Slogan #43

Observe these two, even at the risk of your life.

“We try so hard to hang on to the teachings and ‘get it,’ but actually the truth sinks in like rain into very hard earth. The rain is very gentle, and we soften up slowly at our own speed. But when that happens, something has fundamentally changed in us. That hard earth has softened. It doesn’t seem to happen by trying to get it or capture it. It happens by letting go; it happens by relaxing your mind, and it happens by the aspiration and the longing to want to communicate with yourself and others. Each of us finds our own way.”

Pema Chodron

The refuge and bodhisattva vows are Buddhist examples of heart-centered mission and vision statements. In a contemporary rewording of “Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha,” or the commitment to a teacher, teachings, and the practice community, we take refuge in the unconditional truths of the preciousness of human potential, the reality of suffering, death, and karma, and the power of relationship, compassion, and love. And our vision statement? Even at the risk of our own lives, we will step out of our perceived safety zones and dedicate the merit of our practices to the ongoing healing and transformation of ourselves and all living beings. These two daily pledges to ourselves and others help to place our actions in the context of a bigger picture; ie, to value all life and to commit to developing the wisdom, compassion, and skillful means to be of real benefit to the world. These practices help to strengthen our inner moral compass. Slogan #43 asks us to remember what’s important and to cultivate a heartfelt commitment to our deepest intentions by imagining our lives beyond struggle, reaction, and resistance.

“All vows are included in this one commitment: to be committed to paying attention to our lives, to being honest about what is going on and unflinchingly realistic about how we are behaving and thinking...Live your life with your eyes and heart wide open. No matter what.”

Norman Fischer