Bill and Steve: The whole point of changing the name "Precepts" as "Mindfulness Trainings" was with the intention of pointing out that they have to be practiced in mindfulness. That they were a training to the mind. Without the practice of mindfulness applied over the "Precepts" they would lack of the awareness and insight the energy that mindfulness brings with it. Without mindfulness one would stay only over the surface writing making difficult to unfold the depths on each of them. They're very cleverly wisely created. Mindfulness and "Precepts" are not separated. They are the same. One can also see the precepts as an insight coming from mindfulness. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Bill wrote: "Practising mindfulness, however, does lead to a life that is compatible with the precepts" -------------------------------------------------------------------- As I say above, Mindfulness and "Precepts" are not separated. Mayka PS; I'm inserting this conversation amongst my FB notes. The reason of this is for TNH monastics seen it, so that they know what is being talked about this subject and be brought to TNH attention whatever is relevant.
--- On Wed, 30/3/11, Bill! <[email protected]> wrote: From: Bill! <[email protected]> Subject: [Zen] Re: An Opinion of Thich Nhat Hanh To: [email protected] Date: Wednesday, 30 March, 2011, 8:47 Steve, I don't disagree with the quote from Thich Nhat Hanh below. I do think, however, that the way he's phrased this in English could lead to a misunderstanding of the relationship between precepts and mindfulness. This is partially linguistic and partically because of the tendancy to look at things like this from a dualistic (and in our case, Western) perspective. Following precepts does not lead to mindfulness. Practicing mindfulness, however, does lead to a life that is compatible with the precepts - at least the first 5. Or to say it another way: you can faithfully follow all the precepts and still not be practicing mindfulness; but if you are practicing mindfulness you will be following all the precepts - at least the first 5. ...Bill! --- In [email protected], "SteveW" <eugnostos2000@...> wrote: > > "If we don't practice the precepts, we aren't practicing mindfulness. I know > some Zen students who think that they can practice meditation without > practicing precepts, but that is not correct. The heart of Buddhist > meditation is the practice of the precepts. You cannot meditate without > practicing the precepts." > -from The Heart of The Buddha's Teaching, page 82 > Any comments? > Steve >
