On or around October 1999 I had the privilege of attending a week-long workshop with Diane, my significant other at the timed. It was led by the beloved Zen Buddhist Monk Thich Nhat Hahn. This workshop was called "The Art of Mindful Living," and he was accompanied by the Monks and Nuns of Plum Village, a peaceful community in France that practices this way of life. This was held at Omega Institute, in Rhinebeck, New York.
The purpose of the retreat was to give attendees a full experience of "The Art of Mindful Living". For example, retreat consisted of breakfast, lunch, and dinner lovingly prepared by the staff, and the attendees would sit down next to monks and nuns and enjoy their food mindfully, in loving silence and a present-moment appreciation. In other words, we would eat it as if it were our last meal. We also participated dharma talks, in which we all sat in a large hall and practiced meditation and relaxation, led by Thai, or other monks or nuns. The children also were separated for a section in which they experienced a mindful community and sang songs..."Where is buddha?" "No coming, no going..." One especially fond memory I had was watching Thich Nhat Hahn lead a mindful walk through a meadow, holding childrens' hands. When it began to rain, his mindful walk turned into a mindful run. Lauren, Diane's youngest daughter, held his hand and remarked: "His hands have the power to make peace."The essence of mindfulness is to live and be completely in the present, with full awareness. One way to bring yourself into the present with mindfulness is to focus on your breath. Also ask yourself a question about a random part of your body: what am I feeling behind my knees? In this busy rushed culture, we often do not take time to smell the roses, let alone focus on our body.
But another benefit of mindfulness is that by becoming fully present, you begin to free yourself of habits and behavior patterns that may not serve you. You can rise up and beyond habitual thought patterns, get out of your mind, and thereby experience truly original thoughts and creative inspirations. Beyond the cognitive benefits, there are many studies about how regularly practiced mindfulness meditation can enhance relaxation, decrease anxiety, and assist in dealing with chronic pain.
Towards the conclusion of the retreat, we were offered the opportunity to accept formally the mindfulness trainings and accept Thai as our teacher. These mindfulness trainings consisted of 5 precepts, or practices of awareness. They were committments, not commandments, a "North Star" as Thai called it, to guide us and protect us in life. They were based on the awareness that certain behaviors cause suffering, and based on this awareness we can make different choices:
The Five Wonderful Mindfulness Trainings
(formerly "The Five Wonderful Precepts")
The Five Wonderful Mindfulness Trainings below are Vietnamese Buddhist Thich Nhat's Hanh's translation of the 5 basic precepts as taught by the Buddha Shakyamuni. The Buddha offered these precepts to both his ordained and lay followers so that they could have clear guidelines to lead mindful and joyful lives on the path to awakening. Thich Nhat Hanh has updated the precepts so that they are beautifully appropriate and relevant in today's society. In his book entitled "For a Future to be Possible", Thich Nhat Hanh describes in detail how the Five Wonderful Mindfulness Trainings can be used by anyone in today's world to create a more harmonious and peaceful life.)
The First Mindfulness Training:
Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life, I vow 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.
Thich Nhat Hanh has a commentary on the 1st Precept.
The Second Mindfulness Training:
Aware of the suffering caused by exploitation, social injustice, stealing and oppression, I vow to cultivate loving kindness and learn ways to work for the well being of people, animals, plants and minerals. I vow 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.
Thich Nhat Hanh has a commentary on the 2nd Precept.
The Third Mindfulness Training:
Aware of the suffering caused by sexual misconduct, I vow 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.
Thich Nhat Hanh has a commentary on the 3rd Precept.
The Fourth Mindfulness Training:
Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful speech and the inability to listen to others, I vow 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 vow 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 community to break. I will make all efforts to reconcile and resolve all conflicts, however small.
Thich Nhat Hanh has a commentary on the 4th Precept.
The Fifth Mindfulness Training:
Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful consumption, I vow to cultivate good health, both physical and mental, for myself, my family, and my society by practicing mindful eating, drinking and consuming. I vow 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." (Reference: "http://www.dharmamemphis.com/buddhism/five_wonderful_mindfulness_train.htm")
These are the basics for a peaceful and happy life. During an ordination ceremony, I formally accepted to practice these trainings, and also received a spiritual name from Thich Nhat Hahn. As part of the teacher-student contract, Thai requested that we read aloud or practice these trainings at least every 90 days. I recommend anyone study and formally consider adopting these principles as a way of life.
No comments:
Post a Comment