I am glad that there is an alternative interpretation of "the two" that does not involve vows: Engage in what is wholesome; refrain from what is unwholesome. I know, the refuge vows and the bodhisattva vows are very important in Buddhism, but I really don't know if I could take the bodhisattva vows, because they are such a huge undertaking:
Beings are numberless; I vow to save them.
Delusions are inexhaustible; I vow to end them.
Dharma gates are boundless; I vow to enter them.
The Buddha Way is unattainable; I vow to attain it.
Josh Bartok says: "These vows are, in an obvious sense, impossible to fulfill. This is, as software developers might say, a feature rather than a bug: it liberates us from dependence on outcome, compelling us to find meaning wholly in the lived acts of vowing-and-doing. We accept in advance that failure is not only an option but is required. […] And yet the seeming impossibility of the bodhisattva vows can rob them of their relevance to our lives."
He suggests a way out of this quandary: "One way we can re-empower these vows is to explore the values they point to and discover how we can express them in large and small ways.
Some Values Based on the Four Bodhisattva Vows
I value a spirit of service, doing what I can, when I can, in the amount I can, to make positive contributions to the world and beings everywhere.
I value noticing when I get caught up in my own stories, and I value returning to choicefulness and kindness.
I value welcoming opportunities to learn and grow, even though they may be scary, difficult, or painful.
I value trying to live my values as best I can, knowing I will never be perfect."
(Josh Bartok: Best Practices for Bodhisattvas. Lion's Roar, 28 April 2017)
Vows like this I could take and try to make it a part of my life. As to whether I'd be able to live according to them even at the risk of my life – I don't know.
I am glad that there is an alternative interpretation of "the two" that does not involve vows: Engage in what is wholesome; refrain from what is unwholesome. I know, the refuge vows and the bodhisattva vows are very important in Buddhism, but I really don't know if I could take the bodhisattva vows, because they are such a huge undertaking:
Beings are numberless; I vow to save them.
Delusions are inexhaustible; I vow to end them.
Dharma gates are boundless; I vow to enter them.
The Buddha Way is unattainable; I vow to attain it.
Josh Bartok says: "These vows are, in an obvious sense, impossible to fulfill. This is, as software developers might say, a feature rather than a bug: it liberates us from dependence on outcome, compelling us to find meaning wholly in the lived acts of vowing-and-doing. We accept in advance that failure is not only an option but is required. […] And yet the seeming impossibility of the bodhisattva vows can rob them of their relevance to our lives."
He suggests a way out of this quandary: "One way we can re-empower these vows is to explore the values they point to and discover how we can express them in large and small ways.
Some Values Based on the Four Bodhisattva Vows
I value a spirit of service, doing what I can, when I can, in the amount I can, to make positive contributions to the world and beings everywhere.
I value noticing when I get caught up in my own stories, and I value returning to choicefulness and kindness.
I value welcoming opportunities to learn and grow, even though they may be scary, difficult, or painful.
I value trying to live my values as best I can, knowing I will never be perfect."
(Josh Bartok: Best Practices for Bodhisattvas. Lion's Roar, 28 April 2017)
Vows like this I could take and try to make it a part of my life. As to whether I'd be able to live according to them even at the risk of my life – I don't know.