The Two Vows

There are many ways to practice as a Bodhisattva in everyday life, regardless of how ordinary our activities might be. Like waking up in the morning, brushing our teeth, going to work, and coming back to share a meal with our loved ones. Most people keep doing the same chores every day. How ordinary it is! ​

Dear Dharma Friends,

There are many things we do in our life that move us or make us happy. One thing that truly makes us happy is helping other people and the world. This has to do with the fact that we have an innate altruism. Perhaps that’s because of our mammalian instinct to rely on the help of others for our survival, but it could be that we all have Buddha nature that wants to express itself through love. Either way, our deepest core is intrinsically wholesome and noble. This is true for everyone, regardless of personality or way of life.

Sometimes, we might not find opportunities to help others the way we have imagined. The feeling that you’re helping others is palpable if you’re working for a charity program or if you’re helping others in areas hit by natural disasters and war, but many of us lead quite an ordinary life. It may feel like there is no place in everyday life to be a Bodhisattva. Yet, we must keep the flame of altruism alive in our heart and even actively seek opportunities to help those who are in great need. We could support social causes that will have a positive ripple effect that changes society at large.

There are many ways to practice as a Bodhisattva in everyday life, regardless of how ordinary our activities might be. Like waking up in the morning, brushing our teeth, going to work, and coming back to share a meal with our loved ones. Most people keep doing the same chores every day. How ordinary it is! Yet, we can just remember to be kind to everyone we run into including family members, coworkers and strangers. We don’t need to worry that we’re not doing heroic work for humanity. Simple kindness is what this world is longing for. It brings about healing, joy and peace.

Traditionally, Buddhism teaches that the essence of the refuge vow is to not harm others, while the essence of Bodhisattva’s vow is to benefit others. Practicing kindness satisfies both of these moral principles. When we get caught up in our mental stories and feelings, it can be quite easy to be unkind towards people in our lives. People often absorb our emotions when we throw them around. Our words can cause harm or benefit – we don’t know their full impact on others.

We can start practicing kindness by working on our speech. Speech is such a wonderful gift of life and a form of human communication on which we often rely. Practicing kindness through our speech is not about using holy and spiritual sounding words. It’s more about not using harsh words that can cause harm to someone’s heart. Our words can have the power to give rise to wisdom, empowerment, and inspiration to others.

I grew up in a culture where people were encouraged not to call others names. It is not always so easy to refrain from using harsh words when others’ behaviors challenge us. These harsh words can be subtle, like labeling others. Even when labeling others is done innocently, it can close our mind to the goodness and mystery of another human being. Every human being has Buddha nature and multi-dimensionality that cannot be captured in the pigeonhole of judgment. Everyone deserves our love and reverence.

During this Sojong, let’s remember these two vows: not harming, and benefiting others. It can be as simple as practicing kind speech. We can invite the whole sangha as our witness to hold these two vows. May we become a light unto ourselves and the world around us.

With palms joined, Anam Thubten