Please Contribute a 'Bodhisattva Vow' ...

[Shinshi]

To work for kindness though anger is always burning.

To make the world laugh though misery is always arising.

To offer joy though disappointment is a constant companion.

Gassho, Shinshi

SaT-LaH

[Nengei]

This is hard for me, I'd have to say. I find the Bodhisattva Vows to be so on-point, to cover all conditions so well, and to be so deeply meaningful for me that I'm not sure I would add or change anything to these honored vows. I will make an effort.

To feed all who hunger, though hunger is unrelenting.
To transform fear, though fear is felt by all.
To see an end to all violence, though violence is ever-present.
To relieve the approach of death, though death is inevitable.

Gassho,
Nengei

Please excuse any indication that I am trying to teach anything. I am a priest in training with no qualifications or credentials for teaching Zen practice or the Dharma.

[Tai Do]

To keep hope alive, though our future is hopeless.
To live in peace, though conflict is unavoidable

Gassho,
Tai Do
Satlah

[Ankai]

To save all addicts,
Though addictions are countless.

ST

[Onkai]

To restore lost memories though memories fade
To let go of the past though the past shapes us

Gassho,
Onkai
Sat lah

[Jundo]

I find the Bodhisattva Vows to be so on-point, to cover all conditions so well, and to be so deeply meaningful for me that I'm not sure I would add or change anything to these honored vows.

Oh, we are not changing the "official" version, so fear not. This is just a little artful exercise.

But there is one common point to all the Vows, new and old:

We vow to do the seemingly impossible, and the Vow is an expression of determination to do something though the odds are not in our favor.

However, that is far from the end of it ...

For in the Peace and Wholeness of emptiness ... the sickness, the addictions, the hunger, the struggling children and adults, the wars ... somehow are all made Whole. The Sentient Beings are already safe from the start even though, sadly, they may not realize so, may not act so, and thus struggle so.

And though all are safe from the start, nonetheless, the sickness, addictions, hunger, struggles and war remain ... so we must keep working on.

This lesson is present in all the Bodhisattva Vows, new and old.

Gassho, J

stlah

[Guest]

To cure all sick children, though some sicknesses incurable

To help keep co workers healthy, though the workplace unhealthy.

To show employers understanding, though some employers cannot understand.

To do our best at work, though work may not show us their best.

Gassho
Kaiku
SatTodayLAH


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Rocio]

To celebrate the gift of our life-giving earth, even as pollution causes greater suffering.

Thank you Paul. It helps me a lot with my rhinitis allergica.
Gassho
Rocío
Sat today LAH

[Zenkon]

two more

1) To study the self, though the self non-existent

2) To examine my afflictions, to discover their source, though painful it may be

Gassho

Zenkon
sat/lah

[Guest]

Please Contribute a 'Bodhisattva Vow' ...

To shine light on depression, though depression steeped in darkness
To understand confusion, though confusion forever puzzling
To offer encouragement, though doubting endless
To see things clearly, though things eternally ambiguous

Gassho,
Daiman
St/lah

[Houzan]

Way out of my comfort zone, but here goes:

To find balance in life, though balance lasts but a second.

To strive to reenergize, though striving takes away energy.

To patch old relationship wounds, though no wound is forgotten.

, Michael
Sat lah

[Onki]

To mend all the broken hearted, though heartbreak is human.

To hold onto precious memories, though memories fade away.

To love unconditionally those we find difficult , though relationships are fleeting.

Gasshō,

On

Sat today

[Risho]

There are some really good ones here

To always be grateful, though complaints never stop

gassho

risho
-stlah

[Tokan]

Hey all - great work!

From my end of things, as a mental health nurse, this is what I came up with (seems like Daiman had similar inspiration!)...

To probe the depths of the mind, though the mind is unfathomable.
To stay in touch with reality, though reality is untouchable.
To restore the mind and spirit, though there is nothing in need of restoring.
To heal all trauma, though the scars will never fade.


Gassho, Tokan

satlah

[Shonin Risa Bear]

wow

gassho
ds sat today