The Five Mindfulness Trainings are the very
foundation of our being together as a Sangha. They are not
laws or rules to feel guilty about not keeping. They are aspirations
and ethical guidelines to help us to protect our consciousness
and to do things in a way that causes the least pain and suffering
for ourselves and others..
The First Mindfulness Training
Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life,
I vow to cultivate compassion and learn ways to protect the
lives of people, animals, plants and minerals. I am determined
not to kill, not to let others kill, and not to condone any
act of killing in the world, in my thinking, and in my way
of life.
The Second Mindfulness Training
Aware of the suffering caused by exploitation, social injustice,
stealing, and oppression, I vow to cultivate loving kindness
and learn ways to work for the well-being of people, animals,
plants and minerals. I vow to practice generosity by sharing
my time, energy, and material resources with those who are
in real need. I am determined not to steal and not to possess
anything that should belong to others. I will respect the
property of others, but I will prevent others from profiting
from human suffering or the suffering of other species on
Earth.
The Third Mindfulness Training
Aware of the suffering caused by sexual misconduct, I vow
to cultivate responsibility and learn ways to protect the
safety and integrity of individuals, couples, families, and
society. I am determined not to engage in sexual relations
without love and a long-term commitment. To preserve the happiness
of myself and others, I am determined to respect my commitments
and the commitments of others. I will do everything in my
power to protect children from sexual abuse and to prevent
couples and families from being broken by sexual misconduct.
The Fourth Mindfulness Training
Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful speech and the
inability to listen to others, I vow to cultivate loving speech
and deep listening in order to bring joy and happiness to
others and relieve others of their suffering. Knowing that
words can create happiness or suffering, I vow to learn to
speak truthfully, with words that inspire self confidence,
joy, and hope. I am determined not to spread news that I do
not know to be certain and not to criticize or condemn things
of which I am not sure. I will refrain from uttering words
that can cause division of discord, or that can cause the
family or community to break. I will make all efforts to reconcile
and resolve all conflicts, however small.
The Fifth Mindfulness Training
Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful consumption, I
vow to cultivate good health, both physical and mental, for
myself, my family, and my society by practicing mindful eating,
drinking, and consuming. I vow to ingest only items that preserve
peace, well-being, and joy in my body, in my consciousness,
and in the collective body and consciousness of my family
and society. I am determined not to use alcohol or any other
intoxicant or to ingest food or other items that contain toxins,
such as certain TV programs, magazines, books, films, and
conversations. I am aware that to damage my body or my consciousness
with these poisons is to betray my ancestors, my parents,
my society, and future generations. I will work to transform
violence, fear, anger, and confusion in myself and in society
by practicing a diet for myself and for society. I understand
that a proper diet is crucial for self-transformation and
for the transformation of society.
