What is the difference between making a spiritual vow and making a wish?

Making a wish means expressing what you hope for to the deities. Making a vow in spiritual practice asks more of you: where do you want to go, and whom are you willing to serve? When you have a direction and are willing to keep acting toward it, that vow becomes a force that moves you forward. If you only hope things will go smoothly but take no action, you have not really put the vow into practice.

So when we speak of a great vow, we need to hold other people's needs in our hearts as well. Learning the compassion of the deities and Buddhas means being willing to help people who are not relatives, or whom we do not even know. We sincerely want to give, and remain willing even without repayment or thanks. When difficulties arise, we still remember why we are doing this. Our methods can adapt to circumstances, but we must not forget the direction of sincerely helping others.

In my understanding of the faith, spiritual abilities and power come from great vows. But that starting point differs from saying you will make a vow in order to gain abilities or impress people. The intention we need to cultivate is seeing another person's suffering and genuinely wanting to help. We must not mistake a desire for applause or to seem special for a vow to help others. When facing challenges, we also need to notice whether our hearts have turned back toward seeking only abilities or praise.

Some people worry that their spiritual aptitude is insufficient or that they are not clever enough. I once brought this question to Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva, and the reminder I received was that a vow provides direction. First establish a direction, then keep moving forward. Other people may be faster and we may be slower, but we can still work toward the same destination. Do not decide that you cannot do it before you have even begun.

Dao Shun also shared that the deities are willing to help beings not simply because they are their followers, but because they have made great vows to help everyone. That intention is something we can learn from. We should not reserve our concern only for those we know well.

Once we have a vow, we also need conviction. This means having something we want to do and believing we can work toward it. When I used to guide Fu Mo practitioners in training, I would teach them to tell themselves each day that they could share positive energy and help others move away from distress caused by negative energy and emotions. Even when difficulties arose, they could believe that as long as they did not give up, they could keep looking for solutions. These words were a way to develop confidence in helping others. Actual practice and action still had to follow.

A fellow practitioner shared that when their work felt heavy and they grew tired after continuing for some time, they would think again about what they still wanted to do, then make a vow before the Bodhisattva and ask for help. This practitioner felt lighter afterward and more motivated to continue. A vow is not something we say only once at the beginning. At different stages, we can look again at our direction.

As for wishes and desires, they are not always easy to distinguish. We can first consider whether what we ask for is reasonable and appropriate, and whether we have made the corresponding effort. Working seriously and hoping to receive help from supportive people when starting a business differs from hurting others and asking a deity to help us escape responsibility. Whatever name we give a wish, we still need to look at our thoughts and behavior.

The deities have also reminded me that helping others should first be my own vow, rather than something I reluctantly do only after being told to do it. When we sincerely want to act and are willing to put in the effort, we then ask the deities for assistance. In carrying out the work, we still report to them, ask for their blessings, and take each matter seriously. Alongside the willingness to help, we need to do the work properly.