seventh world of chan buddhism - Zen Buddhist Order of Hsu Yun

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CHAPTER 14 RIGHT ACTION The faults of others are easily seen, but one's own faults are perceived with difficulty. One winnows the faults of others like chaff, but conceals his own faults as a fowler covers his body with twigs and leaves. - The Buddha (Dhammapada: XVII, 252) (Theosophical University Press) FOURTH STEP ON THE PATH At the outset it must be understood that the precepts given below are for ordinary, unaffiliated laymen. Rules will vary among different congregations. With certain reservations, whenever anyone joins a particular group he must obey that group's interpretation of the Precepts. Rules for monks and nuns and priests of both sexes are invariably more strict. A pledge to obey Buddhism's five commandments, the Five Precepts, is made by everyone who officially joins the religion. Acting correctly includes not only following these basic precepts but also other obvious rules of conduct. The Five Precepts require that we abstain from: 1. Aggressions, especially violent aggressions, against others 2. Deceitful words or deeds 3. Illicit sexual activity 4. Theft 5. Use of mind-altering substances habitually, dependently, or to an intoxicating degree First, a caveat. Owing, perhaps, to the permission granted by the Buddha in the popular version of his death bed pronouncements, many Buddhist institutions have seen fit to make a few adjustments in the `minor' precepts. In what some critics have called the `Cannabis/Coitus Canon,' some American Zen centers have chosen to ignore the prohibitions against using mind altering substances and engaging in illicit sexual relationships. Here, for example, is a list of the precepts exactly as they given in one American Zen Center: CHAPTER 14 RIGHT ACTION S EVENTH W ORLD O F C HAN B UDDHISM 154
1. Non-killing 2. Non-stealing 3. Not Being Greedy 4. Not Telling Lies 5. Not Being Ignorant 6. Not Talking about Others' Errors and Faults 7. Not Elevating Oneself and Blaming Others 8. Not Being Stingy 9. Not Being Angry 10. Not Speaking Ill of the Three Treasures (The Buddha, the Way, and the Priesthood.) What happened to sex and drugs? We search the list in vain. Omissions such as this are designed to make Buddhism less intimidating to newcomers. This will not do. The Back-to-Basics Pentalog requires us to take serious and constructive action in complying with all of the precepts. 1. Violent aggressions Following the law of the land, we may take reasonable measures to defend ourselves or others who are defenseless, such as children, the aged and infirmed, especially if these individuals are in our charge. (Accepting the responsibility of guardianship requires the guardian to defend those entrusted to him.) If a threat against us can clearly be perceived as mortal, we can kill. What we can't do is commit a battery or a murder... not in any degree. A person who complies with the commandment of nonviolence to the extent of refusing to defend himself clearly demonstrates an exalted spirituality; but such passivity is neither mandated nor, considering the scarcity of such saints, desirable. Persons who elect to protect their lives against unprovoked attack are not to be criticized for their actions. For some reason the right of self-defense is difficult for many spiritual elitists to accept. The first precept does not confer exemption to military service. We are entitled to defend ourselves, but we are obliged to defend our country. Unless we are dealing with cannibalism or the killing of any creature that possibly can pray, nonviolence should not be thought to extend to food sources. There, nonviolence means non-cruelty. Animals, whether food sources or not, must be treated humanely. Many Buddhists around the world eat meat or fish and nobody can have a hamburger or a tuna fish sandwich without something's having been killed. Human beings evolved as meat and fish eaters and no fault attaches to such a diet. Modern vegetarians, however, in CHAPTER 14 RIGHT ACTION S EVENTH W ORLD O F C HAN B UDDHISM 155
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THE SEVENTH WORLD OF CHAN BUDDHISM
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Table of Contents PART I: ORIGINS C
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As their population increased, so d
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from the womb of their Holy Mother
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fade quickly in early morning body-
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doctrine of Karma meant nothing les
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The other method of salvation, the
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As H.G. Wells reconstructs Siddarth
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CHAPTER 2 CHINA How wonderful! How
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in its concealed vitality, a new mo
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favor. (Unhappily, as we shall see,
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demand, or, perhaps, respectfully r
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demonstrated divine affection; and
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Believing that human nature was inh
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after a specific individual can, wh
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The Confucians also mocked the old
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Preferring to be absolutely certain
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male, earth and sky, dark and light
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As farmers, they of course studied
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emember. How much credence can we a
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Again, as there is no willful, exte
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CHAPTER 4 ORIGINS OF THE TWO MAIN S
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ecstatic beggars ambling through th
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As monasteries and shrines competed
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Though he could see Infinity in a s
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When, however, the fellow failed to
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was necessary, went back to South C
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intelligentsia sought refuge in Con
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She must have paid a fortune for it
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Even though Titans are noticeably h
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with the cosmos - encounters which
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The name Devil comes from the wretc
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challenge. To live in the Six World
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CHAPTER 6 THE GAP BETWEEN THE SIX W
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himself as being under siege from e
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advise him to seek sanctuary in a m
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CHAPTER 7 A WORKING MODEL OF THE PS
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that because something conforms to
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and protect them, they very likely
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follow a prescribed moral code that
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survival value. With this friend th
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Even today, a man will spend consid
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CROSS-SECTION: MODEL OF PSYCHE The
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in which we simply live out the lif
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pride, anger, security, jealousy, a
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honest, loving, witty, and good hum
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feel if we discover that our trust
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CHAPTER 9 HIGH PRICE OF DESIRE It s
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including veterans' organizations)
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the legend, "Even when you're baaaa
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Mr. Doe tells himself that he does
Page 103 and 104: Since his ex-wife and kids live in
Page 105 and 106: court press.) His new attachments w
Page 107 and 108: When evaluating dreams we must reca
Page 109 and 110: PART III: PRACTICE CHAPTER 10 FIRST
Page 111 and 112: Again, meditation requires that the
Page 113 and 114: Some people find it easier to count
Page 115 and 116: Zen is a branch of the Mahayana, an
Page 117 and 118: FIRST STEP ON THE EIGHTFOLD PATH CH
Page 119 and 120: Now, the question is this: Which ba
Page 121 and 122: It is necessary to appreciate the d
Page 123 and 124: punishment in the sense of physical
Page 125 and 126: through his troubles. It's another
Page 127 and 128: And if a single confession of past
Page 129 and 130: At the turn of the century, a famou
Page 131 and 132: and death' the moment we enter Nirv
Page 133 and 134: Insofar as these events concern our
Page 135 and 136: adiant, humble, compassionate, joyf
Page 137 and 138: Usually our love-affairs with thing
Page 139 and 140: The chronic annoyance of trivialiti
Page 141 and 142: After Dad has sympathized with Sonn
Page 143 and 144: conviction, "The friend of my frien
Page 145 and 146: Chan requires us not only to analyz
Page 147 and 148: Of all the projections one individu
Page 149 and 150: ego is so important." The layman, l
Page 151 and 152: Of greater importance to the person
Page 153: Buddhists because it is virtually i
Page 157 and 158: Salesmen frequently have difficulty
Page 159 and 160: would not be able to perform such g
Page 161 and 162: CHAPTER 15 RIGHT LIVELIHOOD "The pr
Page 163 and 164: killing of animals being unambiguou
Page 165 and 166: SIXTH STEP ON THE PATH CHAPTER 16 R
Page 167 and 168: What if we don't have a whole house
Page 169 and 170: When we finally decide to get in sh
Page 171 and 172: By Right Effort we mean that we cre
Page 173 and 174: sanitized in translation and appear
Page 175 and 176: men and women involved would have q
Page 177 and 178: the gentle monk came outside and sa
Page 179 and 180: There is another revolving sensatio
Page 181 and 182: length of time he'll require. He pe
Page 183 and 184: Eventually he realizes that he is b
Page 185 and 186: "Are there any teachings which go b
Page 187 and 188: The rules which govern eating defy
Page 189 and 190: CHAPTER 19 RIGHT MEDITATION EIGHTH
Page 191 and 192: cannot describe either the rush of
Page 193 and 194: The hands may either be held high a
Page 195 and 196: for as long as possible - the durat
Page 197 and 198: OTHER FORMS OF MEDITATION The word
Page 199 and 200: Pay attention to one clock only. As
Page 201 and 202: volume and harmony until it seemed
Page 203 and 204: Fasting, never a gentle exercise, c
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So far, so good. The characters and
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What type of prayer is permissible?
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CONCLUSION I remember once being ta
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seventh world of chan buddhism - Zen Buddhist Order of Hsu Yun

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