[11 AM] Ceremony to Receive Bodhisattva Vows - In-Person Registration
Geshe Sonam will perform a ceremony to confer the aspiring and engaging commitments of bodhicitta. Participants may take the vows in one of two ways, mentally deciding during the ceremony whether: 'aspiring' or 'engaged' bodhisattva vows.
Taking the vows to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings, is one of the foremost milestones in the life of a Mahāyāna Buddhist. Geshe la will give this ceremony in two parts, suitable for two levels of commitment. The late Lama Thubten Yeshe explained the two types of commitment in this way:
“At the outset I mentioned two ways of taking the bodhisattva vows. The first is the wishful (aspiring) way, wanting to develop the mind that wishes to help other sentient beings as much as possible, realizing that to help others in the best way you have to develop toward liberation as quickly as possible, and trying to maintain that motivation continuously in this, the next and all future lives.
If you take the vows the second (engaging) way, you think, "I shall keep the root and branch vows and actualize the six perfections as much as I possibly can from now until my death, forever." This is the sort of strong determination that you make.”
Resources:
Which Vows Are Which? A Beginner’s Guide - Mandala Publications (fpmt.org)
Teaching by Lama Yeshe: The Bodhisattva Vows
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