From the article: The First Buddhist Precept
[p]Zen teacher Robert Aitken wrote in his book [i]The Mind of Clover: Essays in Zen Buddhist Ethics[/i], "There are many personal tests of this practice, from dealing with insects and mice to capital punishment." There is also abortion, vegetarianism, euthanasia. Have you found sticking places in your practice? Share Your Experiences
sticking
- i have been a vegetarian/vegan and a pacifist-wannabe ever since i began my Buddhist Path. i still have a major problem with Black Widow Spiders and Vinegaroons. i do my practice as i can .... i am far along the path of no-hatred and will undoubtedly change all the way to not killing Black Widows and Vinegaroons. The self was bitten; not the Buddha Nature. Meditations on non-self are probably the best way i know to cease harming others--"no self; no problems!"
- —Guest don Cook
TO:Reply: 'Whose Pain Are We Avoiding?'
- If you could not cure or sooth the creature, and you made your mind follow your heart. YOU new what was right to do, and the pain you felt later could have been some of that negitive karma. Let's face it, it was a negitive situation so negitive karma should be expected. It is how we deal with it that makes us suffer more than we need to. Bring good karma back while you mourn the dead, and tip the balance back. I am no judge, and will not judge any man. But if I had to guess I would think that karma would be kind to you.
- —Guest WasJustBornYesterday
RE: Whose pain are we avoiding?
- Oh, to answer your question, it wasn't my pain I was avoiding. I knew, no matter what, I was going to grieve the loss of my dog. I had a relationship with her for 15 years. How would it have spoke of my character had I left her to suffer horrible pain only as she died by inches? I set aside my desire to have her stay and focused wholly upon her. I am awake to the here-and-now. Screwed up her rebirth? Who cares?! It will tend to itself. I have to wonder, reading oyur post, whether you have ever been faced with such a decision? I released my dog with love, kindness, compassion. She went peacefully. No matter what I was going to be left behind and I would suffer losing her. When I saw the thirst for what it was -- to want what I could no longer have, namely her, my suffering stopped and a profound peace came over me. I am the human. I am capable of compassion. I let her go with loving kindness and she stopped suffering. I cared not for my own pain. My focus was totally on her.
- —Guest Cord
Reply: 'Whose Pain Are We Avoiding?'
- Having just last month been faced with the agonizing decision to euthanize my beloved dog of 15 years, I will tell you, everything in me screamed to keep her with me. In a year, she'd lost 1/2 her body weight. In her last two days, she could neither eat nor drink. She was literally painfully dying by inches. There was no question she was suffering. Dogs hide pain. When they show it, it's bad--very, very bad. I took her to the vet knowing she wouldn't be coming home with me. I released her from life with loving kindness. I did not do the final act but it was based on my decision. My pain meant nothing compared to hers. I knew when I left, the pain of loss would be crushing. And it was. This was dukkha and annica at its worst. She died surrounded by her human pack with kisses, pats, love and kindness. Whose pain is it? If i gave into poison, I would have clung to her, treated her, increased her suffering. And she'd still be dead in the end. Let go with love, released from suffering
- —Guest Cord
How do you not kill
- Life on planet earth revolves around creation,sustenance and destruction.One does not live a minute without destroying some living thing.This may be consciously like killing a goat or chicken for food or unconsciously by stamping on ants or a cockroach.So,where does one draw the line.Are you allowed to defend yourself in war or when attacked by an assailant?Unless one has become a monk,I think that there are good reasons why one should defend oneself to the best of ones ability.This dilemma was posed to Krishna by Arjuna in the Bhagwad Geta when he refused to fight his enemies who were also his relatives because he thougght it was a sin to kill his enemies.Krishna replied that it was not a sin to kill his enemies in a righteous war.So,the question as to whether one should kill or not depends on the situation at hand.I suppose it is admissable to kill for food,as the wild animals do or to kill in a righteous war.The mental climate,perhaps is the important component.
- —lotuseater_
No wrong question
- JoeBuddha no one ever told me x is wrong or if I did x i would not be a buddhist. However as I trained cease from evil, do only good, do good for others became the right thing to do for me ... i am still learning to practice the manifestation of these three in my daily life not because anyone says I should but it is the right thing for me to do ...
- —Guest Lee
Precepts in Action
- After years of study I entered a monkery for a meditation retreat. During my first meeting with a monk I said "this meditation is difficult i need to learn" the monk said "how about trying to keep the precepts?" my response was "I'm a real good guy and hardly ever do anything 'wrong'." the monk almost snickered at me. "Do me a favor when you leave here for the next 6 months read the 10 precepts each day." and so for the next couple of months at each morning sitting I read "I will refrain from killing.... etc etc." Within 2 months I called the monastary and that very monk answered the phone. I said "I must tell you I have been reading the precepts each day and I've come to realize I keep none of them!" To think of precepts as something we must do to keep score of 'good' vs 'bad' behavior is not how i see them anymore... each is tied into each other and our intentions are very important. cease from evil; do only good; do good for others... and bow!
- —Guest Lee
I've just killed
- 20 minutes ago, I deliberately killed a sparrow that had flown against my kitchen window and was on the ground, panting, paralyzed, not responding to my proximity or touch, its beak opening and closing rapidly, no other movement whatsoever. My observation told me this was brain damage or a broken spine, a fatal injury. I saw a creature suffering, so instead of letting it die slowly but surely, I killed it swiftly and painlessly, ending its suffering. I recited prayers and filled my heart with wishes for the animal's swift rebirth into a better state. I disposed of the carcass, went to my personal shrine and lit some incense, praying to my teacher and to Guru Rinpoche and wishing this creature all the best. I see my actions as compassionate, not sentimental. I alone will bear the karmic consequences, and I gladly accept them as my due. I reason that the slight emotional suffering I feel at all this may be an example of what Guru Rinpoche called 'the suffering of compassion'.
- —Guest Kalzang
Part 2
- stop the agression being acted out by using psychology plus the fact I had lost the fear of being hurt (it could've happened, may still do one day, but during helping someone the fear of being hurt disappears completely). Using the mind and the fact that the hostile person (or people) probably is aware, at some level, of my lack of fear, thus knowing I will do what needs to be done without self-concern has been enough to stop every situation without further violence. So, in Buddhist terms, skillful means and loss of the "I" have enabled me to protect all life in very difficult situations, where my peers (some much more physically skilled than me) would have employed physical means. While this is not a guaranteed solution (what is?) it has worked thus far. I am sure there are many more skillful means that for other people and other situations could be devised. My point is that when harming seems to be the only way to help there may be numerous unexplored peaceful solutions
- —Guest Rich
Experiences of a martial artist
- I trained for many years in some of the most devastating hand to hand combat styles around. I stopped training and left the practice behind for a number of reasons..one being that many practitioners spoke of defence and non-aggression but were just itching to be able to use their skills "justifiably". I have used my skills on many occasions, in that I have never walked past someone being attacked without stopping it. One teaching, which has merits from that point of view, was the pre-emptive strike. When someone shows, by non-verbal clues, they will most likely attack in the next few seconds the idea is you knock them out first. In one way this has merit because you protect yourself, the innocents and quite probably the aggressor- the aggressor may suffer more harm from the ensuing randomness of real combat than from quickly being made passive. However, this became the standard response. I found from situations ranging from drunks out of control to 7 gang members.....
- —Guest Rich
Levels of the Precept
- Actually,the 5 Precepts has many levels. They are best practice for normal lfe, not just Buddhism practice. Not kill is the lowest level of the 1st Precept. No one can kill a dog without any feeling in his/her mind. We are always feeling very bad even just think about killing a dog or a cat. It's our painful. The full meaning of the 1st Precept is to abstain from killing, including avoid hurting or make trouble to others. If you are always cause trouble, no one like you. Then you won't be happy.
- —lib13
Whose pain are we avoiding?
- I continue to hold question over the ethics of euthanizing animals in the name of 'taking them out of their misery'. Is it their pain or our own pain at witnessing their pain that moves us to this action? How do we know if a premature death is in the interests of their karma and future births? Always, it seems to me, we can only see 'the tip of the iceberg' when making these judgements. That is, until we have the clear sight of an enlightened being! Jacqui. http://EastWestWisdoms.com
- —JacquiDodds
Buddhism and Euthanisia
- How do Buddhist Hospice Centers reconcile the first precept and the legalized euthanisia of a hospice center?
- —Guest Jim
Wrong Question
- Maybe it's because I don't follow the precepts, but I find something wrong about this very discussion. Look, we (in the US) have a dominant religion based on the concept of coercion, of ten commandments, of following God's will. Buddhism is not about restriction but empowerment. If we start going on about "X is wrong" or "if you do X, you're not a Buddhist", not only are we mischaracterizing Buddhism, but we're telling people, "Only special people can be Buddhists." Maybe that's not the point to the precepts, but that's how they will be perceived. The fact is that you have to start your practice where you are right now. As you grow spiritually, you'll naturally create your own life style that fits your new-found understanding. At least that's how I view it: I practice Buddhism because nobody tells me how to live, just how to practice.
- —Guest JoeBuddha
