Vows are interesting creatures. In contemporary life it’s mostly a forgotten word, passe, so yesterday and ‘seriously?’. Yet they are so good for us, both binding us and freeing. They control us and simultaneously put us in full control.
In Bhakti, after some years of practice and study of the teachings, we may feel ready to take vows. Part of the preparation is the selection of a spiritual master who will be our teacher for life, and an understanding of what such a statement of commitment to the practice means.
We take vows in for both lifestyle and in practice. For lifestyle it’s a promise to follow four standards – not eating meat, fish or eggs, saying no to alcohol or drugs, avoiding gambling, and refraining from illicit sexual relations. In positive words – eating, drinking, playing, and loving in ways that are good for us, others, and the planet. For practice, it’s a commitment to a minimum of 1.5 hours of meditation practice daily. That’s 16 times chanting the Krishna mantra on our beads, which number 108.
The above practice is not so difficult really, so why take vows? Why don’t we just do them anyway, without the burden of a commitment hovering over our heads?
Let me introduce the mind. The yoga practice is a practice of the awakening heart and soul to our relationship with Krishna, through control of the body and mind. The mind and sense will do everything they can to keep us asleep to the presence of the soul and Krishna. They will keep us totally involved in the external world, actively distracting us from our inner journey.
The mind is so powerful that the Bhagavad-gita spends much time explaining it. It’s ‘restless, turbulent, obstinate…and more difficult to control than the wind’. The cause of all our suffering is rooted in the mind. It laments and broods over things past, and hankers and worries over things yet to happen. It is everywhere and nowhere all at once. When we reflect on our life and seek to understand purpose and meaning, we will see the mind as a pivotal point and realize it takes more than our good intention to control it.
This is where vows come in. They are the boundaries that protect our spiritual practice and intention. They keep in the good, and give us the strength to avoid the bad. The vows in bhakti help us control the mind and body. They allow us to go deep into our practice, they bring an incredible sense of freedom, marking the lines within which we can live joyfully and without fear. By honoring our vows the soul as the true self is revealed.
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