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You are here: Home / blog / vowing to save them all

vowing to save them all

21 January 2010 by angel Kyodo williams

nd-numberless

the sweetness of the impossible

Astrologer Rob Brezsny: ‘The secret of life,” said sculptor Henry Moore to poet Donald Hall, “is to have a task, something you devote your entire life to, something you bring everything to, every minute of the day for your whole life. And the most important thing is — it must be something you cannot possibly do.” What is that task for you?’

Zen Buddhists the world-over chant what is called the Four Vows. Each vow is apparently impossible: “Beings are numberless, I vow to save them all.” Here at the New Dharma Community, which I lead, says this chant, recommits to these vows after every single practice session. We see it this way: You make your vow and you set out to do it wholeheartedly. The fact that the task is already pre-determined to be impossible, and one commits to it anyway, assures that it isn’t about you—-your sense of gain, accomplishment or even your fear of failure—-AND you put your full effort in.

Here’s our version:

FOUR VOWS OF THE AWAKENING WARRIOR
Beings are numberless; I vow to awaken them.
Delusions are inexhaustible; I vow to transform them.
The Dharma is boundless; I vow to perceive it.
The Awakened Way is unattainable; I vow to embody it.

word.


—
copyright ©MMXI. angel Kyodo williams
changeangel: all things change. (sm)

angel Kyodo williams is a maverick teacher, author, social visionary and founder of Transformative Change.
she posts, tweets & blogs on all things change. permission granted to retweet, repost, repast & repeat with copyright and contact information intact.

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Filed Under: blog, essays, identity, leadership, spirit Tagged With: astrology, buddhism, dharma, new dharma, transformative change, vows, zen

About angel Kyodo williams

angel Kyodo williams, the "change angel," is Founder of the national Transformative Change, for which she now serves as a Senior Fellow and Director of Vision, and Founder Emeritus of Berkeley-based Center for Transformative Change. Both bridge inner and outer change for social justice activists towards wholeness, wellbeing and effective action. A social visionary and leading voice for transformative social change, she is the author of the critically-acclaimed Being Black: Zen and the Art of Living With Fearlessness and Grace and co-author of the latest Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love & Liberation.
 
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. seki says

    21 January 2010 at 8:36 PM

    I love that. I am going to add it to my morning ritual. Thanks for posting it!!!

Trackbacks

  1. Tweets that mention vowing to save them all « new Dharma -- Topsy.com says:
    22 January 2010 at 2:24 PM

    […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by angel Kyodo williams and angel Kyodo williams, angel Kyodo williams. angel Kyodo williams said: vowing to save them all: The fact that the task is already pre-determined to be impossible, and one commits to it … http://bit.ly/4Kt3ue […]

  2. Verse of Atonement | five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes as moments says:
    12 August 2010 at 10:43 PM

    […] the Four Vows of the Awakening Warrior from the Center for Transformative Change community. This entry was posted in Uncategorized and […]

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