Every morning I open my front door (and gosh help me, the doors of my mind) and greet the world with a song that begins, I vow to save all the beings of the world.
It is a Buddhist chant that encompasses the bodhisattva vow: The many beings are numberless; I vow to save them.
A bodhisattva is one who expresses a spontaneous wish and compassionate mind to attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings. Buddhahood basically means someone who is awakened. It is similar to the usage of "woke" in the African American Vernacular English to mean that we are aware of social issues.
I was delighted to visit the Great Vow Zen Monastery outside of Portland, Oregon this past week and while taking a walk, saw memorialized vows of participants, many who referred to this bodhisattva vow (see photos).
These Zen Buddhists practice these vows over a life time. The vow means they aspire to this state, even if it cannot be obtained.
Whether you are a Buddhist or not, you too can take a vow to save all the beings by taking the Freedom Project Pledge. This pledge means that you aspire to a world of freedom for all beings - including all animals, wildlife, and people. The Freedom Project opens the doors of our minds to envision that to which we can dedicate our lives, even if we know that the beings to be saved are innumerable.
Please join One Earth Conservation it taking this pledge today.
