4 Saturdays
February 13–March 6, 2026
10:00-11:30a
The Indo-Tibetan mahāyāna tradition teaches that one cannot fully give rise to bodhicitta without receiving and holding the vows of bodhisattva discipline. To take the bodhisattva vow is to commit wholeheartedly to the trainings of aspiration bodhicitta (the desire, born of loving-kindness and compassion, to awaken into buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings) and the trainings of application bodhicitta (the practices of the six pāramitās or transcendent virtues: generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, meditation, and prajñā or supreme discernment).
In taking the bodhisattva vow, the complete network of supportive conditions is instilled in us by our own heart that yearns for enlightened growth and by the blessings of the Buddha and the great bodhisattvas. During this program, we will have a chance to explore key instructions on how to develop and keep alive the two bodhicittas of aspiration and application. The program will culminate in a bodhisattva vow ceremony (for which Mitra Tyler will serve as preceptor) and celebratory event.
This program and the vow ceremony are recommended to those who have been practicing sincerely for a good amount of time, have a decent understanding of the foundational principles of the Buddha’s teachings, and who wish to deepen their commitment to the mahāyāna path. Participants should already have taken the refuge vow. Those who are taking bodhisattvas vows for the first time are encouraged to attend all sessions. First-time vow recipients will receive a bodhisattva vow card/certificate and a “bodhisattva name.” Those who have already taken bodhisattva vows but wish to refresh their study and contemplation and/or their vows, or support and rejoice in first-time vow recipients, are warmly invited to participate as well.
Dates & Times
4 Saturdays
10:00-11:30a
2/13, 2/20, 2/27
talks + Q&As on the bodhisattva vow
3/6
bodhisattva vow ceremony and celebratory luncheon
Format
Onsite only.
Teacher
Mitra Tyler was born in Nova Scotia, Canada. He has been engaged in the study and practice of Buddhism since 1996, becoming a student of Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche two years later. He began studying the Tibetan language in 1997, and became an oral interpreter and textual translator for Nitartha Institute and Nalandabodhi in 2000.
Tyler joined the faculty of Nitartha Institute in 2003 and was appointed as a senior teacher in Nalandabodhi in 2005. He has served as an oral interpreter for lineage-holding masters of the Kagyu and Nyingma traditions of Indo-Tibetan Buddhism. Tyler enjoys teaching on such topics as the four immeasurables, and exploring how the great Buddhist forebears inspire and inform life in the 21st century.
A musician and singer, he has participated in the creation of several ‘melodized’ liturgies and ‘dharma songs.’ Tyler is the father of an amazing daughter and lives in Seattle, Washington.
About the “Mitra” title: In 2005, Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche empowered a group of his long-time students to be senior teachers of Nalandabodhi. He gave each of them the title Mitra, which is drawn from the Sanskrit term Kalyanamitra, “spiritual friend.” The Mitras guide Nalandabodhi’s three paths of Study, Meditation, and Mindful Activity and teach throughout the world.
Date/Time
Date(s) - Sat., February 27, 2027
10:00 am - 11:30 am
Location Nalandabodhi Seattle @ Nalanda West
