The Second Precept: Taking Only What Is Freely Given

Good morning.

Last week we began to talk about the practice of precepts in relation to meditation,

The idea of a bare,

Receptive attention whereby we bring a non-judgmental awareness to the workings of our body,

Feelings,

And mind.

Remember,

The most commonly known set of precepts for lay Buddhists are the five precepts,

I undertake to abstain from taking life,

To abstain from taking what is not freely given,

To abstain from sensuous misconduct,

To abstain from false speech,

And to abstain from intoxicants.

Through a process of investigative meditation,

We can perceive the effects that greed,

Hatred,

And delusion have on our relationship to the precepts as those things manifest in us as hindrances such as clinging,

Aversion,

Spiritual drowsiness,

Worry,

Doubt.

We also spoke last week about the distinction between the parts of the eightfold path and these things that we identify as precepts.

Precepts,

Remember,

Originated in the rules of the community or sangha that formed around the Buddha 2600 years ago,

And they were meant to help sangha members develop both mind and character.

The precepts formed a system of ethical conduct through which even now we can develop a structure of intention in relation to our thoughts,

Speech,

And action.

We see this aspect of intention put forth in broad strokes in the eightfold path,

Which shares an umbrella of ideals that we use to guide our behavior,

Having right view,

Living with right intention,

Acting by right action.

But precepts really speak to specific elements of human nature.

Anger,

Greed,

Ill will,

Jealousy,

Disappointment,

Things which we should avoid for our own betterment.

But that's too simple on its own.

As we said last week,

Hindrances such as these are defile moments which alter our true basic nature,

Our Buddha nature.

They're defile moments which make us into something other than what our true selves are.

When instead we can see the hindrances in our lives,

When we can understand their roots,

See their effects,

And help them to recede,

We can embrace a practice of the precepts with an open heart.

Practicing precepts is said to be living the life of the Buddha.

Observing precepts is to live in our own Buddha nature.

But what does that really mean?

Is it simply about how we control our actions or even how we allow ourselves to think?

If so,

We're bound already to an inadequate expression of precepts.

If it's just about trying to control our thoughts and our actions,

We wind up subject to our own level of commitment which can fluctuate.

Commitment can be dictated by our feelings and our automatic responses to different situations.

There has to be more,

Something which not only convinces us that living by precept is the right thing to do,

But that helps us to know that living by precepts is inherently,

Directly,

An undeniably better way of life.

One of the things we have to consider when thinking about precepts is the Buddhist idea of interdependence,

Or interbeing as Thich Nhat Hanh used to say.

This is illustrated quite well in an ancient image known as Indra's net.

So if you can picture a hammock fabric,

The kind that's made of cores that form squares and in each corner of each square is a knot.

And now if you can imagine a jewel in each one of those knots and the fabric itself stretching throughout all time and space,

Endlessly,

In all directions,

Endlessly in the past,

Present and future.

A jewel in each knot and in each jewel,

The reflection of the light of each and every other jewel.

And in that regard,

It can be said that the light of each jewel is part and parcel of the light of each and every other jewel.

Interdependence.

Taken one step further,

We can consider the idea of dependent co-arising.

The idea that things come into being when causes and conditions allow them to arise when conditions are right and things go out of being when those causes and conditions no longer form the conditions needed for something to exist.

This is because that is.

These are because those are.

Our place and role and community is only such because the presence of others gives us a place to play that role.

I am here because you are listening.

Interdependence and dependent co-arising teaches that everything is linked at the most fundamental level,

Where no one thing can really be seen as having a separate existence.

Each thing,

A jewel,

Occupying a place in the net and at once containing the light of all others.

And we can know this intellectually.

But as we gain clarity and insight through meditation,

We can begin to feel it as a lived reality.

This sense of connection becomes less of an idea and more of felt sense,

Which calls us into compassion toward others and into right action.

Using our thoughts,

Words and deeds to help prevent the suffering of others and in doing so,

To resolve our own suffering.

The Buddhist teacher James Ford once said that precepts speak to the point in our lives where our formal meditation practice and our insight find vital expression.

He went on,

This is an old path that we're walking and there are many guideposts along the way.

If we check in with friends who have also walked this way,

If we're careful and attentive,

We discover how we can discern the shape of our possibility and find our direction.

But it's not as simple as just taking certain actions or refraining from other actions,

But rather living in the reality of our interdependence with others.

Awaking a spirit of what's called bodhicitta,

The desire to live in ways which better the lives of others through our own practice of precepts in our sobriety.

In the words of an 8th century Indian Buddhist teacher,

Shanti Deva,

We live with the intention,

Ocean of great good that seeks to place all beings in the state of bliss and every action for the benefit of all.

Such is my delight and my joy.

Now last week we talked about the first of the five precepts often worded in Buddhist recovery literature as to abstain from taking life.

We then looked at Thich Nhat Hanh's book Interbeing,

Where he expands the wording,

Helping us to see the applicability of the first precept in deeper areas of our life.

I'd like to just read that again.

Thich Nhat Hanh titles the first precept,

Reverence for Life.

Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life,

I am committed to cultivating compassion and learned 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,

Or in my way of life.

Seeing that harmful actions arise from anger,

Fear,

Greed,

And intolerance,

I will cultivate openness,

Non-discrimination,

And non-attachment to views in order to transform violence,

Fanaticism,

And dogmatism in myself and in the world.

The second of the five precepts,

In simple terms,

Is to abstain from taking what is not freely given.

Wise advice,

Simple and clear.

But again,

Thich Nhat Hanh expands the precept more deeply into our lives,

Giving it the title,

True Happiness.

Aware of the suffering caused by exploitation,

Social injustice,

Stealing and oppression,

I am committed to practicing generosity in my thinking,

Speaking,

And acting.

I am determined not to steal,

And not to possess anything that should belong to others,

And I will share my time,

Energy,

And material resources with those who are in need.

I will practice looking deeply to see that the happiness and suffering of others are not separate from my own happiness and suffering,

That true happiness is not possible without understanding and compassion,

And that running after wealth,

Fame,

Power,

And sensual pleasures can bring much suffering and despair.

I am aware that happiness depends on my mental attitude and not on external conditions,

And that I can live happily in the present moment simply by remembering that I already have more than enough conditions to be happy.

I am committed to practicing right livelihood so that I can help reduce the suffering of living beings on earth.

This brings to mind the section of the Eightfold Path having to do with ethical behavior,

Right speech,

Right action,

Right livelihood.

Also wise.

But it's not simply the stealing of money or physical objects we have to be aware of,

But also to avoid actions which impact the rights and intrinsic worth of others.

Our thoughts matter.

Our speech matters,

Just as much as our actions.

Not taking what is not freely given?

Yes,

But it's way beyond that.

Thich Nhat Hanh moves this precept into the realm of how we approach the world around us and our community,

How we dedicate our resources to our own lives and to the lives of others.

I've always equated this second precept to the first of the six Buddhist Paramitas or Perfections,

That is,

The practice of generosity.

The second precept seems to apply not only to wrongly taking things,

But to ungenerously withholding things as well.

What does it mean to practice generosity?

How do we choose to share our time?

On pursuits which benefit ourselves?

In ways that benefit those around us?

Where do we bring our energy,

Our right effort?

Do we share our material resources,

Our spiritual resources,

Our emotional resources?

Do we remember to smile at the grocery store clerk?

To see the connection between ourselves and other people is at the heart of the second precept,

Taking only what is freely given and treating those around us with care,

Sharing our things,

Our time,

And our effort with those who are in need.

Happiness,

Thich Nhat Hanh writes,

Is only possible when there is peace of mind.

And peace of mind isn't possible without understanding and love.

And from where does our understanding come?

The processes of inquiry that we engage in meditation,

The insight we gain from knowing our minds,

Gladdening our minds,

And building concentration,

And from where does love arise?

From our commitment to living by the Eightfold Path,

Treating others with honor and respect.

It builds from our commitment to living by specific ethical codes,

Living a precept-led life.

To practice the second precept,

Thich Nhat Hanh says,

We must re-examine our own idea of happiness.

Are we attached to things and ideas that we think will make us happy?

The heart of our practice in Buddhist recovery is that the insight of meditation can give us the courage to release our attachments.

Then we can find a sense of joy in living a life of generous service.