Be a light unto yourself
Welcome Teachers Schedule News & Events Directions Contacts

     Zen



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 Eleven Precepts

  1. 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.
     
  2. 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.
     
  3. 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.
     
  4. Manifest Truth - I honor honesty and truth.  I speak with integrity from the depth of my heart.
     
  5. 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.
     
  6. 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.
     
  7. 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.
     
  8. 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.
     
  9. 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.
     
  10. 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.
     
  11. 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)

 

 Retreats   |   Oshkosh Sangha   |   Hollow Bones