1. TRAINING IN ETHICAL CONDUCT (SKILLFUL SPEECH, ACTION, AND LIVELIHOOD) ―If you hold yourself dear then don't fetter yourself with harmful actions, for happiness isn't easily gained by one who commits harm.‖ - SN Some people question the importance of ethical conduct in developing a meditation practice. However, it takes little experience to see how directly our actions affect the quality of our mind and body. For example, injuring others disturbs the mind and creates tension in the body. We may experience remorse over our actions and/or fear retribution. This is counterproductive to the calm, concentration, and balance required for meditation. Although most religions base their ethics on the concept of good versus evil, Buddhism bases its ethics on the concept of cause and effect. That is, when we perform unskillful, harmful acts, suffering results. When we do skillful, beneficial acts, happiness and peace result. The foundation of all Buddhist practice is the cultivation of nonharming of ourselves and others. Although this seems like a straightforward and even simple principle, it has far-reaching and deep implications for our practice and our lives. To live an ethically sound life, the Buddha recommended 5 training precepts. These are not meant as commandments or absolutes, rather they are offered as guides to help us act skillfully in the world, as areas of self-inquiry, and as a framework to measure
10
