Precepts II – Entering the Way of Compassion: The Practices of a Bodhisattva

This weekend retreat from the Zen Center of New York City (Fire Lotus Temple) examines the Bodhisattva path—specifically the vow to practice for the liberation of all beings and the six Paramitas (Perfections) that guide that work: generosity, ethical conduct, patience, effort, meditation, and wisdom. Rather than treating these as abstract ideals, the retreat asks a practical question: how does this vow shape what you actually do?

Bodhicitta—the awakening mind, or the heart's commitment to alleviating suffering—is the engine. The Paramitas are the gears. The retreat explores both together, with emphasis on bringing these teachings back into daily life: how generosity moves, how patience holds steady under pressure, how wisdom informs action. This is Mahayana Buddhism in practice, centered on relationship and interdependence rather than individual liberation alone.

The retreat is part of the Mountains and Rivers Order's formal precepts training, so it's designed to work for both newcomers to Buddhism and for students already committed to ordination or formal practice. The weekend format and open-to-all structure means you'll sit alongside people at very different points on the path.