On the Bodhisattva Precepts
The path of mercy for all existence and things
Our Ethical Guidelines are based on the 16 Bodhisattva Precepts of Soto Zen. This section gives some background information on the Precepts. Precept study is a recommend part of Soto Zen training. Studying the precepts is not, however, a requirement of membership in RCZC or a condition for attending our center or events. All who follow our Ethical Guidelines are welcome to practice with us, regardless of their relationship to the precepts or other Zen Buddhist teachings.
Note that the Bodhisattva precepts were expressed very simply in the negative case in the original Chinese and Japanese. For example the first precept is simply the characters for “no” and for “killing.” Do not kill. As we have studied the precepts in English in our cultural context, translations have been made which include the affirming, positive, side of each precept. “I vow to protect life, not to kill,” for example.
What follows are both the most recent suggestion from our Guiding Teacher, Zoketsu Norman Fischer (the first line of each pair, marked “EDZ”) and the current translation in use at San Francisco Zen Center (the second line of each pair, marked “SFZC”). See the precepts sources in the references and look online for additional translations.
The Three Refuges
We take refuge in Buddha.
In taking refuge in Buddha, we acknowledge the Buddha Nature of all beings. We recognize that everyone is equally the expression of Buddha Nature: the possibility to awaken. Our Ethical Guidelines and our suggested Clear Communication process calls on us to see all parties involved as Buddha as best we can.
We take refuge in Dharma.
In taking refuge in Dharma, we acknowledge the wisdom and compassion of the Bodhisattva’s life. It is through this Dharma that we embody, express and make accessible the teachings the Buddha as conveyed to us through the lineage of the Soto Zen School by lineage founder Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, guiding teacher Zoketsu Norman Fischer and other teachers. Realizing that our understanding and practice of Buddhism is of many sources, we acknowledge and respect all expressions of the Dharma.
We take refuge in Sangha.
In taking refuge in Sangha, we acknowledge the central role of sangha life to our practice. We aspire to create an inclusive environment for everyone's engagement in the Bodhisattva Way. When our diversity appears to separate us, our practice is to recognize, understand, and appreciate our differences. In so doing, we affirm and respect our differences and similarities in gender, age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, political belief, and physical abilities and appearances.
In creating an inclusive sangha, it is essential that we encourage open, ongoing communication among all sangha members, and that ethical concerns, communications challenges, and conflicts that arise are fully heard and addressed by the Red Cedar Zen Community in an appropriate forum. To facilitate this, RCZC members are encouraged to study fundamental teachings of Buddhism and Zen, to understand the organizational structure or our sangha, and to take responsibility for their own actions of body, speech, and mind by studying the precepts.
The Three Pure Precepts
The Three Pure Precepts are the aspiration of every bodhisattva. Reminding ourselves of these three fundamental tenants whenever we consider a course of action is crucial.
I vow to avoid harmful conduct.
To avoid harmful conduct means to refrain from causing harm to oneself, to others, to animals, to plants, to the Earth, to the waters and to the air. To practice this precept commits us to a life of learning more about the interconnections between all things. Much harmful conduct is inadvertent. When mistakes are made we commit to responding whether by feeling our regret, apology, confession, or atonement.
I vow to do beneficial conduct.
To do beneficial conduct means to act from the loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity of our awakened nature. This precept commits us to understanding the incredible power of our actions of thought, word, and deed for the good.
I vow to live for and with all beings.
To live for and with all beings expresses opportunity to discover and express the awakened nature of all being. In creating this opportunity we recognize the importance of maintaining a balance between an individual's negotiation of the Way and the sangha’s collective needs. When there is a perceived conflict between these, the process of open communication and clarification is a practice of "saving all beings."
The Ten Clear Mind Precepts
The Ten Clear Mind Precepts show a way to express Buddha Nature in our relations with each other. They provide the basis for our specific guidelines for wise and skillful behavior. Here are a few comments on each precept that highlight their practice in sangha life.
1. I vow to protect life, not to kill (EDZ).
A disciple of Buddha does not kill but rather cultivates and encourages life (SFZC).
This precept expresses our intent to live compassionately and harmlessly. When understood in its broadest context, not killing means not harming, especially not harming the body or psyche of another. Physical violence and abusive behavior (including physical threats, extreme displays of anger, and maliciousness) are "killing." In cultivating life, we seek opportunities each moment to encourage light and growth. We also acknowledge our role, directly or in complicity with others, in the killing of other forms of life. Realistically and humbly, we acknowledge that there is no living without killing and that difficult choices must be made. This precept encourages us to choose wisely, nurture life, and reduce harm. In Sangha life this precept includes a careful look at power relations and institutional structures.
2. I vow to receive gifts, not to steal (EDZ).
A disciple of Buddha does not take what is not given but rather cultivates and encourages generosity (SFZC).
This precept expresses our commitment to cultivate a generous heart. At a personal level, greedy behavior harms the person who steals; on a community level, stealing harms the opportunity and the environment for Zen practice. Those who handle sangha funds or other assets have a special responsibility to take care of them and avoid their misuse or misappropriation. We recognize that the misuse of authority and status is a form of taking what is not given. Within the complex life of the sangha, hierarchical levels of authority and seniority play a helpful role in some situations and not in others.
3. I vow to respect others, not to misuse sexuality (EDZ).
A disciple of Buddha does not misuse sexuality but rather cultivates and encourages open and honest relationships. (SFZC)
Sexuality is as much a part of the field of practice as any other aspect of our daily lives. Acknowledging and honoring our sexuality is part of creating an environment where conscious, mindful and compassionate relationships can be cultivated. Special care must be taken when people of unequal status or authority enter into a sexual relationship. Everyone coming to practice at Red Cedar Zen Community in any capacity has the right to be free from sexual harassment. Expression of sexual interest after being informed that such interest is unwelcome is misuse of sexuality. Remember that signals of sexuality are easily misinterpreted. Communication is all the more important here. “What did you mean by that?” may be an essential tool.
4. I vow to be truthful, not to lie (EDZ).
A disciple of Buddha does not lie but rather cultivates and encourages truthful communication (SFZC).
The precept “not to lie” is particularly important for community life. While ethical transgressions can involve any of the precepts, deceit is often involved. Lying to oneself, to another, or to one's community obscures the nature of reality and hinders the intention of bodhisattva practice. Within our community life, lying can also entail the deliberate withholding of information. Open and direct communication is essential in our work and practice together. We are each entitled to straightforward, complete information when we request feedback regarding our behavior, standing, or performance within the community.
5. I vow to maintain clarity, not to intoxicate self or other (EDZ).
A disciple of Buddha does not intoxicate self or others but rather cultivates and encourages clarity (SFZC).
Bodhisattva practice occurs within the context of a clear mind that is not conditioned by intoxicants of any sort. When clarity is lost it is all too easy to break the other precepts. It is our intention that the center to be an environment that supports those who are attempting to live without intoxicants. The sangha is encouraged to educate themselves about skillful ways of helping themselves and others in the face of addiction.
6. I vow to speak kindly, not to speak ill of others (EDZ).
A disciple of Buddha does not slander others but rather cultivates and encourages respectful speech (SFZC).
This precept arises from a bodhisattva's efforts to build social harmony and understanding. False, malicious, or thoughtless statements about others are acts of separation and division. Where intention to slander does arise, the effort to understand its roots is a wise expression of this precept.
7. I vow to maintain modesty, not to praise self at the expense of others (EDZ).
A disciple of Buddha does not praise self at the expense of others but rather cultivates and encourages self and others to abide in their awakened nature (SFZC).
While rejoicing in one's wholesome qualities and deeds is a time-honored Buddhist practice, praising oneself or seeking personal gain at the expense of others arises out of a misunderstanding of the interdependent nature of self. Within sangha life it is sometimes necessary to offer feedback to individuals or groups, but this should be done with great care and a supportive spirit. In considering the human need for support, be aware of praise-seeking and remember the Lojong mind-training slogan “Don’t expect applause.”
8. I vow to be generous, not to be possessive of anything (EDZ).
A disciple of Buddha is not possessive of anything but rather encourages mutual support (SFZC).
Red Cedar Zen Community has both physical and human assets, which support everyone’s practice of awakening. Neither the resources of the sangha nor any position within it are the possession of any one person. In the spirit of non-possessiveness, decision-making bodies at Red Cedar Zen should make decisions cooperatively and in an accountable manner, and with a wholehearted effort to consider various points of view. Our finances, decision-making structure, and minutes of major decision-making bodies should be made available in an accessible and understandable form.
9. I vow to be loving, not to harbor ill will (EDZ).
A disciple of Buddha does not harbor ill-will but rather cultivates loving kindness and understanding (SFZC).
Anger and strong emotion are natural, but the harboring of ill-will is a poison in individuals and for the community. Even more corrosive is the harboring of ideas of revenge. Sangha members having conflicts or tensions with others or with decision-making bodies should attempt to explore and, if possible, resolve them in the spirit of honesty, humility, and loving kindness.
10. I vow to cherish and polish the Three Treasures (EDZ).
A disciple of Buddha does not abuse the Three Treasures but rather cultivates and encourages awakening, the path and teaching of awakening the community that takes refuge in awakening (SFZC).
The Three Treasures are inseparable from one another: awakening informs our practice and our community life, practice informs community life and our awakening, and our community life informs our awakening and our practice. To abuse any one of the treasures harms the other two. We acknowledge our transgressions, seek reconciliation, and renew our commitment to the precepts as the working of buddha nature.
