The 5 Mindfulness Trainings
In our practice we strive to cultivate mindfulness
throughout our everyday lives. We can embrace the 5 Mindfulness Trainings to
help us toward this goal. The 5 Mindfulness Trainings, based on Buddhist
precepts and broadly interpreted and updated by Thich Nhat Hanh, are a
cornerstone of our practice.
Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life, I am committed to
cultivate compassion and learn 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 condone any act of killing in the world, in my thinking, and in my way
of life.
Aware of the suffering caused by exploitation, social injustice, stealing, and
oppression, I am committed to cultivate loving kindness and learn ways to work
for the well-being of people, animals, plants, and minerals. I am committed to
practice generosity by sharing my time, energy, and material resources with
those who are in real need. I am determined not to steal and not to possess
anything that should belong to others. I will respect the property of others,
but I will prevent others from profiting from human suffering or the suffering
of other species on Earth.
Aware of the suffering caused by sexual misconduct, I am committed to
cultivate responsibility and learn ways to protect the safety and integrity of
individuals, couples, families, and society. I am determined not to engage in
sexual relations without love and a long-term commitment. To preserve the
happiness of myself and others, I am determined to respect my commitments and
the commitments of others. 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.
Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful speech and the inability to listen
to others, I am committed to cultivate loving speech and deep listening in
order to bring joy and happiness to others and relieve others of their
suffering. Knowing that words can create happiness or suffering, I am
committed to learn to speak truthfully, with words that inspire
self-confidence, joy, and hope. I am determined not to spread news that I do
not know to be certain and not to criticize or condemn things of which I am
not sure. I will refrain from uttering words that can cause division or
discord, or that can cause the family or the community to break. I will make
all efforts to reconcile and resolve all conflicts, however small.
Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful consumption, I am committed to
cultivate good health, both physical and mental, for myself, my family, and my
society by practicing mindful eating, drinking, and consuming. I am committed
to ingest only items that preserve peace, well-being, and joy in my body, in
my consciousness, and in the collective body and consciousness of my family
and society. I am determined not to use alcohol or any other intoxicant or to
ingest foods or other items that contain toxins, such as certain TV programs,
magazines, books, films, and conversations. I am aware that to damage my body
or my consciousness with these poisons is to betray my ancestors, my parents,
my society, and future generations. I will work to transform violence, fear,
anger, and confusion in myself and in society by practicing a diet for myself
and for society. I understand that a proper diet is crucial for
self-transformation and for the transformation of society.
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