Basic outline of the Ordination Vows for the CABP (taken by all CABP priests):
Primary vows:
1) I vow to attain enlightenment through the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha for the sake of all sentient beings.
2) I vow to follow the Five Precepts.
3) I vow to practice, study, and reflect upon the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha daily.
4) I vow to do my utmost to support the aims of the Center for American Buddhist practice and to cooperate responsibly with all members of the Center for American Buddhist (CABP) practice.
Secondary vows:
By taking these secondary vows I do hereby assert and affirm that I will strive to my utmost ability to abandon and refrain from all actions of body, speech, and mind as described below:
1. Praising myself and criticizing others.
This means that I will refrain from praising myself or criticizing others due to the desire to gain gifts, donations, respect, admiration, or any other sort of profit founded in greed, anger, or ignorance.
2. Not giving money, time, understanding, compassion, counseling, or Dharma teachings.
This means that I will refrain from refusing to help others in these ways when I am reasonably able to do so, and especially when they ask for my help.
3. Not forgiving though someone apologizes.
4. Abandoning the teachings of the Buddha.
5. Stealing offerings to the Three Jewels.
6. Criticizing any reasonable form of Buddhist practice
This means that I will refrain from criticizing or denigrating any type of Buddhist practice that has as its core the fundamental teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha.
7. Disrobing monks, nuns, or priests.
This means that I will refrain from forcing or enticing Buddhist monks, nuns, or priests to break their vows or give up their ordinations unless they have committed an offense so grave as to warrant this (these conditions are rare).
8. Committing the five heinous crimes.
This means that I will refrain from each and every one of the five heinous crimes, which are killing one's father, killing one's mother, killing an Arhant, wounding a Buddha, or creating a destructive schism within the Buddhist community.
9. Holding wrong views.
This means that I will refrain from holding wrong views, or views that contradict the core teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha. Examples of such wrong views are: denying the truth of the law of cause and effect, the four noble truths, the twelve links of dependent origination, the efficacy of the practice of Buddhist morality, meditation, and wisdom, and so on.
10. Forcing others to listen to the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha or teaching emptiness to the unprepared.
This means that I will refrain from forcing or deviously enticing others to read, watch, listen to or otherwise be exposed against their will to the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha.
11. Causing someone to abandon individual vows.
12. Falsely claiming or implying that I am what I am not.
This means that I will refrain from misrepresenting myself through either my words or my actions. Specifically, this means that I will not claim to be enlightened when I am not, that I will not claim to have actualized or realized any of the Buddha’s teachings when I have not, and that I will not claim, or imply by my behavior, that I am more pious, committed, devout, confident, or capable than I really am. Deceiving others into thinking that I have attainments that I do not is harmful to them and me.
13. Misusing your position as a priest for personal gain.
14. Misusing your position as a priest for improper sexual or emotional gratification.
Primary vows:
1) I vow to attain enlightenment through the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha for the sake of all sentient beings.
2) I vow to follow the Five Precepts.
3) I vow to practice, study, and reflect upon the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha daily.
4) I vow to do my utmost to support the aims of the Center for American Buddhist practice and to cooperate responsibly with all members of the Center for American Buddhist (CABP) practice.
Secondary vows:
By taking these secondary vows I do hereby assert and affirm that I will strive to my utmost ability to abandon and refrain from all actions of body, speech, and mind as described below:
1. Praising myself and criticizing others.
This means that I will refrain from praising myself or criticizing others due to the desire to gain gifts, donations, respect, admiration, or any other sort of profit founded in greed, anger, or ignorance.
2. Not giving money, time, understanding, compassion, counseling, or Dharma teachings.
This means that I will refrain from refusing to help others in these ways when I am reasonably able to do so, and especially when they ask for my help.
3. Not forgiving though someone apologizes.
4. Abandoning the teachings of the Buddha.
5. Stealing offerings to the Three Jewels.
6. Criticizing any reasonable form of Buddhist practice
This means that I will refrain from criticizing or denigrating any type of Buddhist practice that has as its core the fundamental teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha.
7. Disrobing monks, nuns, or priests.
This means that I will refrain from forcing or enticing Buddhist monks, nuns, or priests to break their vows or give up their ordinations unless they have committed an offense so grave as to warrant this (these conditions are rare).
8. Committing the five heinous crimes.
This means that I will refrain from each and every one of the five heinous crimes, which are killing one's father, killing one's mother, killing an Arhant, wounding a Buddha, or creating a destructive schism within the Buddhist community.
9. Holding wrong views.
This means that I will refrain from holding wrong views, or views that contradict the core teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha. Examples of such wrong views are: denying the truth of the law of cause and effect, the four noble truths, the twelve links of dependent origination, the efficacy of the practice of Buddhist morality, meditation, and wisdom, and so on.
10. Forcing others to listen to the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha or teaching emptiness to the unprepared.
This means that I will refrain from forcing or deviously enticing others to read, watch, listen to or otherwise be exposed against their will to the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha.
11. Causing someone to abandon individual vows.
12. Falsely claiming or implying that I am what I am not.
This means that I will refrain from misrepresenting myself through either my words or my actions. Specifically, this means that I will not claim to be enlightened when I am not, that I will not claim to have actualized or realized any of the Buddha’s teachings when I have not, and that I will not claim, or imply by my behavior, that I am more pious, committed, devout, confident, or capable than I really am. Deceiving others into thinking that I have attainments that I do not is harmful to them and me.
13. Misusing your position as a priest for personal gain.
14. Misusing your position as a priest for improper sexual or emotional gratification.
