my bodhisattva vow

On Saturday, I went to an all-day meditation retreat whose theme was the Bodhisattva Vow. The Bodhisattva is a Buddhist figure, a being whose mission in life (and across all their lifetimes) is the enlightenment of all beings.

As lofty as this sounds, we can take on the aspiration to be an ordinary bodhisattva. For me, that means lifting my spiritual practice from one of purely self-realization to one that includes service to and awareness of others.

here is my bodhisattva vow:

May I always act with wisdom and love.
May I radiate joy to everyone around me.
May I bring clarity and compassion to all beings.

now, I may not acheive those all the time. BUT it gives me something to shoot for. one of the teachers told us her vow was to always see the beauty in others. She also read a poem about a convenience store clerk whose smile transformed her experience of life, in the wake of her father's death. That man was an ordinary bodhisattva.

it is a turning point in my spirituality. it was one of the most profound experiences of my life.