Four Vows Translation
November 17, 2008
The SZBA has (relatively) recently distributed this proposed official translation of the Four Vows. Only formatting differentiates it from a previous translation below:
Beings are numberless, I vow to free them.
Delusions are inexhaustible, I vow to end to them.
Dharma gates are boundless, I vow to enter them.
The Buddha Way is unsurpassable, I vow to realize it.
According to this archived page the Four Vows had been translated and published online as a part of the "Soto School Scriptures for Daily Services and Practice" on August 14, 2001 under the auspices of the Sotoshu-sponsored Soto Zen Text Project (SZTP).
On June 22, 2002, the SZTP translation had been removed and the editors stated it would be available in printed form.
However, as of this writing Google still has a cached version of the SZTP translation:
Beings are numberless; I vow to free them.
Delusions are inexhaustible; I vow to end them.
Dharma gates are boundless; I vow to enter them.
The buddha way is unsurpassable; I vow to realize it.
For comparison, here is the traditional translation, originally used at the San Francisco Zen Center:
Sentient beings are numberless; I vow to save them.
Desires are inexhaustible; I vow to put an end to them.
The Dharmas are boundless; I vow to master them.
The Buddha Way is unsurpassable; I vow to attain it.