Vows Of Active Hope
સક્રિય આશાના સંકલ્પોજોઆના મેસી દ્વારા
બે સપ્તાહના ગહન વર્કશોપના અંતિમ દિવસે, જોઆના મેસી સવારે ટહેલવા નીકળ્યા હતાં ત્યારે તેમની મુલાકાત વર્કશોપના આયોજન સ્થળે રહેતા એક યુવાન સાધુ સાથે થઈ. યુવાન સાધુએ પૂછ્યું "આજે તમારો છેલ્લો દિવસ છે, તો હવે તમે લોકોને સંકલ્પો કરાવશો, એમ ને?" જોઆનાએ જણાવ્યું “ના એવું નથી કરાવવાના ”. "ખેદજનક," સાધુ બોલ્યા, "મારા પોતાના જીવનમાં, સંકલ્પો મને ખૂબ મદદરૂપ થાય છે, કારણકે તે મારી શક્તિને હું જે કરવા માંગું છું તે માટે બળ આપે છે."
ચાલતાં ચાલતાં જોઆનાએ વિચાર્યું કે જો આપણે સંકલ્પો લઈએ, તો તે એક હાથની આંગળીઓથી વધુ ન હોવા જોઈએ. તુરત જ તેમના મનમાં નીચેના પાંચ સંકલ્પો આવ્યા :
હું મારી અને આપ સૌની માટે સંકલ્પ લઉં છું કે...
1. આ વિશ્વના કલ્યાણ અને સર્વ પ્રાણીઓના કલ્યાણ માટે હું રોજ પ્રયત્નશીલ રહીશ.
2. આ પૃથ્વી પર મારુ જીવન સુમેળભર્યું અને અહિંસક રહે તે રીતે ખોરાક, ઉત્પાદનો અને ઊર્જાનો ઉપયોગ કરીશ.
3. આ સજીવ પૃથ્વી, આપણા પૂર્વજો, ભાવિ પેઢીઓ અને બધી પ્રજાતિના મારા ભાઈ-બહેનો પાસેથી શક્તિ અને માર્ગદર્શન મેળવીશ.
4. આપણા સંયુક્ત પ્રયત્નોમાં દરેકને મદદ કરીશ અને જરૂર પડ્યે મદદ માંગીશ.
5. એક દૈનિક સાધના અપનાવીશ જે મારું મન પવિત્ર કરે, હૃદયને બળ આપે અને આ સંકલ્પો પાળવામાં મને ટેકો આપે.
જ્યારે વર્કશોપના સભ્યોને આ સંકલ્પો વિશે પૂછવામાં આવ્યું, તો એમણે ઉત્સાહભર્યો જવાબ આપ્યો "હા, અવશ્ય!" વર્કશોપ પૂરો થતાં, તેઓ દૂર-દૂર ચાલ્યા જવાના હતા; પરંતુ આ સંકલ્પોએ એકબીજા સાથેનો અને પોતાની સાથેનો તેમનો જોડાણ નો ભાવ ઊંડો કર્યો. "હું તમારી સાક્ષીમાં સંકલ્પ લઉં છું" એ શબ્દો એવા સાથીદારોની યાદ અપાવે છે જે હરહમેંશ આપણી સાથે છે અને સહારો આપે છે.
આપણે એવા શબ્દો પસંદ કરવાની જરૂર છે જે આપણને સાચા લાગે. "સંકલ્પ"ને બદલે, જો ઇચ્છા હોય તો, આપણે તેને "વચન" અથવા "ઈરાદાની ઘોષણા" પણ કહી શકીએ. તે આપણને વારંવાર યાદ અપાવે છે કે આપણા પ્રિય ઉદ્દેશો કયા છે અને તેમને સાકાર કરવા માટે કેવા વર્તનની જરૂર છે.
ચિંતન માટેના બીજ પ્રશ્નો:
આ વિચાર સાથે તમે કેટલા સંમત છો કે સંકલ્પો અથવા વચનો આપણી શક્તિને ઊંડા ઇરાદાઓ સાથે જોડી શકે છે?
શું તમે એક વ્યક્તિગત ઘટના વર્ણવી શકો છો જ્યાં તમારા સંકલ્પે તમને તમારા મૂલ્યો નુ પાલન કરવામાં તમને મદદ કરી હોય ?
દૈનિક સાધના દ્વારા મનને સ્વચ્છ, હૃદયને મજબૂત અને મૂલ્યો પ્રત્યેની પ્રતિબદ્ધતા જાળવામાં તમને શું મદદ કરે છે ?
Joanna Macy was a teacher of spirituality and ecology. She recently passed away, after a full life of service.
SEED QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: What do you make of the notion that vows or commitments can serve as an anchor point, channeling your energy to align with your deepest intentions? Can you share a personal story that highlights a time when making a commitment or vow helped you be true to what you deeply valued? What helps you pursue a daily practice that clarifies your mind, strengthens your heart, and supports you in living your values and commitments?
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12 Past Reflections
On Oct 11, 2025 beth johnson wrote :
I was in a 10 day intensive with Joanna and Fran in 2006 where we took the vows at the end of the retreat. It was very powerful to take those vows. I look at them daily. In addition, at that time, I publicly shared the bodhisattva vow I had taken, excerpting Shantideva "For as long as space endures, and for as long as living beings remain, until then may I too abide to dispel the misery of the world." I am ever grateful for Joanna and her presence.
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On Jul 30, 2025 Reena Ginwala wrote :
I moved out of my dysfunctional marriage to a new town with 3 daughters 6.7 and 13 years of age. In our new modest home, much smaller than what we were used to, I vowed - 'This home will be a happy home! It is up to me to nurture happiness in small daily moments.
I was 37 then and am 64 now. This vow helped me find happiness in challenging moments, practice gratitude and pause for the simpler joys of life. The choices we made brought us closer to nature, pets and build a sense of community in our new home town.
Starting afresh meant we had more discernment in our choices. We also paid more attention to moments of sadness as the reality of life and found ways to be together or give space as was needed with courage and vulnerability. We found that we could trust that the dark moments would pass and joy and ease would return.
This was our journey from intergenerational trauma of seperation to intergenerational resilience! Making a vow helped to ground myself in possibility thinking ... [View Full Comment]
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On Jul 29, 2025 Freda Karpf wrote :
the idea of vows taken as a personal support system and practice sounds beautiful. when our own values are expressed in words that we can feel as much as understand their meaning, we are then using the best of being human to relate to the world.
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On Jul 29, 2025 Sandy Weiner wrote :
In loving memory of Joanna Macy, I thank you and her, for the many seen and unseen ripples. This is a time of deepening of understanding of myself right now. Searching for what I lost that brightens my light and glows. The part of the vows that I miss is the vow/commitment to start with myself. For years I have invited people to Metta Meditation... and only last year at workshop with my friend, Ven Omalpe Sobhita Thero at Omega Institute, did I start understand that I was missing the most important part--starting with myself. I am still learning and exploring what my inner self needs and wants. It'll be a year next month. This is a big question for me who is always looking outside for what others need and forgetting my own needs. There is much emotion around putting myself into the picture consciously... much discovery. May I be well and happy. May be free from mental distress. May I be free from physical distress. May I be free of emotional distress. May I be free from harm. May I be... [View Full Comment]
1 reply: Barbaras. | Post Your Reply
On Jul 28, 2025 Pat Hardy wrote :
So glad I took the time to read about vows. Yes, I have kept my marriage vows all through the 64 years of wedded bliss I was blessed to experience, and they were easy to keep. I can't remember making any "vow" other than those, at least knowingly, or intentionally. I've set goals, and I have valued truth. I've tried "to put other people first" and to be a loyal friend, but practiced those things without thinking of them as vows. The seriousness of making a vow and diligently striving to keep it, is pretty major. I'd have to give a lot of thought before making one. I see a huge difference between a vow and an intention. Intentions are easy. Some of mine have been met and others not, unfortunately, but with no great consequence. A vow, however, is much more serious. I like the thought of the possibility of making one, so I'll start with that. I can see where keeping a vow could be transforming . It would require single-minded will power...at least for me.
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On Jul 26, 2025 David Doane wrote :
A vow is not to be take lightly. A vow is a most solemn commitment to a particular behavior or way of being, and it does serve as an anchor that keeps one bound or anchored to that way of being. It is very important that the vow be in line with one's true self and deepest intentions. Marriage vows have helped me be true to what I deeply value. What helps me pursue a daily practice that supports me in living my commitments is making commitments that are from my true self, that are in harmony with me, and that help me to expand to become more of what I truly am, and not make commitments that are not in line with who I am or go against who I am.
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On Jul 25, 2025 Mamta Nanda wrote :
Love these. Thanks for sharing. It seems like Joanna Macy is guiding us from the other side, so many more now that she is free of the limitations of the body. It seems like she is touching us, our hearts. Thank you for being 'each one of you'.
1 reply: Barbaras. | Post Your Reply
On Jul 25, 2025 Victoria wrote :
I so appreciate the monk's suggestion to Joanna and her willingness to sit with the question and then receive an answer. Both is service to life.......
Vows, commitments, intentions are such powerful ways to channel energy, esp. when witnessed by others. Thank you Joanna for this tender piece.
Vows, commitments, intentions are such powerful ways to channel energy, esp. when witnessed by others. Thank you Joanna for this tender piece.
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On Jul 25, 2025 Jagdish P Dave wrote :
We need an anchor in our life to maintain rootedness, and centering in our life. Otherwise our life will be drifting, unsteady and uprooted. The vows and commitments can serve as an anchor point.
Otherwise our life energy will move in a circle going nowhere.
We may have good intentions but our good intentions may not be realized if we do not take the right steps. Our intentions to lift our energy will remain stagnant causing frustrations, despair and disappointments.
Telling the truth and living by the truth, and being kind and compassionate to others are core values of my life. This is my spiritual journey. If and when I am not awake, I lose my path. Daily practice of mindfulness meditation has been very helpful to me in my spiritual journey. It clarifies my mind, strengthens my heart and supports me in living my core values and commitments.
Namaste!
Jagdish P Dave
Otherwise our life energy will move in a circle going nowhere.
We may have good intentions but our good intentions may not be realized if we do not take the right steps. Our intentions to lift our energy will remain stagnant causing frustrations, despair and disappointments.
Telling the truth and living by the truth, and being kind and compassionate to others are core values of my life. This is my spiritual journey. If and when I am not awake, I lose my path. Daily practice of mindfulness meditation has been very helpful to me in my spiritual journey. It clarifies my mind, strengthens my heart and supports me in living my core values and commitments.
Namaste!
Jagdish P Dave