14 Precepts .....Thich Nhat Hanh

I admire

Thich Nhat Hanh

of course, who wouldn't.

Somehow I searched quite luckily on-line looking for some information about him recently to put on a list I posted awhile ago. I recalled him and thought I had to place him on my list. But as I was re-reading this morning coincidentally Jack, my husband, handed me a book called 'Living Buddha, Living Christ' by Thich Nhat Hanh which has an introduction by Elaine Pagels. In between working in my empty classroom today I've been enjoying the book, it really talks to how two figures Christ and the Buddha might view one another. I have another Thich Nhat Hanh book on Love written by him, another on Anger. Each one is beautiful. No one distills meaning for me quite like this Buddhist.

I recently asked Jack to define for me mindfulness. I am seeking better understanding of this. And I believe his answer is to give me the book to allow me to try to figure it out. Quite typically Jack places the work or my questions back in my hands. He is rarely inclined to tell me. Outright. Knowing I think of my desire to own my own mind and journey, looking for truth. One of our points of connection is our mutual respect for each others ability to find paths. I believe we both recognize how little we know, but how much we do like to look.

What is stirring me is this set of precepts which I hope it is acceptable to place here from a site I found. I'm troubled by precept number three. It seems silly to refer to this in this way, but I actually think it troubles me for very important reasons. But as I said the third one stopped me, unnerved me, made me think "Oh no" and I've been having an internal dialog, if not argument with myself about it for three days.Which may, in fact, prove i have yet to understand mindfulness. Which maybe why Jack was smiling this morning.

I am dealing with, thinking about this idea of imposing on children my valuations, forcing the adoption of my views. As my husband laughs and says....."Well, you are kind of hard-core'...I'm more unsettled.... though my best friend and work partner tells me I'm so disinclined to set a limit it drives her "bat shit". I sit here wondering...what am I really about. What is it about the job that makes me often very uncomfortable with the amount of conforming I do require.

I think back to my art ed teacher Bill Thomas saying, "the least you can possibly get away with." My husband seeing me in this state I get stuck in...seeing me talking both sides in inner arguing, decided to ask what was "on my mind". And after a rather tearful discussion of my feelings about coersion, testing, using scripts, doing things to achieve cooperation with children as I'm "mandated', but also reflecting how I structure in relationship to viewing education fro this perspective......this is a summary of his take...." Sarah I see people who look at school, life, living but especially education essentially as a kind of jail, they see the compulsoray nature and indeed it is a jail. But I also see others who look at this and see it as a garden, a place to nourish and grow, plant seeds and seek sun and health. Basically when I work with kids I tell them this and you are going to run into both perspectives, possibly hold or have both. But you can chose how to look at it. You can chose your relationship to the situation reacting as if in prison, or as if in a garden. And you can seek from this perspective."

And of course this made me think of Mandela's relationship to his imprisonment. And his talk about the garden. Jack, who has read in Buddhism and shared this with me for 25 years or more talked then about a readied mind. How a teacher has to work with a student who is in a place to take in the lessons. "Much of your issues come from having to tend a garden growing in rock. " I think I understand.

I suppose this year quite honestly, many things were difficult including how often I was required to use, or I did use, lecturing my kids into cooperation.
It took 3 months before many would or could actually make eye contact, sit and listen to a story. I felt....very....unsure.

Looking at this list I want to think about this a good deal more over the summer, should start each day and meditate on the list really, but intuitively I find myself compulsively over at the school building my tropical fish world, the art gallery, putting things into place that are better designs for doing, that hold interest, that are designed to be used. Making the space a doing, active place. I'm putting in the structures from which to spring this next year. My father would say I'm plowing, treating the soil and getting ready to garden. I hope this makes me find that I can better follow the tenets which seem to me to be what our student/teacher life needs from us. Participation from the compassionate perspective. From this community springs.

"Do not be idolatrous about or bound to any doctrine, theory, or ideology, even Buddhist ones. All systems of thought are guiding means; they are not absolute truth.

Do not think that the knowledge you presently possess is changeless, absolute truth. Avoid being narrow-minded and bound to present views. Learn and practice non-attachment 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 our entire life and to observe reality in yourself and in the world at all times.

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.

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 by all means, including personal contact and visits, images, sound. By such means, awaken yourself and others to the reality of suffering in the world.

Do not accumulate wealth while millions are hungry. Do not take as the aim of you life fame, profit, wealth, or sensual pleasure. Live simply and share time, energy, and material resources with those who are in need.

Do not maintain anger or hatred. As soon as anger and hatred arise, practice the meditation on compassion in order to deeply understand the persons who have caused anger and hatred. Learn to look at other beings with the eyes of compassion.

Do not lose yourself in dispersion and in your surroundings. Learn to practice breathing in order to regain composure of body and mind, to practice mindfulness, and to develop concentration and understanding.

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.

Do not say untruthful things for the sake of personal interest of to impress people. Do not utter words that cause diversion and hatred. Do not spread news that you do not know to be certain. Do not criticize or condemn things you are not sure of. Always speak truthfully and constructively. Have the courage to speak out about situations of injustice, even when doing so may threaten your own safety.

Do not use the Buddhist community for personal gain or profit, or transform your community into a political party. A religious community should, however, take a clear stand against oppression and injustice, and should strive to change the situation without engaging in partisan conflicts.

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 life. Select a vocation which helps realize your ideal compassion.

Do not kill. Do not let others kill. Find whatever means possible to protect life and to prevent war.

Possess nothing that should belong to others. Respect the property of others but prevent others from enriching themselves from human suffering or the suffering of other beings.

Do not mistreat your body. Learn to handle it with respect. Do not look on your body as only and instrument. Preserve vital energies (sexual, breath, spirit) for the realization of the Way. Sexual expression should not happen without love and commitment. In sexual relationships be aware of future suffering that may be caused. To preserve the happiness of others, respect the rights and commitments of others. Be fully aware of the responsibility of bringing new lives into the world. Meditate on the world into which you are bringing new beings.

Do not believe that I feel that I follow each and every of these precepts perfectly. I know I fail in many ways. None of us can fully fulfill any of these. However, I must work toward a goal. These are my goal. No words can replace practice, only practice can make the words.

"The finger pointing at the moon is not the moon."

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Beautiful, no?