THE FIRST MINDFULNESS TRAINING: 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, nondiscrimination, and
nonattachment to views in order to transform violence, fanaticism,
and dogmatism in myself and in the world.
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.
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.
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 the anger, violence, and fear
that lie deep in my consciousness.
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 that 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.
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