Sisters and brothers in the community, this is the
moment when we enjoy reciting the Five Mindfulness Trainings together.
The Five Mindfulness Trainings represent the Buddhist vision for
a global spirituality and ethic. They are a concrete
expression of the Buddha’s teachings on the Four Noble Truths and the
Noble Eightfold Path, the path of right understanding and true love,
leading to healing, transformation, and happiness for ourselves and for
the world. To practice the Five Mindfulness Trainings is to
cultivate the insight of interbeing, or Right View, which can remove
all discrimination, intolerance, anger, fear, and despair. If
we live according to the Five Mindfulness Trainings, we are already on
the path of a bodhisattva. Knowing we are on that path, we
are not lost in confusion about our life in the present or in fears
about the future.
Reverence For Life
Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of
life, I am committed to cultivating the insight of interbeing and
compassion and learning ways to protect the lives of people, animals,
plants, and minerals. I am determined not to kill, not to let others
kill, and not to support any act of killing in the world, in my
thinking, or in my way of life. Seeing that harmful actions
arise from anger, fear, greed, and intolerance, which in turn come from
dualistic and discriminative thinking, I will cultivate openness,
non-discrimination, and non-attachment to views in order to transform
violence, fanaticism, and dogmatism in myself and in the world.
True Happiness
Aware of the suffering caused by exploitation,
social injustice, stealing, and oppression, I am committed to practicing
generosity in my thinking, speaking, and acting. I am determined not to
steal and not to possess anything that should belong to others; and I
will share my time, energy, and material resources with those who are in
need. I will practice looking deeply to see that the
happiness and suffering of others are not separate from my own happiness
and suffering; that true happiness is not possible without
understanding and compassion; and that running after wealth, fame, power
and sensual pleasures can bring much suffering and despair. I
am aware that happiness depends on my mental attitude and not on
external conditions, and that I can live happily in the present moment
simply by remembering that I already have more than enough conditions to
be happy. I am committed to practicing Right Livelihood so
that I can help reduce the suffering of living beings on Earth and
reverse the process of global warming.
True Love
Aware of the suffering caused by sexual misconduct,
I am committed to cultivating responsibility and learning ways to
protect the safety and integrity of individuals, couples, families, and
society. Knowing that sexual desire is not love, and that
sexual activity motivated by craving always harms myself as well as
others, I am determined not to engage in sexual relations without true
love and a deep, long-term commitment made known to my family and
friends. I will do everything in my power to protect
children from sexual abuse and to prevent couples and families from
being broken by sexual misconduct. Seeing that body and
mind are one, I am committed to learning appropriate ways to take care
of my sexual energy and cultivating loving kindness, compassion, joy and
inclusiveness – which are the four basic elements of true love – for my
greater happiness and the greater happiness of others. Practicing
true love, we know that we will continue beautifully into the future.
Loving Speech and Deep Listening
Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful speech
and the inability to listen to others, I am committed to cultivating
loving speech and compassionate listening in order to relieve suffering
and to promote reconciliation and peace in myself and among other
people, ethnic and religious groups, and nations. Knowing
that words can create happiness or suffering, I am committed to speaking
truthfully using words that inspire confidence, joy, and hope. When
anger is manifesting in me, I am determined not to speak. I
will practice mindful breathing and walking in order to recognize and
to look deeply into my anger. I know that the roots of
anger can be found in my wrong perceptions and lack of understanding of
the suffering in myself and in the other person. I will
speak and listen in a way that can help myself and the other person to
transform suffering and see the way out of difficult situations. I
am determined not to spread news that I do not know to be certain and
not to utter words that can cause division or discord. I
will practice Right Diligence to nourish my capacity for understanding,
love, joy, and inclusiveness, and gradually transform anger, violence,
and fear that lie deep in my consciousness.
Nourishment and Healing
Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful
consumption, I am committed to cultivating good health, both physical
and mental, for myself, my family, and my society by practicing mindful
eating, drinking, and consuming. I will practice looking deeply into how
I consume the Four Kinds of Nutriments, namely edible foods, sense
impressions, volition, and consciousness. I am determined
not to gamble, or to use alcohol, drugs, or any other products which
contain toxins, such as certain websites, electronic games, TV programs,
films, magazines, books, and conversations. I will
practice coming back to the present moment to be in touch with the
refreshing, healing and nourishing elements in me and around me, not
letting regrets and sorrow drag me back into the past nor letting
anxieties, fear, or craving pull me out of the present moment. I
am determined not to try to cover up loneliness, anxiety, or other
suffering by losing myself in consumption. I will
contemplate interbeing and consume in a way that preserves peace, joy,
and well-being in my body and consciousness, and in the collective body
and consciousness of my family, my society and the Earth. |