This is November 30, 2024 and with the taking the precept ceremony happening this afternoon, I'm going to talk about the meaning and spirit of participating in the ceremony for starters in Buddhism, taking the precepts which in Zen is traditionally called Jukai, is a rite of passage in that it's a formal initiation into the way. It's considered only second in importance to ordination, and it's a tradition that has been passed down from ancient times, going back To the earliest Sangha that followed the Buddha.
I remember the first time that I participated in the ceremony. It was some 25 years ago in the Buddha Hall led by Bodhi Roshi. And at the time, I had been practicing for maybe a few months at most, but I still had this strong sense that I had found my path. And having been raised in a Roman Catholic family, I did have some affinity with participating in religious rituals, but I had no idea just how impactful it would be to join in with others, with Sangha in reciting these ancient vows,
it strengthened my faith and also helped me to feel more rooted in the Sangha. And over the years, I've learned there are a couple of common reasons why some people may shy away from doing the ceremony. One is that it's a ceremony. Some people have a hard time with ceremonies, with the trappings of Buddhism, even with formal sittings, you know, chanting and bowing and frustrations the altar offerings to the off the altar, let alone a ceremony. So one can really get caught up in picturing oneself in the setting of a ceremony and feeling really uncomfortable with the whole thing. And another reason though, that some people don't do the precept ceremony is because they just resign themselves to what they see as the fact that they can't live up to them. They can't live up to the precepts. So to recite them would somehow be disingenuous. You might even think that you're automatically violating the precepts, if you or I shouldn't say if when you accidentally step on an ant or intentionally swat a fly. Of course, both of these reasons for avoiding Jukai involve thoughts, lots of thoughts, about oneself, about others, about what it means to practice. But. About the precepts. So then what? What are the precepts, and what does it mean to take them? That's what I want to talk about this morning.
In the simplest sense, they're a set of general guidelines for Buddhist morality, for not causing harm, such as not killing, not stealing, not lying. But they're not guidelines in a strict sense, as Roshi often puts it, the pre the precepts represent how one would conduct themselves if they were fully enlightened. So in that sense, the precepts are aspirational, aspirational in the sense of working at being a better human, which is something we can all benefit from. At our center, we hold this ceremony taking the precepts twice a year during the month of May, in conjunction with Buddha's birthday celebration, and then in November, in our set of Thanksgiving traditions. And because the word Jukai is not readily understood by the average person, at least not in an American, American setting, especially for folks who are new to practice at our center, we have taken up calling the ceremony not Jukai, but taking the precepts. Some other centers use like slightly different language. One very common one, is receiving the precepts and some actually combine the Tou, and they call it the taking and receiving, the precept ceremony. And actually the word Jukai, translated from Japanese, if you want to go with the common translation, ju means receiving or granting, and Chi means precepts. So here we have, you know, these two different translations or verbiage, receiving and taking. And actually, both terms have their their merits. They're just, you know, kind of both open to interpretation. I The word receive can kind of suggest that one receives the precepts from a teacher, that the teacher gives them to students and sense that can sound kind of passive, but then again, on a deeper level, we could also say that to receive the precepts is to open up a space for them in our lives open up to them, and then this word taking that we have chosen to use, taking can come across as more active as in one choosing this path, choosing to work on upholding the precepts, choosing to work on actualizing them.
It. But really, ultimately, there is no one. There's no self who's receiving or taking or giving the precepts. Really, there's just just taking, just receiving, and that's the true spirit of it, without without a trace of self interest, self importance, no separation.
Without an air of pride or the thought that I'm a do gooder, look at me. I'm taking the precepts. I practice compassion. I'm a Buddhist. None of that.
When we think about ethics and morality in general, the tendency is to want to define right and wrong, good and bad, we want to pin it down, and along with that comes the inclination to label oneself and other people as good and bad. But
can we really say in any definitive way that which is right and wrong good and bad?
Alexander, Solzhenitsyn, the Russian writer and activist who sought to explode expose the the workings of the Soviet Gu log system. This is what he wrote, the line between good and evil runs not through States nor between classes, nor between political parties either, but right through every human heart and
each one of us, every human being, is capable of good and evil. It runs right through us and
but we prefer to think of ourselves as among the good ones and not think about the ways that we we do cause harm and
so if we can just look at the the first precept, I resolve not to kill but to cherish all life. If we look at that precept in a very literal and rigid kind of way we're going to run into some problems, and that's because each one of us does engage in killing all of us, without exception. We do it in order to to survive, to feed ourselves, to consume the vital nutrients that we need, the energy and air and water that we need to live a healthy life. There's killing involved in that,
even if you're following a vegan diet, okay, killing plants causes less harm, we can say, certainly, than killing animals. But there's still killing happening, and you can also see this from the lens of stealing as well the second precision. Accept is we vow not to take what is not given, but to respect the things of others. And yet every time we eat or drink water, you could say we're stealing energy from other life forms, depleting the water supply, and that's the problem. If we want to rely on some strict interpretation of the precepts,
we can quickly slide into judgments of ourself and others and quickly find ourselves on rather shaky ground. So another and more helpful way to interpret the precepts is to see them as relative, relative to our conditions and circumstances which are always changing. And this means that we work with them and we adapt them according to the situation we're in, and yet that sounds like it could be rather shaky ground as well, doesn't it?
In any given moment, can we see clearly? Can we see clearly what needs to be done, what needs to be said, what is the right thing, the best way to respond.
How do we navigate our lives without causing harm or at least minimizing it? We can spend a lot of time and energy on analyzing this, weighing advantages and disadvantages, rights and wrongs, carefully trying to navigate all of that. But then we we find ourselves getting caught up in in thoughts and essentially paralyzed by thoughts, unable to speak, unable to act, because we're so worried about saying the wrong thing or doing the wrong thing, or worried about what others will say about us or think about us and
us, in order to see clearly in any moment, the mind the body mind, needs to be unified. It needs to be calm and settled, open, not burdened by thoughts.
If we look at the precepts from a relative standpoint, an example would be that sometimes anger is appropriate, sometimes anger and expressing it is the right thing to do, suppressing it can be seen as lying. Even anger has this negative connotation, and we're conditioned to suppress it, but it's actually a natural and healthy human emotion, just like anxiety, anger is a form of energy needs to be released, and it can be done in a very productive and skillful way. Doesn't have to be some kind of rage. The ninth precept is I resolve. Not to indulge in anger, but to practice forbearance, so not to have anger and not to express it, express it, but not to indulge in it. In other words, not to dwell in it, to work on being more patient, being more tolerant, and restraining oneself from being overtaken by it.
Over the past couple months, I've been taking an online course that's titled Justified Anger, Justified Anger, and I'm taking it along with John sensei and all the members of the Zen centers, Board of Trustees and officers. It's taught by Dr Reverend Alex Gu and he's a pastor, and he's a founder of two community organizations based in Madison, Wisconsin, where we have a sister center. He's the founder of the nemaya Nehemiah Center for Urban leadership development and also the Center for black excellence and culture. And this course called, again, Justified Anger in a very powerful way, explores the history that underlies the racial disparities that exist in our society today, and it's extremely valuable for our center's leadership to take this course together and to reflect on it in the context of our own community of Rochester, which has its own history of housing and employment segregation and other forms of injustice, and we're taking it not to wallow in guilt, not to pack pat ourselves on The back either, but we're taking it to turn inward, to take a look at how we got where we are, and also to look at what we can do. What actions can we take to make sure that the Dharma and the resources that this center offers are available and more accessible to everyone, no matter who you are, where You come from, people from all walks of life. You
another example of understanding the precepts in a relative way is to consider the fourth one, which is I resolve not to lie, but to speak the truth.
And just as there are some situations where anger is justified, as in the legacy of racism and its impacts on our communities and on people through intergenerational trauma, just as There can be Justified Anger, there can be justified lying.
Example would be not not disclosing information, not being open in order to protect somebody from harm. Another example could be, let's say you just got the news yesterday of a medical diagnosis, a very serious. On and you're processing it all, and somebody asks you, Hey, how are you doing? Must you tell the truth? Must you say how you're really doing, or is it okay to lie and say, I'm fine. How are you?
We can see that as a form of loving kindness directed at oneself, to protect oneself in a moment of vulnerability.
In Buddhism, there's no God figure or authority figure that's going to stand in judgment of us. There's no measure stick for right and wrong, so judging ourselves and judging others for following or not following the precepts is not really helpful at all at the same time. It doesn't mean that we just throw our hands up and tell ourselves, well, anything goes then, as in, everything is empty. So why do I need to even bother to attempt to do good?
That's a cop out. Certainly, there are a lot of situations where actually the right thing to do is crystal clear, such as not taking advantage of someone who's under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or not using a position of authority, like being a manager a teacher, to exploit or to abuse others,
not trying To manipulate people.
To say that, well, it's okay, because there's ultimately no one to harm and no one doing the harm is a form of clinging to emptiness, to one side of our true nature, the absolute. But there's this other side, the relative, we need to work with, that,
the true power of the precepts comes with simply doing our best, simply putting in the effort to live them, to embody them the best that we can in the Sangha in the workplace, at home, at family gatherings, while driving, while eating, shopping, all the things that we do. Working on the precepts is a practice, and it's an endless practice, just like zazen, it's messy. There are a lot of do overs, a lot of fresh starts to make. We may we may not always do or say the right thing, and sometimes we say too much, or sometimes we hold back and don't act at all, but we have the opportunity to keep trying, and that's really the spirit of taking the precepts. It involves a moment by moment effort. It's not just the. Act of reciting them in a ceremony. It's how we work with them,
and we work with them on a moment by moment basis, based on where our attention is. And there are so many moments available to us.
The moment that you're offended by the words of a co worker, or the moment that you witness harmful words being spoken to somebody else,
or the moment that you damage something, some object that doesn't belong to you. So many moments,
as far as the practicalities of the ceremony this afternoon, just come as you are. But ideally sit beforehand. If you can, you can sit here in the Zen do or online at home, if you're attending on Zoom. Any amount of sitting that you can do before the ceremony is going to be helpful, because the mind will be more settled. Wearing a robe isn't required unless you're part of the training program here at Arnold park or Chapin Mill, but some people find it really helpful to put a robe on, even if you don't normally do so when you come to sittings, it's kind of a way of of wearing one's commitment wearing the Buddha's robe. But again, it's not required or expected. And another thing that people often find helpful, if you can before the ceremony, is to to take a shower or bath, shave, put on some clean clothes. We're not going to check at the door to make sure that you've done this. But the point is, it's helpful, because you can feel refreshed and energized after bathing. And as for the ceremony, it starts off with reciting the repentance got a we recite it not just once, but three times, as we do with some of the other verses. And in doing it three times, just on a practical level, it helps us to vocalize these ancient vows more whole, more wholeheartedly. The first time, we might be a little reserved, but by the third time, we're all in
the repentance got to verses, all harmful actions committed by me since time immemorial, stemming from greed, anger and delusion arising from body, speech And mind, I now repent having committed and in reciting that verse, The Spirit is not conjuring up regret or self judgment. It's it's about expressing our our willingness, our commitment to facing up to our mistakes and to being accountable moving forward. It's like saying I'm taking full responsibility for my shortcomings, and I'm going to do my best effort to not repeat them, and we do that recitation for. Fully knowing that there are strong habit forces at work that can cause us to make the same mistakes over and over, even after reciting the precepts. And that's okay,
you're still a Bucha. And after the repentance got we recite the three refuges, which are the first three of the 16 precepts in total. The three refuges are Bucha Dharma and Sangha. Buddha being the true nature that we equally share Dharma, the teachings of the Buddha and Sangha, everyone on the path, or literally everybody Buddhist or not, all beings.
And then there are the three general resolutions. I resolve to do no harm, simply to do one's best to refrain from harming oneself and others, also animals and plants, communities that we live in The Earth without clinging to any rigid or grand idea about right and wrong, I resolve to do no harm, and then the second, I resolve to do good. This includes all our efforts to be caring and responsible to speak and act with empathy and compassion, to look out for the needs of others, to say what needs to be said and do What needs to be done, to offer ourselves freely. To give our attention the best that we can. I resolve to do good, and then the third is I resolve to liberate all living beings. I resolve to see the interconnection of all life, the intimacy of all beings that nothing separate, and to carry out my life the best that I can with this understanding. And then we end the ceremony with the 10 Cardinal precepts, and I'll just read through them. I resolve not to kill but to cherish, cherish all life. I resolve not to take what is not given but to respect the things of others. I resolve not to misuse sexuality but to be caring and responsible. I resolve not to lie but to speak the truth. I resolve not to cause others to abuse alcohol or drugs, nor to do mu do so myself, but to keep the mind clear. I resolve not to speak of the faults of others, but to be understanding and sympathetic. I resolve not to praise myself and disparage others, but to overcome my own shortcomings, I resolve not to withhold spiritual or material aid, but to give them freely where needed. I resolve not to indulge in anger, but to practice forbearance, and I resolve not to revile the three Ches, the three treasures, but to cherish and uphold them
in the confines of One ta show, of course, it's not possible to cover all the ways one can understand each of these precepts, and I've already given a couple examples of how we can and should interpret interpret them in a more relative way based. Based on situations and conditions. And I realize this is not what some people want to hear. Some want there to be fixed rules. Some want to put everything in a neat, tidy box and check it off. That would make it a lot easier, but that's not how things are. Nothing static, nothing's fixed. You uh, including us, and that's why it's so valuable to take the precepts many times, as is customary at our center, each time we take the precepts, we're a different person, and we're renewing our commitment, and over time, our faith and our resolve can strengthen. Also recognize that the precepts and zazen go hand in hand. If we cause harm, there is a good chance that our mind is unsettled. We feel uneasy. We feel agitated when we make mistakes, and that awareness shows up in our Zazen. And through zazen, we notice it, and we were in a much better position to let go of what whatever it is that is distracting us from being present, and it works the other way around as well. If we practice zazen regularly, we're less likely to cause harm, because we can see more clearly. It's not a guarantee, though, but we do have a better chance. I and that's because we're observing not just what's happening around us in the external world, but we're observing what's happening in our inner world. We're noticing our internal responses. We're noticing our reactivity, and when we notice it, we can let go. We can let go of delusive thoughts and respond more skillfully, more compassionately, but only if we're paying attention.
I'll close with this quote from the chan Master, master Sheng Yen. He said, The precepts are like antiseptics. The precepts are like antiseptics, meaning they have a cleansing effect the more we do our best to uphold them, along with maintaining our sitting practice, the more we're able to let go of thoughts that afflict us, and the more readily we can Open up, we can wake up to our own liberation and others, we'll stop here and recite the four vows we.
