Peter continues discussion on “evidence-based” precepts. The Kalama Sutta reminds us that in order for the precepts to have an impact on our life, they must be validated within our personal experience. Peter encourages us to look closer at the concept of “doing harm” within our daily routine.
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Beginning with a long excerpt from the Kalama Sutta, Peter emphasized the Buddha’s teaching on personal validation of the concepts within Buddhism. The Kalamas were a tribe of critical thinkers who enjoyed challenging priests and philosophers regarding their presentations to the tribe. The Buddha exhorted them to not take anything on face value, but instead to validate or invalidate a particular self-state through mindfulness, organized around the ethics described in the Five Precepts: not to kill, steal, misbehave sexually, speak deceptively or hurtfully, and to not intoxicate the body/mind. The group was challenged to examine carefully how they can assess in their own experience how, for example, hostility toward an insect might be acceptable–but then, where does one draw the line? What is it about your direct, immediate experience that forms your response? The dialogue was so engaging and lively that it was agreed to continue the discussion at the next meeting.
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The Jataka Tales are Buddhist teachings on ethics in the form of a story. They’re quite numerous, and have been retold over the centuries in different cultures. Judy told the story of the Elephant King (except she renamed the main character “The Elephant Queen”). In this story, the insatiable quality of greed was contrasted with the total surrender to compassion and generosity on the part of the Elephant Queen.
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During this dialogue, Tommy described the development of dana, which is the Pali word translated as generosity. He talked of the value the Buddha placed on generosity as a fundamental way to cultivate renunciation, the ongoing process of letting go of attachments. During his presentation, he cited several examples of how he had experienced the benefits of generosity in his life.
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Since this meeting occurred on July 4, Peter talked about the Buddhist approach to “…life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. We explored the concept of the Middle Path, between agitation and sedation, too much faith/rigidity and too much skepticism/disorganization. Peter emphasized that the application of mindfulness cultivates equanimity, a dynamic process of balancing energy and cognition, guided by benevolent intention.
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