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The Fifth Precept
Mar. 11th, 2025 07:19 amI think I might take two days to do this one, since it has so much commentary, and a lot to think about.
"Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful consumption, I am committed to cultivating good health, both physical and mental, for myself, my family, and my society by practicing mindful eating, drinking and consuming. I will ingest only items that preserve peace, well-being, and joy in my body, in my consciousness, and in the collective body and consciousness of my family and society. I am determined not to use alcohol or any other intoxicant, or to ingest foods or other items that contain toxins, such as certain TV programs, magazines, books, films, and conversations. I am aware that to damage my body or my consciousness with these poisons is to betray my ancestors, my parents, my society, and future generations. I will work to transform violence, fear, anger and confusion in myself and in society by practicing a diet for myself and for society. I understand that a proper diet is crucial for self-transformation and for the transformation of society."
Once again, this is quite an expansion of the original precept of not consuming intoxicants. I also thought that for once my addiction to certain Chinese dramas was helpful in understanding some of the cultural context here, especially for the idea that your body is a gift from your ancestors so you shouldn't harm it. (Ha. "Addiction to." It's really hard to escape the language!) He actually clarifies that, since he knows the audience he's writing to: "In the West, people have the impression that their body belongs to them, that they can do anything they want with their body. They feel they have the right to live their lives however they please. And the law supports them. This is individualism. But according to the teaching of interbeing, your body is not yours alone. Your body belongs to your ancestors, your parents, and future generations, and it also belongs to society and all other living beings. All of them have come together to bring about the presence of this body. Keeping your body healthy is an expression of gratitude to the whole cosmos--the trees, the clouds, everything." While I definitely can understand this both as a cultural perspective and as a practice of interbeing, just the idea chafes in a way that shows I am definitely a product of my individualistic culture.
One of the practices he suggests for mindful consumption is a daily family meal, part of it consumed in silence (it made me think of the Lan Clan rules in The Untamed!) after an acknowledgement of the source of the food (where it was grown, made, transported, etc. so we know how our eating affects the planet and what the source of our gratitude should be), and partly filled with "mindful talking" with the goal of producing happiness and harmony in the family. I can't decide if I think this is very lovely or very restrictive. Probably both.
He then talks about the need to avoid alcohol, and he's quite aware he's going against French culture here! He talks about the damages of alcoholism and drunk driving, and acknowledges how wine is a deep part of both Christian and Jewish ritual, mentioning that he's talked to priests and rabbis about substituting grape juice for wine in communion/sabbath meals. This in a certain way reminds me of 19th c. Protestant reformers, though of course the Buddhist ban on wine is quite ancient.
In his discussion of avoiding toxins he then goes on to the media, and that's a big enough topic that I'll save it until tomorrow.
"Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful consumption, I am committed to cultivating good health, both physical and mental, for myself, my family, and my society by practicing mindful eating, drinking and consuming. I will ingest only items that preserve peace, well-being, and joy in my body, in my consciousness, and in the collective body and consciousness of my family and society. I am determined not to use alcohol or any other intoxicant, or to ingest foods or other items that contain toxins, such as certain TV programs, magazines, books, films, and conversations. I am aware that to damage my body or my consciousness with these poisons is to betray my ancestors, my parents, my society, and future generations. I will work to transform violence, fear, anger and confusion in myself and in society by practicing a diet for myself and for society. I understand that a proper diet is crucial for self-transformation and for the transformation of society."
Once again, this is quite an expansion of the original precept of not consuming intoxicants. I also thought that for once my addiction to certain Chinese dramas was helpful in understanding some of the cultural context here, especially for the idea that your body is a gift from your ancestors so you shouldn't harm it. (Ha. "Addiction to." It's really hard to escape the language!) He actually clarifies that, since he knows the audience he's writing to: "In the West, people have the impression that their body belongs to them, that they can do anything they want with their body. They feel they have the right to live their lives however they please. And the law supports them. This is individualism. But according to the teaching of interbeing, your body is not yours alone. Your body belongs to your ancestors, your parents, and future generations, and it also belongs to society and all other living beings. All of them have come together to bring about the presence of this body. Keeping your body healthy is an expression of gratitude to the whole cosmos--the trees, the clouds, everything." While I definitely can understand this both as a cultural perspective and as a practice of interbeing, just the idea chafes in a way that shows I am definitely a product of my individualistic culture.
One of the practices he suggests for mindful consumption is a daily family meal, part of it consumed in silence (it made me think of the Lan Clan rules in The Untamed!) after an acknowledgement of the source of the food (where it was grown, made, transported, etc. so we know how our eating affects the planet and what the source of our gratitude should be), and partly filled with "mindful talking" with the goal of producing happiness and harmony in the family. I can't decide if I think this is very lovely or very restrictive. Probably both.
He then talks about the need to avoid alcohol, and he's quite aware he's going against French culture here! He talks about the damages of alcoholism and drunk driving, and acknowledges how wine is a deep part of both Christian and Jewish ritual, mentioning that he's talked to priests and rabbis about substituting grape juice for wine in communion/sabbath meals. This in a certain way reminds me of 19th c. Protestant reformers, though of course the Buddhist ban on wine is quite ancient.
In his discussion of avoiding toxins he then goes on to the media, and that's a big enough topic that I'll save it until tomorrow.
