Last week I wrote that the Five Mindfulness Trainings or Precepts could be the cure for the malaise present in today's society. Please remember they are not something imposed upon us by an outside authority, but something we can choose to use internally as a means of living a more Zen-full, peaceful and joyful life. To love is to understand, protect and bring well-being to the objects of our love. When we combine these Mindfulness Trainings with our awareness and our concentration, we can see that by refraining from doing "this", we prevent "that" from happening.

The First Mindfulness Training or Precept - Reverence for Life.

"Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life, I am committed to cultivating compassion and learning ways to protect the lives of people, animals, plants and minerals. I am determined not to kill, not to let others kill, and not to support any act of killing in the world, in my thinking, and in my way of life."

The Buddha (an enlightened being) introduced these precepts to his students over 2,600 years ago. Each of the five trainings begins with the words, "Aware of the suffering caused by ...". This is an extremely important aspect of the trainings, for until we are aware that we are suffering, we cannot do anything to change it. We can go on, day in and day out, killing ourselves with our own thoughts and our way of living.

Have you ever been angry with someone, or something? Have you ever been obsessed about something, or someone in your life? It has been said that most of us spend nearly 80 percent of every day rethinking the same thoughts that we thought yesterday!

Thinking is the base of everything we do in life. "As wo/man thinketh, so s/he is." Therefore it is vitally important that we first become aware of our thoughts. For this we have to use our concentration. If we start look at our thoughts as though they are no longer "my" thoughts, but "the" thoughts, this can help us look more objectively into them. We also have to be aware that like everything else in life, our thoughts are impermanent and therefore are subject to constant change. We have to remember that without correct understanding of a situation or a person, our thoughts can be misleading and can create confusion, anger or hatred. That is why it is so important to develop correct insight. So first we have to be aware, then use our concentration to understand. When we understand, we can change our violent thinking into non-violent thoughts.

To practise this non-violence in our lives we have to first learn how to deal peacefully with ourselves. If we are able to create true harmony within ourselves then we will know how to deal with family, friends and associates. If we realise that we are all of the one creation, of the one divinity, of one universe, then we can see the nature of our oneness or our "inter-being" and stop our blaming.

All of us, even pacifists, have much pain in us. We often feel angry and frustrated and need to find someone who is willing to listen to us, someone who is capable of understanding our suffering. In each of us there are seeds of a certain amount of violence and a certain amount of non-violence. When we make the decision to be less violent with our own thoughts, to cultivate compassion in ourselves rather than killing ourselves daily with our thoughts, we have a wonderful start towards changing our lives. We must understand that our minds can never be completely free of anger and violence. However, with the help of the First Mindfulness Training, as well as the other four Trainings, we can use them as guides. Like the North Star can be used as a guide to get us somewhere, we also know that it is impossible to reach the North Star. Our effort is only to proceed in that direction. The scope of these trainings influences our conduct, habits, character and mental states. By just practising this First Training we become more aware, calm, concentrated and closer to an enlightened life.

The Mindfulness Practice Community of Bermuda follows the teachings of the Zen Buddhist Master Thich Nhat Hanh and encourages members of ALL faiths to live mindfully. We are a non-secular group that meets weekly to support the practice of mindful living. For more information please call 236-4988 or email iamhome ibl.bm