvāti attho.
“Respectfully” means paying careful attention, listening with full concentration and attentive ears.
Paṭipajjathāti adhitiṭṭhatha, suṇāthāti attho.
“Practice it” means:
“Apply yourselves to it, devote yourselves to it, and listen attentively.”
Atha vā pītipāmojjajananaṃ… buddhattaṃ paṇidhāya ussāhaṃ janeti.
Or alternatively, having heard this Buddhavaṃsa teaching—which generates joy and gladness, removes the dart of sorrow, and serves as the cause for obtaining every kind of prosperity—one should now undertake the path to Buddhahood, which destroys pride, dispels sorrow, leads to the end of all suffering, and possesses many other excellent qualities.
In this way, the Buddha inspires all devas and humans to arouse energy and determination by aspiring to Buddhahood.
Sesamettha uttānamevāti.
The remaining portions are straightforward in meaning.
Iti madhuratthavilāsiniyā buddhavaṃsa-aṭṭhakathāya Ratanacaṅkamanakaṇḍavaṇṇanā niṭṭhitā.
Thus ends the explanation of the Ratanacaṅkama Chapter in the Madhuratthavilāsinī, the Commentary on the Buddhavaṃsa.
Niṭṭhitā ca sabbākārena abbhantaranidānassatthavaṇṇanā.
And thus the explanation of the Internal Introduction (Abbhantara Nidāna) has been completed in every respect.
This teaching really does remove sorrow and produce joy. I read this when I’m sad and I forget about the sadness and feel inspired to become a Buddha.
I also like this translation from the Tipitaka Pali Reader:
magganti ettha kusalatthikehi maggīyati, kilese vā mārento gacchatīti maggoti buddhavaṃsadesanā vuccati, taṃ nibbānassa maggabhūtaṃ buddhavaṃsadesanaṃ.
Magga: Here, the Buddhavamsa discourse is called magga (path) because it is sought by those who desire wholesome things, or because one goes by destroying defilements; that Buddhavamsa discourse which is the path to Nibbāna.sakkaccanti sakkaccaṃ cittīkatvā, ohitasotā hutvāti attho.
Sakkacca means respectfully, having attentive ears.paṭipajjathāti adhitiṭṭhatha, suṇāthāti attho.
Paṭipajjathā means establish yourselves, or listen.atha vā pītipāmojjajananaṃ sokasallavinodanaṃ sabbasampattipaṭilābhahetubhūtaṃ imaṃ buddhavaṃsadesanaṃ sutvā idāni madanimmadanādiguṇavisesāvahaṃ sabbadukkhakkhayaṃ buddhabhāvamaggaṃ paṭipajjathāti sabbesaṃ devamanussānaṃ buddhattaṃ paṇidhāya ussāhaṃ janeti.
Alternatively, having heard this Buddhavamsa discourse which generates joy and delight, dispels the darts of sorrow, and is the cause for the attainment of all accomplishments, now practice the path to Buddhahood which brings about the special qualities of dispelling pride and the cessation of all suffering, thus inspiring all deities and humans to aspire to Buddhahood.sesamettha uttānamevāti.
The rest here is clear.iti madhuratthavilāsiniyā buddhavaṃsa-aṭṭhakathāya
Thus ends the explanation of the Jewel Walk Chapter