Vows and Waking Up

[Leslie]

Probably others who have practiced for a long time has experienced the convergence of their vows to awaken and their marriage vows. What is striking me today is the power of the vow itself. Several years ago I wrote down quotations from spiritual teachers as I was reading their books and I frequently am drawn back to a book Norman Fischer wrote, "Taking our Places, the Buddhist Path to Truly Growing Up". Below is what he has to say about vows.

"When you vow, you get in touch with and give yourself completely to what matters most:the experience of receiving an inner calling and answering that calling with your whole life".

"Vows are energies. Vows are aspirations. They are larger than life. Endless sources of inspiration, vows differ from goals, which are limited in scope. Goals can be met. Vows can be practiced but never completed, for they are essentially unfulfillable and it is their very inexhaustibility that propels us forward, opens us up, shapes our desires and actions."

"Insofar as vowing sets us on a course of action beyond what we may desire or can control, it is always challenging. The dictates of our vow may well run counter to our wishes and apparent self-interest. Being true to our vow may force us into difficult decisions or heroic actions. Vowing opens us up to self-transcendence and destiny. It is a path that could easily involve hardship."

"Only something as thorough-going as vowing is strong enough to overcome our deep underlying disappointment and dismay about how life really is."

What is your experience with vows? How have your vows to wake up and your vows to others in your life interconnected? Do you have some vows that you would like to share that have been inspiring to you?

I have found that when things seem the most challenging is just before I open to a new level of freedom. Vows have been a big part of keeping me going through these challenges.

[Morticia (Not My Real Name)]

All the true vows
are secret vows
the ones we speak out loud
are the ones we break....

From David Whyte, All the True Vows