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Mission Statement
We are a sacred order,
bringing into being
a harmonious and loving world
through the practice
of meditative, compassionate awareness
and mindful stewardship.
The Four Awakened Vows
- However innumerable all beings
are, I vow to serve and liberate them all.
- However deep and elusive my shadow
states are, I vow to experience and enlighten them all.
- However vast and difficult true
teachings are, I vow to embody and master them all.
- However endless my true path
may be, I vow to awaken and follow forever.
The Three Marks of Existence
- Impermanence
- Suffering
- Selflessness
The Four Noble Truths
- There is suffering in the world
- There is a cause to the suffering
- There is a way to end suffering
- The way to end suffering is to follow the Eight Fold
Path
The Eight Fold Path
- Clear view / understanding
- Precise purpose, thought / feeling
- Honest speech
- Compassionate action
- Conscious livelihood
- Great effort /determination
- Deep concentration / meditation
- Liberating Samadhi
The Five Training Elements
- Sacred stewardship
- Philosophical and cognitive re-orientation
- Emotional maturity and integrity
- Conscious embodiment
- Genuine insight
The Eleven Precepts
- Affirm Life - I respect
all sentient and insentient beings and always act with compassion towards
them. In order to live, it is necessary for me to take life. I do
so with reverence for the life taken. In gratitude, I do not take
my own life for granted.
- Act Generously - I act
with generosity and open-handedness. I receive only things that are
freely given to me. I remember that clinging and attachment are the root
of suffering.
- Be Loving - I am
conscious and loving in all of my relationships. In sexuality, I discern
the difference between love and lust and do not take advantage of other human
beings. I transform the arising of lust into true loving.
- Manifest Truth - I honor
honesty and truth. I speak with integrity from the depth of my heart.
- Respect Clarity - I act
at all times with mindfulness and clarity. I do not abuse my body or
cloud my mind with the misuse of intoxicants.
- Honor Silence - I
remember the preciousness of silence. I see the perfection of others and
refrain from gossip and frivolous conversation. I remain thoughtful and
mindful of the effects of my speech.
- Celebrate Others - I
rejoice in the good fortune of others. I do not, through my thoughts,
words, or action, separate myself from others through coveting, envy, or
jealousy.
- Be Giving - I give
generously of myself, sharing freely my love, my gifts, my talents, and my
abundance for the benefit of all. I do not selfishly withhold. I
do not add any more suffering to the world.
- Embody Compassion - I
recognize and enlighten my greed, anger, and ignorance. I transform my
negative emotions and act with equanimity, sympathetic joy, compassion, and
loving kindness.
- Steward of the Earth - I
hold sacred this planet Earth. I seek to understand Nature's
interconnections and celebrate my own interdependency. I work toward
achieving a lifestyle that gives more back to this Earth than I take from it.
- Manifest this Way - I
hold precious this Sangha and the sacred life we embody, especially these
three treasures:
This absolute purity
of our Awakened Mind!
(Buddha)
This life filled with wisdom,
compassion and skillful means!
(Dharma)
This never-ending mystery
of life unfolding!
All brothers, all sisters, all beings!
(Sangha)
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