ethics and precepts are not boring
An ongoing set of precepts I keep in mind to live by.
Accepting reality. Denial is not helpful. Covid is happening. Climate change is happening. Wishing it was not so doesn’t help me move in productive directions. In this way, I can avoid what John Welwood first described as Spiritual Bypassing: The "tendency to use spiritual ideas and practices to sidestep or avoid facing unresolved emotional issues, psychological wounds, and unfinished developmental tasks."* I would include the facing of unresolved environmental destruction and its social consequences.
Embracing complexity. Not overlooking and oversimplifying an issue. Try not to paint vast black and white strokes across an issue. Attempt to understand while not condoning those who destroy the earth, and where they are coming from. This is not excusing behavior, but it also doesn’t dismiss others through the use of name calling, othering, and pretending they have viewpoints that are entirely without validity. In this way, try to actively find areas where we agree.
An experimental attitude of exploration, rather than dogma. Entertaining a variety of ideas and exploring what works, sometimes through gentle trial and error, until sustainable solutions are found.
Nonviolent practice:, following the Buddhist precept of “not killing,” or “nurturing all life.” Sometimes this is not as clear as it appears, and so we make it an ongoing exploration. Some Buddhists eat meat. Others do not. Nurturing all life may include understanding why someone thinks they need to eat meat to live. It may include why someone regards harvesting vegetables is as destructive as harvesting animals. We keep it at the level of personal vow—what makes sense for us, according to our values. It may be that “nurturing all of life” means risking our own life to save a stand of old growth trees. We hold these issues open, and work to deepen our understanding, rather than folding ourselves into toxic certainty**, which creates harm.
Compassion is the center of practice, but that doesn’t mean fierceness is prohibited.
Guidelines for engaging on social media:
be certain I am saying something that is true, that is verifiable.
express the emotional impact the issue has on me.
refrain from disparaging or criticizing another’s view
insert a question to provoke thought.
end with a unifying message.
move on if responses are violent or offensive.
Example: I just heard someone with covid pneumonia struggling to breathe. It broke my heart and I will never forget what that sounded like. Could it be that the mayor wanted to prevent more deaths from this terrible disease, rather than preventing access to bathrooms? We have so much work to do to heal, I wonder if there’s a way we can work together find some common ground?
Actively work on establishing personal boundaries, how I will nourish and care for myself, and how far I will go to understand another’s viewpoint.
Have support.
Stay open to allowing changes in these guidelines.
*Fossella, Tina; Welwood, John (Spring 2011). "Human nature, buddha nature: an interview with John Welwood"
**Toxic Certainty is term derived from Greenzone Communications.
A hope for rain