Cattāri Brahmavihārā

My journey along the Path of the Buddhadhamma began, in this life, with my discovery and practice of the teachings as presented by Mahayana schools. As such, my own journey began with my taking of the Bodhisattva vows a t a time when I don’t believe I even understood what they entailed although, to be fair, I’m not sure many of worldlings ever comprehend the scope of what such a vow entails. Over the years I have vacillated, reinterpreted and attempt to reimagine a way in which these vows could be something other than they are in order to build a bridge between my developing understanding of the Dhamma and the many teachers and practitioners of the Mahayana with whom I feel a connection and for whom I have a deep respect but, alas, I have never been successful. So, despite my initial misgivings (whose vry existence surprised me) I declared my intentions to renounce any Bodhisattva vows made in this or past lifetimes before my Buddharupa. it is hard to describe but having given back those vows has made me realize that there is a deep wellspring of concern and compassion for all beings that may have been masked by the very aspiration to save them all. Strange thing this life.