Five Great Gifts Rev. Catie Scudera

Buddhism is a faith of numbers: there are Three Jewels, four Noble Truths, an Eightfold Path, Five Precepts. In a month when we are considering ethical living, Buddhist teachings are particularly germane. Though most Buddhist sects believe in realms of gods and demons, theology — beliefs about God or gods — is not as essential to the faith as those practical numbers are: the Three Jewels, four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, the Five Precepts — none of which refer to any deities whatsoever. In this way, Buddhism is both unique as a religion and similar to our own Unitarian Universalism, a faith of diverse theologies, including atheism, but of a shared Seven Principles and Six Sources.

Buddha said he and his teachings should be judged on their effectiveness in bringing about enlightenment. In the Tipitaka, the “three baskets” of traditional scriptures recognized in both major branches of Buddhism, the Buddha cautions the Kalama clan, “Don’t go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability… When you know for yourselves that, ‘These qualities are skillful; these qualities are blameless; these qualities are praised by the wise; these qualities, when adopted and carried out, lead to welfare and to happiness’ — then you should enter and remain in them.” Buddha promised his followers that if they observed Buddhist practices and ethics, they would become free, happy, and healthy, and that they should test his assertions themselves.

We heard such a transformation in the words of Bhikkuni Vijaya:

“I had no peace of mind no control over mind…

[A nun] taught me the Dharma… the Four Noble Truths… and the eightfold way to the highest goal…

Then I lived with joy and happiness filling my whole body.”

Five Great Gifts Rev. Catie Scudera First Parish in Needham, 3/12/17

I imagine most of you have heard of the primary Buddhist beliefs set into numbered lists, perhaps even from me: the Three Jewels of the faith (1. the Buddha himself, 2. the dharma teachings, and 3. the sangha community); the Four Noble Truths (1. life unskillfully-lived is suffering, 2. desire and attachment are the causes of suffering, 3. ending desire and attachment brings an end to suffering, and 4. the way to end desire and suffering is the Eightfold Path); and, then, the Eightfold Path to liberation from suffering (having 1. right view, 2. right resolve, 3. right speech, 4. right action, 5. right livelihood, 6. right effort, 7. right mindfulness, and 8. right concentration).

And, oh boy, is that a lot to remember. How do we end our suffering if we can’t remember all these steps? How do we end our suffering if we don’t know the difference between right view, right resolve, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration? How do we end our suffering and transform our lives to freedom, healthiness, and happiness…?

This is where the Five Precepts come in to help. They are fewer in number and give instruction to laypeople toward the proper implementation of the Eightfold Path. These five ethical guidelines are basic to being Buddhist; many lay people participate in a formal ceremony to “take up” these precepts, not too different from our practice when our new members join First Parish — we ask for their promise to strive to uphold our congregational covenant and Seven Principles by engaging with the wisdom of our Six Sources.

Buddha describes these Five Great Gifts in another of the discourses of the Tipitaka:

“Now, there are these five gifts, five great gifts — original, long-standing, traditional, ancient, unadulterated from the beginning — that are not open to suspicion, will never be open to suspicion, and are unfaulted:… 1. abandoning the taking of life… 2. abandoning taking what is not given… 3. abandoning illicit sex… 4. abandoning lying… and 5. abandoning the use of intoxicants.”

Euro-American abbess of the San Francisco Bay Zen Center Diane Rizzetto rewrites these five precepts in aspirational terms, which she has found a useful compliment to the original phrasing: in addition to abandoning those unskillful practices, Rizzetto recommends “taking up the way” of 1. supporting life, 2. taking only what is freely given, 3. engaging in sexual intimacy respectfully and with an open heart, 4. speaking truthfully, and 5. cultivating a clear mind.

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The first precept may seem easy for us at first, as we do not live in a context where we might be tempted or compelled to murder of our fellow human beings. But, this precept demands we refrain from killing and take up protecting life in all aspects of our living. We might ask ourselves, Do the policies of our country, enacted by our elected representatives, promote happy, healthy, and free living of people of all backgrounds and identity groups living here and abroad? Can we promise that we would not return violence of action or speech with more violence? Do the ways we make or spend money result in the deaths of any living creatures — of workers in unsafe factories or mines, of the earth through pollution, of animals for our food?

The second precept asks us not to take what is not freely given — to not steal. Perhaps none of us have been involved in an armed robbery, but, again, the precept demands a deeper commitment: Can we promise that we will not exploit or misappropriate another’s work or time? Do the actions of our elected representatives lay claim to land, resources, or living beings that do not belong to the United States? Are we completely honest and transparent in our business dealings, investments, taxes?

The third precept is the “OWL rule,” refusing to engage in romantic relationships that are disrespectful or immoral. The simple response to this precept is, “Don’t cheat!” But, in the Unitarian Universalist Our Whole Lives lifespan sex ed curricula, we are challenged to live more fully into this Buddhist precept by striving to make our relationships fully consensual, non-exploitative, mutually pleasurable, and healthy for our bodies and our hearts. We must ask ourselves in our relationships, Do I offer equal respect and care for my needs and the needs of my partner? And, we can ask, Do the policies of our elected officials promote sexual wellbeing for all people and prevent exploitation, trafficking, and shaming of survivors of sexual violence? Can I speak clearly and with conviction about the rights and worthiness of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities?

The fourth precept tells us to say what is true and refrain from speaking falsehoods and breaking promises. Do we abstain from gossip and unnecessary talk about other people? Can we promise to fact-check articles and memes we are about to share on social media, and not to stay silent when we realize a friend or family member has been deceived? How often do we honestly answer the simple questions like, “How are you today?” with our genuine feelings?

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The fifth and final precept requires us to abstain from substances that could cloud our judgment, distort our perceptions, and reduce our self-control. It is difficult to maintain “right mindfulness and concentration” if we have been overindulging in intoxicants, and we know that addiction is a plague on our society and in families. We ask ourselves, Do we live our lives in a way that compels us to numb our senses or our values? In what we consume — physically and philosophically — are we reinforced in our commitments or are we distracted from them? How would our lives be different if we lessened our intake of intoxicants?

The Buddha promised that following these five precepts, any person could gain freedom, happiness, and health and would come closer to enlightenment. In the Buddhist system, it is not devotion to a deity or ritual that makes a person good, but habitual practice of ethical actions.

Early twentieth-century Buddhist-German physician Dr. Paul Dahlke elaborates, “Buddhism has no commandments or prohibitions with a God as authority or prime mover, but self-given precepts which are a necessity for everyone who knows life as it really is and who has the courage to draw the moral consequences from that knowledge. If I have understood life as it really is, I have also understood that I am committed to those self-given precepts. For any act [against these precepts] debases and contaminates my own conditions of existence, gives undesirable stimuli, and imparts impulses for a downward path; in brief, it does harm to myself… Even if the good or bad results of my deeds take effect nowhere else, they will take effect in me, the doer, necessarily and unavoidably. For, I do not have these actions as a quality of mine, but I am these actions myself... I myself shall become the result of those actions, shall grow myself into these results.”

Let’s take a moment together to reflect on these five precepts, and consider how taking up these precepts might alter our actions and thus ourselves for the better. I have a guided meditation adapted from Vietnamese Zen Buddhist leader Thich Nhat Hanh, first published in 1990 and which was included in our denomination’s curriculum for Neighboring Faiths, our middle-school program for learning about other religious traditions. When I’m back in worship on March 26th, I would love to hear if you did strive to observe any or all of these precepts in your day-to-day life, and what effect that ethical commitment had on you.

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Please join me in a spirit of openness, reflection, and meditation, breathing deeply and closing your eyes:

Ring singing bowl

“[Kindred spirits], it is time to recite the Five Wonderful Precepts. Please listen. The Five Precepts are the basis for a happy life. They have the capacity to protect life and make it beautiful and worth living. They are also the door which opens to enlightenment and liberation. Please listen to the precepts one by one and answer, ‘yes,’ silently each time you can [promise to make an] effort to study, practice, and observe it. [I will pause after each reading to allow us to breathe deeply in and out.]

(Bell)

First: Do not kill. Do not let others kill. Find whatever means possible to protect life. Do not live with a vocation that is harmful to humans and nature. (Pause for a breath.)

This is the first of the Five Precepts. [Can you make] an effort to study and practice it during the [next two] weeks? (Bell)

Second: Do not steal. Possess nothing that should belong to others. Respect the property of others, but prevent others from enriching themselves from human suffering and the suffering of other species on earth. (Pause for a breath.)

This is the second of the Five Precepts. [Can you make] an effort to study and practice it during the [next two] weeks? (Bell)

Third: Sexual expression should not take place without love and commitment. Be fully aware of the sufferings you may cause others as a result of your misconduct. To preserve the happiness of yourself and others, respect the rights and commitments of others. (Pause for a breath.)

This is the third of the Five Precepts. [Can you make] an effort to study and practice it during the [next two] weeks? (Bell)

Fourth: Do not say untruthful things. Do not spread news that you do not know to be certain. Do not criticize or condemn things that you are unsure of. Do not utter words that cause division and hatred, that can create discord and

5 Five Great Gifts Rev. Catie Scudera First Parish in Needham, 3/12/17 cause the family or the community to break. All efforts should be made to reconcile and resolve all conflicts. (Pause for a breath.)

This is the fourth of the Five Precepts. [Can you make] an effort to study and practice it during the [next two] weeks? (Bell)

Fifth: Do not use alcohol and any other intoxicants. Be aware that your fine body has been transmitted to you by several previous generations and your parents. Destroying your body with [an excess of] alcohol and other intoxicants is to betray your ancestors, your parents, and also to betray the future generations. (Pause for a breath.)

This is the fifth of the Five Precepts. [Can you make] an effort to study and practice it during the [next two] weeks? (Bell)

[Kindred spirits], we have recited the Five Wonderful Precepts, the foundation of happiness for the individual, the family, and the society…

Hearing the bell, [we] bow three times [to honor] the Buddha, the Dharma [teachings], and the Sangha [community], to show [our] gratitude. (Bell three times)”

May we maintain integrity in accordance to our highest values, and on our life’s journey move ever closer to freedom, happiness, and healthiness for ourselves and for all living beings. Blessed be, and amen.

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