(excerpt from a handout written for a workshop on Buddhist Ethics, MMTCP and The Arrow Journal fall 2021)
In Denmark, mindfulness has become a highly popular practice for individuals to reduce stress and anxiety and as a means to enhance one’s ability to focus and thus be more productive. The social and ethical dimensions of the practice, however, tend to have been ignored, forgotten or are simply not associated with mindfulness. Instead, ethics is seen as something separate from, and optional to, mindfulness practice. Yet, traditional mindfulness practice found in Buddhist teachings, cultivating ethical conduct is one of the primary steps in mindfulness training. The ethical dimension of mindfulness practice is important for several reasons:
One is purely practical: Disassociating moral conduct from one’s meditation practice can make it difficult to attain the important ability to focus and calm our attention. Think of how much energy you spend worrying if you have told a lie or hurt someone. And without the ability to concentrate the mind, our potential for mindfulness and deep wisdom cannot be fully actualized. Another reason is that it can be one of the most rewarding steps of mindfulness practice itself: Living an ethical life and being grounded in moral principles can put us in contact with our inherent goodness, interconnectedness and capacity for deep compassion. Over time, this capacity grows and can deeply transform our personal and social life in a more loving direction.
Yet another good reason for reviving the ethical dimension of our mediation practice is societal as it brings forth the radical and social potential of mindfulness practice. Instead of simply focusing on individual stress reduction, it helps us address the root causes and conditions that evoke the stress in the first place, such as greed, jealousy and hatred and in turn help transform them, contributing to a more harmonious, just and peaceful relationships on both an intimate level as well as broader communal level.
Five basic guidelines
To investigate the ethical and social aspects of mindfulness practice we will turn to traditional Buddhist teachings, where ethics consist in following five guidelines. This is considered a preliminary step before venturing into deeper practices of cultivating mindfulness. In honoring the Buddhist roots of these five specific guidelines in connection with mindfulness practice, they are listed below in their original translated wording. For inspiration, I have included a contemporary interpretation inspired by Buddhist Thich Nhat Hanh’s outline of ethical ways of relating to self and others. This should not be taken as a doctrine with which to harshly judge yourself and others with, but rather as guiding means that help us learn to look deeply and develop understanding and compassion.
Original Precepts:
1. I observe the precept of abstaining from the destruction of life.
2. I observe the precept of abstaining from taking that which is not given.
3. I observe the precept of abstaining from sexual misconduct.
4. I observe the precept of abstaining from falsehood.
5. I observe the precept of abstaining from intoxicants that cloud the mind and cause carelessness.
A contemporary interpretation:
1 Reverence For Life
Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life, I am committed to cultivating the insight of inter-being 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.
2. 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.
3. 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
4. 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 recognise 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.
5. 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.
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