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Dharmette: The Precepts (2 of 5): Keeping Us Safely on the Path

Introduction

So good morning again. How wonderful it is to be with you. My name is Kodo, and we are on the second day of five on the topic of the five precepts. Our practice with the five precepts: Sīla^[1], virtue, restraint.

Taking a moment again to appreciate all the comments that come through. As I can't see any of you, this is my connection with you, to see how you're doing.

So in this development of our discussion around the precepts, yesterday I discussed some of the general principles of relating to them, and I will continue to do this throughout the week and then just touch on each of the five precepts individually. Of course, in these short times, we will only be able to scratch the surface with these, so I hope that some further reflection unfolds for you.

To begin, I would like to note that today is the full moon day. Last night in San Francisco, there was this bright moon behind just a haze of some collecting clouds. I was reminded how auspicious it is that we're discussing the precepts at the full moon time. As many of you know, this is a very traditional time in practice to visit temples, renew your commitment to the precepts, and spend a day committed to meticulous observation of the precepts and to meditation practice—sort of immersing oneself as best one can in the Dharma. So I'm wondering about how that can make its way through each of our days today.

The Five Precepts

As I discussed yesterday, one of the key principles in practicing with all the precepts is that of non-harming. It's definitely been said more than once that one concise summary of the path of practice is to grow ever and ever more skillful in the path of non-harming—ever and ever more skillful in not harming others and not harming ourselves. I think this can provide a basic orientation to how we relate to the five precepts.

These are just a reminder for ourselves. I'll circle back to the first one in a moment.

For the sake of our training together, I undertake the precept to abstain from harming living beings. For the sake of our training together, I undertake the precept to abstain from taking what is not given. For the sake of our training together, I undertake the precept to abstain from sexual misconduct. For the sake of our training together, I undertake the precept to abstain from false speech. For the sake of our training together, I undertake the precept to abstain from intoxicants that are a cause for heedlessness.

Contemplating the First and Second Precepts

One thing I thought we could do with the few minutes that we have is to reflect a little bit on these first and second precepts together. I use the word reflect, but I'm actually thinking of holding them in a contemplative way with you, to pause and really take them in almost like a meditation object. We can move along phrase by phrase and see what comes forward in your heart of meditation and contemplation. You may even want to jot down a note or two, or you may want to offer some phrases to the chat as they come up. But slowly and contemplatively reflect: how does it resonate for you? What does it call forward?

Just to begin with the first: For the sake of our training together. What does that call forth? To me, it puts me in contact with the community. All of a sudden, I have these memories of various temples, training centers, or monasteries, and I have the felt sense of being with people. These precepts both support my development and freedom, and they support this connection with the community and safety.

For the sake of our training together, I undertake the precept. That's evocative for me. There's something about effort involved in undertaking. There's a resolve or an intention, which is to say, "I'm making an effort to conduct myself in such and such a way." It also touches on the fact that the precepts are a practice. We don't complete the practice of the precepts by making an effort once. We undertake them, and then we undertake them again, and we undertake them again. As far as I understand it, the purpose of these precepts is not to further solidify a self through unwholesome forms of shame or self-harm, but rather, one of the functions of the precepts and practicing them is to more and more free our hearts so we can show up in skillful ways for others, and in a sense, consummate this path of non-harming within ourselves.

So, for the sake of our training together, I undertake the precept to refrain from taking life. In some of the original texts, it translates to "refrain from harming breathing beings." I think that latter image is just a bit more evocative, because I sense into the effect that not abiding in this way, not conducting myself in this way, would cause harm to someone who breathes—another breathing being.

The phrasing of "not taking life" also is evocative because it edges into the second precept, sharing the word "take." For the sake of our training together, I undertake the precept not to take what isn't given. There's something right there in the word "take" that's so clearly about grasping. You can feel and sense into "take" and how that's quite a different physical and mental posture from our practice of giving, the practice of open-handedness, and the virtues that brings along.

The Roots of the Wholesome

So kindly, slowly reflect and contemplate on these precepts, particularly on the full moon day. As I mentioned yesterday, one of the closest analogs to the precepts in the early literature is called the ten wholesome actions. You can find these in the Numerical Discourses, the Book of Tens, for those of you who would like to read along.

I came across something interesting with the ten wholesome actions. The Buddha teaches them in contrast to ten unwholesome actions. You could well guess the first one would be taking life—to take life is unwholesome. And it goes through the rest of the ten: to refrain from taking life, to abandon taking life, to give up taking life is wholesome. He does something really interesting. He presents this idea of the roots of the wholesome—what's underneath the wholesome.

I was reminded of a time some years ago when I was living at Tassajara Monastery^[2]. I was the gardener for some time, and one of my fellow gardeners was inspired to plant something new. There is a one-lane dirt drive that comes into the monastery, and across that drive from the zendo is this little yard that we call the moon lawn. I'm not sure exactly why it got its name, but it was beautifully illuminated whenever the moon was full.

My fellow gardener was inspired to dig up this disused area and plant something beautiful. She wanted to plant a yarrow lawn. Yarrow, when mature, has these broad, soft leaves that are quite fragrant when you rub them, and tall stems with clusters of beautiful flowers. I thought, "Yeah, this is something beautiful we can do that would nourish us and nourish the other monastics in the monastery."

This comes to mind for me this morning. As we're meditating and we're nourishing what's beautiful in us, nourishing what's wholesome, maybe in some way these soft leaves can come to sprout. These soft leaves can unfurl in ourselves, and something fragrant can come forward.

It's said in the Dhammapada^[3] that the scent of virtue, the scent of Sīla for us, the scent of the precepts, travels against the wind, even in the way that the scent of lavender and rosemary and jasmine don't travel against the wind.

So may we have a reflective, contemplative, Dharmic day, keeping ourselves safely on the path, in touch with these precepts on this auspicious full moon day.

Chanting the Precepts

Right now, for anyone who would like to stay just a moment, I'm going to put a link so we can all see the precepts together, and then if you'd like, we can chant them together.

This tends to be done in call and response, so this can be our closing, and we'll say farewell.

For the sake of our training together, I undertake the precept to abstain from harming living beings.

For the sake of our training together, I undertake the precept to abstain from taking what is not given.

For the sake of our training together, I undertake the precept to abstain from sexual misconduct.

For the sake of our training together, I undertake the precept to abstain from false speech.

For the sake of our training together, I undertake the precept to abstain from intoxicants that are a cause for heedlessness.

May you be well. May you be well served by the practice of the precepts. Please take good care today. Until tomorrow.