A vow is a virtuous determination to abandon particular faults that is generated in conjunction with a traditional ritual.

Just as there are three types of moral discipline, so there are three types of vow: Pratimoksha vows, Bodhisattva vows, and Tantric vows. Buddha gives extensive instructions on the Pratimoksha moral discipline and the Pratimoksha vows in the Vinaya Sutras.

Pratimoksha means `personal liberation’, and so a Pratimoksha vow is a vow that is motivated mainly by the wish to attain personal liberation.There are Pratimoksha vows that are lay vows and Pratimoksha vows that are ordained vows. Gen Kelsang Chokyi will be granting lay Pratimoksha vows for those who would like to take them for the first time and those who would like to renew their vows.

If you have questions, please reach out to Fred May, Education Program Coordinator, at epc@meditation-indianapolis.org