The Order of Interbeing

I quite enjoy reading the various Buddhist schools of thought. There are specific Orders founded across the Eastern part of the world. These various Orders, though seemingly different, are united at the very core. They all seem to revolve around the essential teachings of the original Buddhadharma.

This particular Order, the Order of Interbeing, was founded by Thich Nhat Hanh in Vietnam during the war. The followers of this Order make efforts towards practicing certain 14 precepts in their daily life. What I really like about it is, how the emphasis of practicing the precepts lies not as a strict rule-based approach to life, but as a means of guidance for daily living. It brings to mind the image of a wise old elder leading a child gently across a bridge with utmost courage, peace and confidence. I do enjoy freedom very much, and in such expression, I find that it's easier to expand the mind.

The 14 precepts of the Order are as follows:

1.  The Lion's Roar: Do not be idolatrous about or bound to any doctrine, theory, or ideology, even Buddhist ones. Buddhist systems of thought are guiding means; they are not absolute truth.
2. Truth Is Found In Life: Do not think the knowledge you presently possess is changeless, absolute truth. Avoid being narrow-minded and bound to present views. Learn and practice nonattachment from views in order to be open to receive others viewpoints. Truth is found in life and not merely in conceptual knowledge. Be ready to learn throughout your entire life and to observe reality in yourself and in the world at all times.
3. Freedom Of Thought: Do not force others, including children, by any means whatsoever, to adopt your views, whether by authority, threat, money, propaganda, or even education. However, through compassionate dialogue, help others renounce fanaticism and narrowness.
4. Awareness Of Suffering: Do not avoid contact with suffering or close your eyes before suffering. Do not lose awareness of the existence of suffering in the life of the world. Find ways to be with those who are suffering, including personal contact, visits, images, and sounds. By such means, awaken yourself and others to the reality of suffering in the world.
5. Living Simply: Do not accumulate wealth while millions are hungry. Do not take as the aim of your life fame, profit, wealth, or sensual pleasure. Live simply and share time, energy, and material resources with those who are in need.
6. Compassion Is Understanding: Do not maintain anger or hatred. Learn to penetrate and transform them when they are still seeds in your consciousness. As soon as they arise, turn your attention to your breath in order to see and understand the nature of the persons who have caused your anger and hatred.
7. Mindful And Joyful Living: Do not lose yourself in dispersion and in your surroundings. Practice mindful breathing to come back to what us happening in the present moment. Be in touch with what is wondrous, refreshing, and healing both inside and around you. Plant seeds of joy, peace, and understanding in yourself in order to facilitate the work of transformation in the depths of your consciousness.
8. Harmony In The Community: Do not utter words that can create discord and cause the community to break. Make every effort to reconcile and resolve all conflicts, however small.
9. Mindful Speech: Do no say untruthful things for the sake of personal interest or to impress people. Do not utter words that cause division and hatred. Do not spread news that you do not know to be certain. Do not criticize or condemn things of which you are not sure. Always speak truthfully and constructively. Have the courage to speak out about situations of injustice, even when doing so may threaten your safety.
10. Standing Up To Injustice: Do not use the Buddhist community for personal gain or profit, or transform your community into a political party. A religious community, however, should take a clear stand against oppression and injustice and should strive to change the situation without engaging in partisan conflicts.
11. Right Livelihood: Do not live with a vocation that is harmful to humans and nature. Do not invest in companies that deprive others of their chance to live. Select a vocation that helps realize your ideal of compassion.
12. Protecting Life: Do not kill. Do not let others kill. Find whatever means possible to protect life and prevent war.
13. Social Justice: Possess nothing that should belong to others. Respect the property of others, but prevent others from profiting from human suffering or the suffering of the other species on Earth.
14. Three Sources Of Energy: Do not mistreat your body. Learn to handle it with respect. Do not look on your body as only an instrument. Preserve vital energies (sexual, breath, spirit) for the realization of the Way. (For brothers and sisters who are not monks and nuns:) Sexual expression should not take place without love and commitment. In sexual relationships, be aware of future sufferings that may be caused. To preserve the happiness of others, respect the rights and commitments of others. Be filly aware of the responsibility of bringing new lives into the world. Meditate on the world into which you are bringing new beings.

The 3 Commandments

I enjoy reading wise words. I find that this practice, is one of the things, which keeps me high on energy. I'd like to share 3 quotations that have made quite an impression on me...

Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never - - in nothing, great or small, large or petty - - never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.

- Winston Churchill

You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself into one.

-James A. Froude

 

Often people attempt to live their lives backwards, they try to have more things or more money in order to do more of what they want so that they will be happier. The way it actually works is the reverse. You must first be who you really are then do what you need to do in order to have what you want.

-Margaret Young

 

Remaining CoGnIzAnT

I'm going to vent a lil'

I find myself taking baby-steps towards exercising my faculty of reason. And in the process, I discover:

That, I have remained stuck within the boundaries set by word labels, with seemingly, no depth. The lines below, from Shakespeare's lyrical tale of Romeo and Juliet, captures the essence of my thought-process.

Juliet:
"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."

That, there is more to everything, than meets the eye.

That, there is enough religion to incite war, but not enough religion to instill tolerance.

That, everytime I look within myself, there lies the answer.

Et cetera...

βλεπομεν γαρ αρτι δι εσοπτρου εν αινιγματι

The title to this blog-post is in Greek. It's closest translation is: "For now we see through a glass, darkly". The phrase refers to a vision, of the love of God, that the prophets had.

The line's borrowed from one of my favorite passages' in the Bible, 1 Corinthians 1:13. It speaks of love in it's purest and strongest form. In a way, it uses the word love as being synonymous to a higher power, God. In the original Greek versions, the word agape has been used in place of love. The most common translation of the word agape is the "love of God for mankind", described in verses 4 through 13.

The passage goes as so -

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing.
4 Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 8 Love never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 13 And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

I find these lines really touch my heart, and hence, it's found it's place through another representation on the blog.

Lord of All Hopefulness

Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy,

Whose trust, ever child-like, no cares can destroy,

Be there at our waking, and give us, we pray,

Your bliss in our hearts, Lord, at the break of the day.

Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith,

Whose strong hands were skilled at the plans and the lathe,

Be there at our labors, and give us, we pray,

Your strength in out hearts, Lord, at the noon of the day.

Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace,

Your hands swift to welcome, your arms to embrace,

Be there at our homing, and give us, we pray,

Your love in our hearts, Lord, at the eve of the day.

Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm,

Whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm,

Be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray,

Your peace in our hearts, Lord, at the end of the day.

 

Text: Jan Struther, 1901-1953, Copyright - Oxford University Press

Tune: SALNE, 10 11 11 12; Gaelic; harm. by Erik Routley, 1917 - 1982, Copyright - 1975, Hope Publishing Co.

The Remanants...

A friend shared these poetic lines with me which I enjoyed reading so very much that I felt the need to post it here on my virtual space. Goes as so --

The tide recedes, but leaves behind bright seashells on the sand.
The sun goes down, but gentle warmth still lingers on the land.
The music stops, yet echoes on in sweet, soulful refrains.
For every joy that passes, something beautiful remains!!

I felt further inspired to add a few lines of my own which only enhanced the experience for me --

A walk under the starry night sky might come to end once you reach the front door step of your house, 

but the visuals your eyes captured along the way - you carry on, 

the fragrances that you inhaled - lingers on...
Bliss! Life is bliss!