You must promise to dedicate yourselves completely to each other, with body, speech, and mind. In this life, in every situation, in wealth or poverty, in health or sickness, in happiness or difficulty, you will work to help each other perfectly. The purpose of your relationship will be to attain enlightenment by perfecting your kindness and compassion toward all sentient beings.
Marriage can make us happy not only because we can share the joy of their love for each other with friends and family, but also because we have the opportunity to express our aspirations for the future.
You must pledge to help each other to develop your hearts and minds, cultivating compassion, generosity, ethics, patience, enthusiasm, concentration and wisdom as you age and undergo the various ups and downs of life and to transform them into the path of love, compassion, joy and equanimity.
Recognizing that the external conditions in life will not always be smooth and that internally your own minds and emotions will sometimes get stuck in negativity. You must pledge to see all these circumstances as a challenge to help you grow, to open your hearts, to accept yourselves, and each other; and to generate compassion for others who are suffering. You must pledge to avoid becoming narrow, closed or opinionated, and to help each other to see various sides of situations.
Understanding that just as we are a mystery to ourselves, each other person is also a mystery to us. You must pledge to seek to understand yourselves, each other, and all living beings, to examine your own minds continually and to regard all the mysteries of life with curiosity and joy.
You must pledge to preserve and enrich your affection for each other, and to share it with all beings. To take the loving feelings you have for one another and your vision of each other's potential and inner beauty as an example and rather than spiraling inwards and becoming self absorbed, to radiate this love outwards to all beings.
When it comes time to part, you must look back at your time together with joy--joy that you met and shared what you have – and acceptance that we cannot hold on to anything forever.
Remember the disadvantages of ignorance, anger and clinging attachment, to apply antidotes when these arise in your minds, and to remember the kindness of all other beings and your connection to them. Always work for the welfare of others, with all of your compassion, wisdom and skill.
Work to develop the wisdom, understanding the relative functioning nature of things and the wisdom knowing their deeper way of existence that they are empty of inherent existence? And to remember the laws of cause and effect.
Promise day to day, to be patient with yourselves and others, knowing that change comes slowly and gradually, and to seek inspiration from your teachers not to become discouraged.
Continuously strive to remember your own nature, as well as the nature of all living beings. Maintain the awareness that all things are temporary, and to remain optimistic that you can achieve your greatest potential and lasting happiness.
Above you are the stars, below you are the stones, as time passes, remember...
Like a stone should your love be firm like a star should your love be constant. Let the powers of the mind and of the intellect guide you in your journey together, let the strength of your wills bind you together, let the power of love and desire make you happy, and the strength of your dedication make you inseparable. Be close, but not too close. Possess one another, yet be understanding. Have patience with one another, for storms will come, but they will pass quickly.
Be free in giving affection and warmth. Have no fear and let not the ways of others give you unease, never forget the concepts of understanding; karma, Samsara, and Nirvana.
May you always walk in love with one another, in peace, in accord with your families and your community, and most of all may you always express the Ultimate Ground of all things. And so it is.
