When someone has been practicing in the dharma for some time, there often comes a point when they want to commit to the path. Commitment is helpful to keep a person focused on striving for their liberation in service of all beings. This moment also can coincide with taking a teacher as a kalyanamitra, a spiritual friend, who has the training, authorization, and right motivation to guide students through the thickets and adventures of the inner journey.

At Heart Sangha, Sunisa offers the Refuge and Bodhisattva’s Vows ceremony. When people take vows with her, she is the spiritual guide. The person becomes part of the borderless Heart Sangha, walking on the same path, within the same lineage, with the same teacher. A person enters the stream of the dharma in spiritual fellowship. This is a beautiful and profound moment.

In order to take part in the ceremony, a person should feel a sincere commitment to the dharma; a connection to Sunisa and the Dudjom lineage; and the vast aspiration to embody the ideals of a bodhisattva every day to the best of their ability. This is to hold the sacred commitment (samaya in Sanskrit) of non-violence and to cultivate the qualities of loving kindness and compassion as the intention of all action. No one can snap their fingers and do this perfectly; the ceremony marks the birth of the self that vows to try endlessly, review when falling short of the vow, and try again.   

To express interest in taking the vows, please write a letter to admin@heart-sangha.org outlining about your spiritual path and why you want to take vows with Sunisa at Heart Sangha. This will be forwarded to Sunisa. Retreat coordinators will contact people ahead of the vow ceremonies to indicate acceptance.

As the Buddha said, he could only show the way. Liberation is up to each of us. As more people take these vows, so is our world transformed.