The Bodhisattva Vow
Our Discernment Process
“discernment: perception in the absence of judgement with a view to obtaining spiritual direction and understanding.”
– The New Oxford American Dictionary
“Is it time? Do we have to? In other words, is this vow appropriate to where we are right now?” Earlier in this section of the website, we were reminded that these questions lay at the heart of the process now opening up in this program.
The bodhisattva commitment is, after all, a considerable one. To embrace our hearts, to surrender to our hearts’ fundamental expressiveness – to follow this in whatever way is called for – and to engage the training that develops our capacity to realize all of this is actually an exceptional commitment.
For this reason, we are asking all who (1) feel drawn to take the bodhisattva vow for the first time and (2) have made the necessary refuge commitment, to engage a journey of discernment. This process will contemplate the questions above in the embodied manner of this lineage. It will receive the body’s wisdom without judgment – without, that is, the muddying distraction of what we want, what we think, and what we believe. In so doing, this process will discern our way forward.
While renewing bodhisattvas who feel drawn to this commitment are encouraged to engage the contemplative core of the steps outlined below, they are not required to submit a discernment email. At the appropriate time, these individuals will simply make a formal request to renew their vows – to renew their fidelity to the two main commitments of this vow. The steps of and timeline for such a request will appear on this website soon.
The Discernment Email
Following the informational gathering on Saturday October 19, all potential first-time vow takers who have discerned ‘Yes’ to the questions above will have one week to take this process further. Such individuals will have seven days – until Noon MT on Saturday October 26 – to follow the steps below:
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Create a space that radiates a sense of basic dignity. Make certain the space is uncluttered and orderly, and that distractions will be kept to a minimum. Put together a shrine. This can be as simple as a clean surface with a candle and lineage image and / or text. If there is incense, offer this.
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Create an email with the subject heading, SY Bodhisattva Discernment, and the ‘To’ address [email protected]. (Note: This is the address for our Program Directors, who will be forwarding these emails on to our vow preceptor.)
- Answer the following questions in this email:
- Name
- When did you take refuge / enter the mandala?
- With whom did you take this vow?
- What is your refuge name (if you were offered one)?
- Who is your Sutrayana MI?
- Who is your Dharma Ocean MI?
- What does your daily practice look like (outside this program)?
- Outline your training in each of the following:
- Ground Yana
- Meditation Yana
- Yana of Somatic Descent
- Yana of Love and Compassion
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Put this email aside while engaging Steps 5 and 6.
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Do a full session of bodhichitta practice.
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Engage the Mahayana Embodiment Protocol. When ready, ask the soma a single question: Why is now the appropriate time to commit to the openness and expressiveness of the heart, and to the training required by these qualities?
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Return to the email and type the body’s response.
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Bow and send the email.
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Return to bodhichitta practice for as long as feels necessary.
Do not include anything in the email other than the items outlined above. All messages will receive a brief reply saying ‘Your email has been received’. This will be sent out shortly after the submission deadline of Saturday October 26 at Noon MT. If no such message arrives, resend your request by Monday October 28 at Noon MT. Please note that questions or inquiries are more appropriately directed to the Sutrayana Meditation Instructors; they will not be replied to here.
Submission of this email will, for most, complete the first part of this discernment process. The phrase ‘for most’ is used here because some may change their minds – realizing through further contemplation that this is not, in fact, an appropriate next step. If this occurs, please let us know as soon as possible.
A Deepening Intimacy
For most, however, this email will complete the first part of this discernment process. In the second part, Sutrayana Mahayana’s core leadership – Teacher Neil McKinlay and Program Directors Alice Reinheimer and Melanie Bonnell – will consider each submission seeking to determine if, at our end, the answers to those essential questions – ‘Is it time? Do we have to? In other words, is this vow appropriate to where we are right now?’ – are affirmative.
The inclusion of this second-fold of “perception in the absence of judgement” is reflective of many things. It is reflective of the magnitude of the commitment being made here. It is reflective of the vital importance of taking a step such as this only if is truly appropriate within the context of our unique personal journeys. It is, finally, reflective of a level of intimacy – of deep community – that has evolved between us over the course of this challenging and transformative program.
All who offer emails will hear back from us by (approximately) Monday October 28. Those for whom the bodhisattva vow feels appropriate will be instructed how to make a formal request for this commitment. Those for whom the second-fold of discernment suggests other work might be more appropriate right now – and very likely this will apply to some of us – will have a personal meeting with one of our Program Directors.
In this meeting, leadership feedback regarding potentially appropriate next steps will be shared. At this point, a third-fold of discernment will occur. More specifically, students will have an opportunity to consider what they want to do: defer the Bodhisattva Vow in order to attend to other work or take this vow within the present Sutrayana Mahayana container.
