I

DHAMMA VINAYA ORDER

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The Dhamma Vinaya Order is a Buddhist order of lay Buddhist ministers comprised of Upasakas, Dhammacaris, and Bodhicaris. Titles are conferred based on the guidelines set forth in this document. The DVO represents multiple lineages of historical Buddhism. The DVO was formed as a response to the perception of several urgent needs not being met in the Western cultural context by the current Western versions of historical Buddhist lineages or Western Scientific Materialism’s recent appropriation, decontextualization and commodification of specific elements of the Buddhadhamma. Candidates for ordination include but are not limited to M.Div. students, chaplains, community Dharma leaders, and persons interested in participating in a course of mentorship with a DVO minister. 

 

The founding members of DVO represent a growing but overlooked facet of the nascent Western Buddhist Tradition, that being the Lay Teacher or Acharya. While Buddhist lay teachers or priests represent a familiar entity in certain Eastern cultures this intermediary position between lay person and monastic has not yet taken root in the West. DVO founders were drawn together by a syncritic vision of a Buddhist version of Liberation Theology that seeks to engender individual and collective mundane and supermundane liberation from suffering. 

 

DVO ordination consists of three levels:

1. Upasaka “Adherents” or trainees: an individual who have taken refuge in the Three Jewels and committed to keeping the five precepts with the DVO and are actively being mentored by an ordained Dhammacari or Bodhicari with an end goal of becoming a minister themselves. Adherents will be expected to engage in an active probationary training period of a minimum of six months and up to two years. Dhammacaris and Bodhicaris are expected to assist Upasakas in becoming established in eight areas of training loosely based on John Daido Loori Roshi’s eight gates of Zen. Those eight areas are 1) meditation, 2) Dharma study, 3) embodiment practice, 4) liturgy, 5) precepts, 6) mentorship, 7) right livelihood, and 8) art/play.  

 

2. Dhammacari: Ministers that have a level of competence in the eight gates and a commitment to the DVO through some or all of these ministry practices: mentoring, leading practice, providing religious education, spiritual care and counseling, and spiritual formation, rites of passage, etc. They are ordained caregivers, teachers and community leaders who have committed themselves to relieving suffering in the world through teaching the Buddhadharma and engaging in actions to address suffering, hatred, greed, delusion and inequity in Buddhist and non-Buddhist communities. Dhammacaris may operate under the titles of “Lay Priest,” “Minister,” “Reverend,'' or “Pastoral Counselor.” Dhammacaris are lay persons who have committed themselves to kindling and teaching the Dhamma in a humble, ethical manner. Dhammacaris must be able to demonstrate an understanding of the Dhamma and be capable of intelligibly teaching the Dhamma to a lay person. They must also be willing and capable of upholding Buddhist ethical standards including taking the 5 precept vows and regularly participating in 8 precept days. Dhammacaris are expected to be able offer a Dhamma talk of no less than 20 minutes in person or in recording and will need to offer one as part of their final ordination review.

 

3. Bodhicari: Senior level ministers who can supervise the training of Upasakas and Dhammacaris. Bodhicaris take on the administrative tasks of running the Order. They conduct lunar observance rituals. They undertake ethical reviews of DVO ministers and respond to grievances. 

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II

SILA

 

Ethical guidelines and commitments for candidates for the title of “Upasaka,” “Dhammacari,” or “Bodhicari” within the Dhamma Vinaya Order of Buddhist Ministries:      

 

Pertaining to Sila or ethics:

1. The conduct of DVO ministers is a reflection of the entire Order as a spiritual organization. The title of Upasaka, Dhammacari, or Bodhicari is reserved for individuals willing to take personal responsibility for conforming to a higher standard of moral conduct than lay people. All probationary candidates or “Upasakas” seeking or having achieved endorsement and ordination as a “Dhammacari” or “Bodhicari” must review, acknowledge and agree to the following Ethical guidelines, commitments and procedures in both written and verbal form. Note: The term “Sangha” as it is used here is in reference to the community of practicing DVO ministers in good standing, the term “Parisa” as it is used here includes the broader community of lay persons being served by the sangha in accordance with the teachings of the DVO, all efforts should be made to ensure that these two entities exist in non-hierarchical symbiosis.  

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2. Upasakas, Dhammacaris, and Bodhicaris must be willing to take an annual vow before at least 2 other DVO Sangha members in good standing to adhere to the five precepts or Five Mindfulness Trainings and to sincerely commit themselves to upholding the spirit and intention of these precepts to the best of their ability. 

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3. DVO ministers must commit to gathering once every lunar cycle with at least 2 other sangha members in good standing to support each other in a safe, mindful exploration of their achievements and short-comings in regard to their Sila Practice. DVO ministers are expected to observe a single 8 vows Uposatha day for each lunar cycle.

 

4. Sangha members who are aware that they have intentionally or inadvertently committed actions that are in opposition to their precepts or  leading to the harm of other beings within or outside of the Parisa, or are illegal, or are outside of professional standards and guidelines as pertaining to licensure are responsible for presenting both in person and in writing known instances of said misconduct for review to at least 2 other Sangha members within the current lunar cycle.  

 

5. Sangha members having been made aware of instances of fellow members having intentionally committed or being accused of having intentionally committed actions in opposition to their precepts leading to the harm of other beings within or outside of the Parisa must present said accusations to the accused party and at least two representatives of the Sangha in verbal and written form in the company of at least 2 other sangha members within the lunar cycle that said accusations were first revealed. 

 

Gross Misconduct and timely response:

Actions of ethical misconduct that are perceived to fall under the category of “Gross Misconduct” Are actions reasonably perceived to be; 

1) Illegal and leading to the harm of living beings. 

2) An immediate or ongoing source of physical or mental harm to living beings. 

3) In blatant conflict with professional and ethical guidelines associated with licensure and such that they would lead to the harm of living beings. 

 

1. In instances of such gross misconduct the Sangha is obligated to intervene immediately and without delay, working in coordination with or under advisement of the appropriate outside institutions (police, state licensing boards etc) and legal advisors. The accused will be placed on immediate probationary status within the DVO including being removed from contact with the Parisa, informing the Parisa of their change in status and having their title of Acharya indefinitely withdrawn or until such time as they have been conclusively cleared of wrongdoing.   

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2. Sangha members having been subject to accusations of doing intentional harm to other beings within or outside of the Parisa in actions contrary to their vows must account for their actions in written and verbal presentations before as many members of the Sangha as are available to attend the succeeding lunar cycle gathering. The accused has the right to be presented with their accuser. If at the time of said lunar gathering the accused indicates an intention to contest the accusations made against them, the Sangha is required to submit a request for participation in mediation to the accuser. In the instance of such a request a third party mediator will be provided by the Sangha and the accuser and accused will be tasked with either coming to a resolution through mediation or if unable to, submitting written arguments in support of their perspective to the Sangha for review within the lunar cycle. If the accuser chooses not to defend their accusation and it cannot be supported by a third party witness the accusation will be dropped until further notice.     

3. In regards to members accused of or known to have intentionally done harm to other beings within or outside of the Parisa in actions contrary to their vows or other professional guidelines; having been informed of said misconduct and having verified the voracity of the accounts of conduct Sangha members must determine and present agreed upon consequences of said action to the accused in written and verbal form within the following lunar cycle of the Sangha’s first review of said accusations and must present a summary of accusations and the Sangha’s intended response. If in the course of ethical inquiry it is determined that a DVO minister intentionally presented false information, false witness or practiced deception this will be added to considerations in regards to the consequences of said actions. If a Sangha member is found to be in violation of their vows for three consecutive lunar cycles, they may be recommended for return to probationary status within the DVO.  

 

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III

DHAMMA

 

Reading Requirements for Ordination

 

Upasaka

An Anthology of 50 Discourses from the Samyutta Nikaya by Rev. Dhammabodhi

Four Noble Truths by Ajhan Sumedho 

Discourse Summaries by SN Goenka 

Mindfulness in Plain English by Gunaratana

ACT Made Simple by Russ Harris

Eightfold Path by Bhikkhu Bodhi

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Dhammacari

History of Mindfulness by Ajhan Sujato

A Mutual Critical Correlation of Buddhist Meditation and Trauma Therapy by John Freese

Buddhist Romanticism by Thanissaro Bhikkhu (also audio lecture)

With Each and Every Breath by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Frames of Reference by Ajhan Lee

Keeping the Breath in Mind Ajhan Lee

Right Mindfulness by Thanisarro Bhikkhu

Everyday Consciousness and Primordial Awareness by Thrangu Rinpoche

The Way to Bodhidharma by Shodo Harada Roshi

Bodhicari

Handful of Leaves Volumes 1-4 by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

In the Words of the Buddha edited by Bhikkhu Bodhi

Atthaka Vagga by Thanissaro Bhikkhu and or Bhikkhu Bodhi

Samyutta Nikaya translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi

Anguttara Nikaya translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi

The Transmission of Mind by Huang Po translated by John Blofeld

Chinese Buddhism by Holmes Welch

Empty Cloud by Charles Luk

Comparison Texts

Be As You Are, the Teachings of Ramana Maharshi by David Godman

Daoism the Road to Immortality by John Blofeld

Yoga Sutras by Shyam Ranganathan; by Swami Hariharananda Aranya; Prabhavananda and Isherwood; Swami Satchitananda; by Chip Hartranft

Hatha Yoga Pradipika 

 

Minimum Requirements for Dhammacari Ordination

 

Maintain a daily sitting meditation practice. 

Maintain a regular wellness practice.