Refuge & Bodhisattva Vows
This September, the Shambhala Center will offer the opportunity to take the Refuge Vow and the Bodhisattva Vow. These are two formal commitments along the Buddhist Path. Here is some information about each vow, as well as details about preparation, requirements, and links to the registration pages.
Open to anyone who wants to make a formal commitment to the Buddhist Path. The refuge vow marks the decision to commit oneself wholeheartedly to the Buddhist path and to further one’s practice and training. It is the formal commitment to being a Buddhist, following the example of the Buddha Shakyamuni, his teachings (the dharma), and joining the community (sangha) of fellow practitioners.
As this is a major commitment, individuals planning to take the vow should undertake appropriate preparation. They can do so by signing up for the Refuge Vow Preparation Class.
Although there is no fee to take the vow, it is traditional to offer a Heart Gift to the preceptor.
Please contact Chris Wenger (Director of Practice & Education) at [email protected] for more information.
The Bodhisattva vow is the commitment to put others before oneself. It is a statement of willingness to give up one’s own well-being, even one’s own enlightenment, for the sake of others. And a bodhisattva is simply a person who lives in the spirit of that vow, perfecting the qualities known as the six paramitas [perfections]—generosity, discipline, patience, exertion, meditation, and transcendental knowledge—in his effort to liberate beings.
Although there is no fee for this program, there is a preceptor’s heart gift as well as a Bodhisattva gift that is given during the vow. A personal interview with Acharya John will take place on Friday, September 15.
There will be a bodhisattva prep class that must be taken before taking the bodhisattva vow. You can register for that class here.
If you have questions, please contact Sally Larrick at [email protected]
