four universal vows ［四弘誓願］ ( shigu-seigan): Also, four great vows, or simply four vows. Vows that every bodhisattva makes when he or she first resolves to embark upon the Buddhist practice. They are (1) to save innumerable living beings, (2) to eradicate countless earthly desires, (3) to master immeasurable Buddhist teachings, and (4) to attain supreme enlightenment.