Buddhist Vows Weekend: Refuge and Bodhisattva Vows (In person)

Name: Buddhist Vows Weekend: Refuge and Bodhisattva Vows (In person)
Start: 2023-10-06T13:00:00-04:00
End: 2023-10-08T17:00:00-04:00
Location: Whole Center – Philadelphia

October 6, 2023 @ 1:00 pm America/New_York

Buddhist Vows Weekend: Refuge and Bodhisattva Vows

with Gaylon Ferguson, PhD

The refuge and bodhisattva vows are traditional vows that are part of the Buddhist path. Taking a vow in a formal ceremony is a way to set our intention and to plant a deep seed of aspiration for the unfolding of our spiritual path.

The weekend program is restricted to people who are ready to commit to taking the vows.

However, if you are seriously considering taking one of the vows and are close to deciding whether or not you want to take the vow this weekend, you can come to the one Friday session for the vow you are considering. Please note that the Friday sessions are not classes on the vow, rather it’s a conversation and at the end of the session, participants will make a final decision about whether or not to take the vow and then request to take the vow if that’s what they’ve decided. If you decide to take the vow, you can then register for the weekend that day.

Everyone, including friends and family, are warmly welcome to the Refuge Vow Ceremony and Celebration on Sunday afternoon at 3:00 pm. The Bodhisattva vow ceremony is restricted to those taking the vow and those who have already taken the vow. Friends and family of those taking the bodhisattva vow are warmly welcome to the celebration on Sunday afternoon.

The Refuge Vow

The refuge vow is open to anyone who wants to make a formal commitment to the Buddhist Path. In taking the refuge vow, we commit to freeing ourselves from confusion and associating ourselves with wakefulness. To do this, we take refuge in the three jewels: the Buddha, the Dharma, and the sangha. We see the Buddha as a guiding example of an enlightened human being, the teachings as the path, and the community of practitioners as our companions in awakening.

Refuge vow participants: As this is a significant commitment, if you’re planning on taking the refuge vow, the online class Making the Commitment: Taking the Refuge Vow is strongly recommended.

If you’re unable to make the class and would like to talk with a meditation instructor about taking the vow, please email psc.practice.education.circle@gmail.com to request a time to meet with a meditation instructor. Please do this at least two weeks before the vow weekend to give enough time to schedule.

The Bodhisattva Vow

Having taken the refuge vow and entered onto the path of the dharma, we can expand and deepen our commitment by taking the bodhisattva vow. We commit to the wisdom-heart of compassion, vowing to liberate all beings from suffering. This leads to the experience and realization of sacred world. The bodhisattva vow is a commitment to put others before oneself, working wholeheartedly for their benefit. The basis of this vow is connecting to bodhicitta and making the commitment to develop kindness, friendliness, compassion, and genuine insight through the practice of the six paramitas: generosity, discipline, patience, exertion, meditation, and prajna.

Please note that the refuge vow is a prerequisite to the bodhisattva vow. One should wait at least six months after the refuge vow before taking the bodhisattva vow.

Bodhisattva vow participants: As this is a major commitment, it’s important that individuals planning to take the vow undertake appropriate preparation. If you’re planning on taking the bodhisattva vow, the online class Making the Commitment: Taking the Bodhisattva Vow is required.
If you’re unable to make the class, please email psc.practice.education.circle@gmail.com to request a time to meet with a meditation instructor. Please do this at least two weeks before the vow weekend to give enough time to schedule.

Program Schedule

Friday October 6

1:00 pm – 3:30 pm Refuge vow participants only, please arrive no later than 12:45 pm so you can register and settle in. Activities include: Orientation to the program, group practice and discussion, making the formal request to take the vow. Refuge vow participants can go home after this.

4:00 pm – 6:00 pm Bodhisattva vow participants only, please arrive no later than 3:45 pm so you can register and settle in. Activities include: Orientation to the program, group practice and discussion, making the formal request to take the vow.

Saturday, October 7

9:00 am – 12:00 pm Refuge vow participants only, please arrive no later than 8:45 am so you can settle in. Activities include: A group practice session and talk with Gaylon Ferguson. Refuge vow participants can go home after this.

2:00 pm – 5:00 pm Bodhisattva vow participants only, please arrive no later than 1:45 pm so you can settle in. Activities include: A group practice session and talk with Gaylon Ferguson.

Sunday, October 8

9:00 am – 12:00 pm Refuge and Bodhisattva vow participants, please arrive no later than 8:45 am so you can settle in. Activities include: Practice session with Gaylon Ferguson; Review of ceremonies

12:00 pm – 1:15 pm Lunch at the Center (will be provided)

1:30 pm – 2:30 pm Bodhisattva Vow Ceremony

For those who wish to attend the 3 pm refuge vow ceremony, please arrive no later than 2:45 pm.

3:00 pm – 4:00 pm       Refuge Vow Ceremony

4:00 pm – 5:00 pm       Celebration

Materials Fee
There may be a materials fee of no more than $20 for those registering for the vows. We will know by the start of the vow weekend how much the fee will be and you will be able to pay it that Friday when you come for the program. No one will be turned away for lack of funds for this.

Celebration
Everyone, including friends and family, are warmly welcome to the refuge vow ceremony and reception on Sunday afternoon. The Bodhisattva vow ceremony is restricted to those taking the vow and those who have already taken the vow. Friends and family of those taking the bodhisattva vow are warmly welcome to the reception on Sunday afternoon.

Gaylon Ferguson, PhD, has led group meditation retreats since 1976. He taught at Stanford, the University of Washington, and Naropa University, where he was Core Faculty for fifteen years. The author of two books, Natural Wakefulness (on the four foundations of mindfulness) and Natural Bravery (on fear and fearlessness as path to manifesting bravery), his articles have appeared in Lion’s Roar, Tricycle, and Buddhadharma magazine. He contributed the foreword to the pioneering collection Black and Buddhist: What Buddhism Can Teach Us About Race, Resilience, Transformation and Freedom (Shambhala, 2020). His next book will be published in March, 2024: Welcoming Beginner’s Mind: Zen and Tibetan Buddhist Wisdom on Experiencing Our True Nature.

See all events in Philadelphia Shambhala Meditation Center