Throughout this course I’m going to invite you to come back to perhaps the most important question on your Integral Dharma path:

Why are you awakening?

And by extension:

Why do you practice?
We awaken for something.
We practice for awakening.

While these questions evolve and change over time, especially in a path of Integral Dharma, clarifying our deepest purpose for awakening, anchors us in the path, throughout the ups and downs of life and practice.

In fact, why we awaken changes how we awaken and practice and the directionality of our awakening itself. In Buddhism one of the most important reasons to wake up is embodied in the Bodhisattva Vow, which is not just a reason, but a sacred commitment to awaken for the benefit of all beings, so that we may help all beings awaken too. We practice like this. We practice not just for ourselves, but we include all beings in our path, practice, and awakening.

When we take the Bodhisattva Vow, we do it in the presence of others and with the feeling that we are very sincerely, seriously committing ourselves to a path of awakening for the benefit of all beings. Here are the words I spoke when I took the Bodhisattva Vow:

From now until attaining enlightenment,
I vow to work for the welfare of all.
From now until attaining enlightenment,
I offer my whole life as a gift to suffering beings.
From now until attaining enlightenment,
I will cultivate, and rejoice in doing so,
The path and practice of the bodhisattva,
Developing the paramitas, the immeasurables and so on.
Suffering beings are innumerable,
I vow to save them all.

This type of vow is at the center of our purpose for being, relating, and acting in this life. It calls us to task and back to the path over and over. Awakening isn’t optional. For the benefit of all, we will awaken, no matter what. I and we won’t always live up to our vow, but we return to it over and over and over.

But what gives rise within us to take such a vow? Compassion. What gives rise to compassion?

Recognizing our own true nature and the beautiful magical arising of life. Feeling deeply how difficult life is inherently, how challenging the path of awakening can be, and seeing the immense opportunities we are blessed with to practice and wake up. We wish for all beings to be free of suffering and to also recognize their true nature.

Given how important taking up such a vow is, and given that in Integral Dharma we see awakening as continually evolving, what would an Integral Bodhisattva vow look and feel like?

In Integral Dharma we have the opportunity to realize a more full, rich tapestry and blossoming of awakening seen through the lens of the Integral Map, realized in our own being.

We recognize that timeless wisdom is not enough. Reality is timelessly empty, yet continually evolving, and so wisdom must also adapt and evolve.

Through our integral wisdom, we see more ways to awaken, to liberate, and to experience deeper depths and breadths of freedom for ourselves and all beings.

Knowing directly that reality is constantly evolving, we know that the integral map is not the end of our wisdom or knowing, but a continual beginning for our ongoing integral awakening.

In Integral Dharma we continually awaken to the myriad forms of suffering and our heart aches to be able to respond to all the suffering we experience and see in life, and through the Integral Map we can more powerfully, specifically respond and liberate suffering. We continually touch ever more deeply and intimately our own suffering, and know that all beings suffer as well. The integral map helps us to distinctly recognize and include more forms of suffering in our awakening.

As Integral Bodhisattvas we vow to continually awaken and transform ourselves and put into enlightened action our evolving wisdom and transformation, to strive and wrestle with the complexity and nuances of life, to continually ask, what is needed? One continual response to this question is to awaken for the benefit of all beings so they too may awaken to their true nature and this mysterious, evolving life.

As Integral Bodhisattvas we know that the Integral Map and practices alone will not liberate ourselves and all beings. No, we must use the maps and practices to empower ourselves and all beings, life in all directions. We do this through our vow, our commitment, our path, our practice, and how we show up in life every day.

In Integral Dharma, our awakening has to get bigger, wiser, more loving, more dynamic and responsive. Put simply, our awakening must evolve. Ken captures this succinctly in what we could consider an Integral Bodhisattva vow:

“Let us reach for the highest, widest, deepest, noblest notions we can possibly imagine; the highest, widest, deepest, wisest moral impulses we can possibly find; and the highest, widest, deepest, most courageous actions we can possibly take.” Ken Wilber, The Religion of Tomorrow

Ken also provides a mind-heart-soul stirring call to awaken integrally in this passage:

“Take your seat as ever-present I AMness (opening onto Suchness), this present utterly obvious feeling of being you, and ride it into the future, bringing your own specific, unique, one-of-a-kind gifts and talents with you, therein to work on transmuting this earth into a radiant heaven of outrageous love and foolishly offered-everywhere kindness. Rest in both the timeless Being of your ever-present Self and the raging urgency of evolution’s unfolding Eros as it races through the world of Becoming, recognizing that your Being and Becoming, your Emptiness and Form, your Eternal Thusness and your temporal Eros, is Spirit’s own way of continuing to realize more and more of its own true Self and real Condition in and through the only vehicle it could ever do so: You.”Ken Wilber, The Religion of Tomorrow

Practice: Writing Your Integral Bodhisattva Vow

I want to invite you to spend some time writing or at least journaling and reflecting on your own Integral Bodhisattva Vow. Remember the key questions:

Why do you awaken? 

Why do you practice?

You don’t need to write anything profound or polished. Simply feel into your deepest intentions for practicing Integral Dharma and your strongest desires and needs to awaken. You might simply reference inspiring quotes like the ones I have shared as a way to quickly bring you into deep contact with your vow and purpose for awakening. Or you might write down words or phrases that capture the essence of your vow. More than anything, you should feel your vow in your bones, mind, heart, and gut.

Given the importance of your vow, feel free to come back to this practice multiple times over this course. You might get more clarity and insight as you go through the lessons and practices, and as you give yourself time to digest your experience and take your insights into your life.