Dear Sangha (Community),
As I prepare to take refuge in the buddha, the dharma, and the sangha next month in the Jukai (or 16 bodhisattva precepts) ceremony and make my commitments as a buddhist publicly to you, I have been studying the meaning of the precepts and their applications in my daily life, here and now. These precepts are (from Zen Community of Oregon Website):
The Three Refuges (Three Treasures)
- I take refuge in the Buddha.
- I take refuge in the Dharma.
- I take refuge in the Sangha.
The Three Pure Precepts
- I vow not to commit evil.
- I vow to cultivate goodness.
- I vow to help others.
The Ten Grave Precepts
- I vow not to kill, but to cherish all life.
- I vow not to steal, but to respect that which belongs to others.
- I vow not to misuse sexual energy, but to be honest and respectful.
- I vow not to lie, but to speak the truth.
- I vow not to misuse drugs or alcohol, but to keep the mind clear.
- I vow not to gossip about others’ faults, but to be understanding and sympathetic.
- I vow not to praise myself by criticizing others, but to overcome my own shortcomings.
- I vow not to withhold spiritual or material aid, but to give freely when needed.
- I vow not to unleash anger, but to seek its source.
- I vow not to speak ill of the Three Treasures, but to cherish and uphold them.
To me, the three refuges are the commitment to the bodhisattva way, and the three pure precepts encompass the entirety of the path that can be taken to travel on that way. The ten grave precepts then break down how that path can be followed more minutely in everyday life.
A bodhisattva is a courageous and compassionate warrior that defends all living beings by being awake and open-hearted all of the time. When I walk the bodhisattva way, I take steps to cultivate that open-hearted awake-ness in myself, on behalf of others. But I often find it difficult to stay committed to being awake all of the time because I become tangled in webs of desire, doubt, confusion, and fear. So, as I wake up each morning, I find that it is important for me to anchor myself back to the bodhisattva way with the most clarifying words I can think of, that slice straight through delusion with the bodhisattva sword of truth and love. Because I can feel lost and insecure when I am tangled in this web, I also find that adding a dose of metta (or lovingkindness) to my awareness is nourishing. So, as an antidote to lonely-heartedness and confusion that may arise during the night, I rise and sit with this blessing to invoke the clarity of the pure precepts for myself and all beings:
May I be blessed with the wisdom not to harm
May I be blessed with the opportunity to do good and help others
May I be blessed with the heart of a bodhisattva
As time allows, I may also extend this outwards by adding:
May you be blessed with the wisdom not to harm… (all three)
May we be blessed with the wisdom not to harm…(all three)
May the “morning pure precept blessing” be of use to you.
In love and appreciation,
Rachael