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

Salesmen frequently have difficulty with this precept. They do not know where to
draw the line between puffing and deception. The person on the Path should try to impose
upon himself tougher standards than exist in consumer protection laws. He should always
put himself in his customer's place; and if he would buy what he is selling at the price for
which he is selling it - excluding, of course, considerations of his `wholesale' advantages -
then he may proceed in good conscience. If he's earning his living cheating people, then he's
breaking the law and needs to find a new job.
For most social interactions, a rule of thumb for the second precept is, "If you can't
tell the truth then keep your mouth shut." Usually, we have no difficulty with this
commandment if we operate from a base of non-desirousness. When we stop trying to gratify
our egos, we stop having to be deceitful.
White lies preserve the peace, and only an officious fool or a sadist tells an obviously
fat person that he appears to be so. A white lie is a totally innocent lie. No advantage is
sought and no money changes hands.
A different matter altogether is lying for a "good cause." Religious institutions, for
example, frequently subscribe to the dictum that when sheep must be fleeced no method is
too sleazy. Priests or lay volunteers will unabashedly resort to a list of tear-jerking and
wallet-opening ploys. The deception is excused because the money is spent on some building
project or other the benefits of which suffuse the entire religious body - or so the fund-raisers
may wish to believe.
Sometimes, on the pretext of "getting to know" a new member of a congregation,
information about the member's occupation and financial resources is obtained. If the
member is either rich or is in a position of advantage, say is a roofing contractor when a new
roof is needed, the person is singled out for ecclesiastical stroking. Anyone who participates
in deception of this unconscionable sort is violating the second precept.
We may not elicit a promise of secrecy from someone and then disclose to that person
our criminal acts. Likewise, we may not promise confidentiality as a precondition to
listening to someone's misdeeds. We don't become Buddhists in order to function as each
other's father confessor or co-conspirator. We have no right to compromise others just as we
have no obligation to allow others to compromise us. On the other hand, if someone reveals
to us certain non- criminal personal history, we are bound to keep his confidences secret
whether or not we have explicitly promised to do so.
3. Abstaining from illicit sexual activity
Again, following the law of the land, we don't have sexual relations with minors or
with adults who would rather not. Neither do we indulge ourselves with somebody else's
spouse no matter how enthusiastic that spouse is in his or her approach to us. Nor, if married,
to someone who not our spouse. No means no.
CHAPTER 14 RIGHT ACTION
S EVENTH W ORLD O F C HAN B UDDHISM
157