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14 precepts: day 4
Mar. 30th, 2025 10:52 amContinuing with the 14 precepts:
11: Do not live with a vocation that is harmful to humans and natures. Do not invest in companies that deprive others of their chance to life. Select a vocation which helps you realize your ideal of compassion.
The commentary points out “this is an extremely hard precept to observe. If you are lucky enough to have a vocation that helps you realize your idea of compassion, you still have to understand more deeply. If I am a teacher, I am very glad to have this job helping children. I am glad I am not a butcher who kills cows and pigs. Yet the son and daughter of the butcher come to my class, and I teach them. They profit from my right livelihood... My son and daughter eat the meat that the butcher prepares. We are linked together. I cannot say that my livelihood is perfectly right. It cannot be. Observing this precept include finding ways to realize a collective right livelihood.“ It goes on to suggest that you minimize suffering or at least go in the direction of minimizing suffering when you can’t eliminate it entirely.
12: "Do not kill. Do not let others kill. Find whatever means possible to protect life and protect prevent war. " And then the commentary talks about how if we reduce the defense budgets in western countries and stop the arms race, we could erase poverty, hungry, ill literacy, and many diseases. It also talks about the need to work for peace.
13: "Possess nothing that should belong to others. Respect the property of others, but prevent others from an enriching themselves from human suffering or the suffering of other beings." And then the commentary talks about how if we reduce the defense budgets in western countries and stop the arms race, we could erase poverty, hungry, ill literacy, and many diseases. It also talks about the need to work for peace. It also talks about working towards a more livable society, being linked with the awareness of suffering, lifestyle, and livelihood and protecting life.
14: Do not mistreat your body. Learn to handle it with respect. Do not look on your body as only an instrument. Preserve vital Energies Parentheses sexual, breath, spirit parentheses for the realization of the way. Sexual expression should not happen without love and commitment. In sexual relationships, be aware of future suffering that may be caused. To preserve the happiness of others, respects the rights and commitments of others. Be fully aware of the responsibility of bringing new lives into the world. Meditate on the world into which you are bringing new beings."
The commentary talked about the tradition of Buddhist, celibacy and preserving sexual energy energy for meditation. Also not bringing children into the world just to suffer. The commentary talks about some of the good results of sexual liberation, especially birth control. But it points out that there are problems associated with it.
11: Do not live with a vocation that is harmful to humans and natures. Do not invest in companies that deprive others of their chance to life. Select a vocation which helps you realize your ideal of compassion.
The commentary points out “this is an extremely hard precept to observe. If you are lucky enough to have a vocation that helps you realize your idea of compassion, you still have to understand more deeply. If I am a teacher, I am very glad to have this job helping children. I am glad I am not a butcher who kills cows and pigs. Yet the son and daughter of the butcher come to my class, and I teach them. They profit from my right livelihood... My son and daughter eat the meat that the butcher prepares. We are linked together. I cannot say that my livelihood is perfectly right. It cannot be. Observing this precept include finding ways to realize a collective right livelihood.“ It goes on to suggest that you minimize suffering or at least go in the direction of minimizing suffering when you can’t eliminate it entirely.
12: "Do not kill. Do not let others kill. Find whatever means possible to protect life and protect prevent war. " And then the commentary talks about how if we reduce the defense budgets in western countries and stop the arms race, we could erase poverty, hungry, ill literacy, and many diseases. It also talks about the need to work for peace.
13: "Possess nothing that should belong to others. Respect the property of others, but prevent others from an enriching themselves from human suffering or the suffering of other beings." And then the commentary talks about how if we reduce the defense budgets in western countries and stop the arms race, we could erase poverty, hungry, ill literacy, and many diseases. It also talks about the need to work for peace. It also talks about working towards a more livable society, being linked with the awareness of suffering, lifestyle, and livelihood and protecting life.
14: Do not mistreat your body. Learn to handle it with respect. Do not look on your body as only an instrument. Preserve vital Energies Parentheses sexual, breath, spirit parentheses for the realization of the way. Sexual expression should not happen without love and commitment. In sexual relationships, be aware of future suffering that may be caused. To preserve the happiness of others, respects the rights and commitments of others. Be fully aware of the responsibility of bringing new lives into the world. Meditate on the world into which you are bringing new beings."
The commentary talked about the tradition of Buddhist, celibacy and preserving sexual energy energy for meditation. Also not bringing children into the world just to suffer. The commentary talks about some of the good results of sexual liberation, especially birth control. But it points out that there are problems associated with it.
