Ethics as a Tantric Practice
We can also think about the practice of ethics as a kind of tantric practice. As I understand it, tantric practice goes beyond sutra, it goes beyond words, concepts and ideas and works directly with energy, with action. It’s not about learning, it’s about doing.
Ethics also goes beyond concepts. It’s about how we work with our energies on a day to day basis. Our wild energies! The practice of the precepts is about steering and guiding these energies in the most useful way possible.
The Letter and the Spirit
In the laws of our countries we often talk about the letter and the spirit. This is a helpful way for us to think about the precepts - in the letter and in the spirit. Most of the time we need to be aware of both aspects.
The letter is the literal expression. It provides us with clarity, a benchmark we can compare our actions against. So, for example we have the precept: “I abstain from taking the not given”. This we can see as a minimum criteria, a lower limit that we shall try not to fall below. If we fail to maintain that minimum standard it’s obvious to us and we know we need to take a closer look at our actions and the views behind them.
There is a danger with the negative formulations of the precepts (the letter of the law), that we can settle down in them, start to get comfy. “I do not steal, so I’m OK. I don’t need to worry about that one”.
The Spirit of the precepts goes beyond the letter, it gets beyond a narrow formalism or shallow observance. In a sense these are the “real thing”, they go to the pith of ethical practice. The spirit is expressed in the positive formulation of the precepts. This is the translation used in the FWBO:-
With deeds of loving kindness I purify my body
With open handed generosity I purify my body
With stillness, simplicity and contentment I purify my body
With truthful communication I purify my speech
With mindfulness clear and radiant I purify my speech
The spirit has no upper limit. It can be expressed in more and more refined and subtle ways. So rather than thinking “I don’t steal”, we can be thinking of all the ways in which we can develop a more generous attitude, through actions of body, speech and mind.
The Spirit of the precepts (the positive precepts) is closely related to the Bodhisattva practice of the Paramitas (the perfections). These lists of practices (either 6 or 10) express the attitude and aspirations of the Bodhisattva.
Buddhism has many so many lists, it even has lists of lists! Looking at these we might get the feeling that Buddhism is fragmented, that these lists are describing lots of different things, but this is not really the case. The precepts and the Paramitas are simply two expressions of one spiritual path, of one life, of one human experience.
So, let’s take a look at the 5 Precepts individually. We’ll examine them in terms of the broad principles that stand behind the precepts, principles that help to make clear the spirit of the practice.
1/ Abstention from killing living beings/ With deeds of loving kindness I purify my body
The broad principle here is that sublimest of principles, Love.
Here, the letter of the precept requires us to abstain from striking down, slaying, killing, murder.
Violence (Himsa) is force against another being, either physical or emotional, such as blackmail or emotional coercion. It is to go against another’s will. It is the negation of one ego by another.
To act against another’s will is to break down the solidarity that exists between all sentient beings, it is akin to one brother raising his sword against another.
Quoting the Dhammapada: “All beings love life, all fear punishment and death. Making comparison of self and other, one should neither kill nor cause to kill”. (Verse 129-130)
and in Santideva’s Bodhicaryavatara:
At first one should meditate intently on the equality of oneself and others as follows: “All equally experience suffering and happiness. I should look after them as I do myself”
Just as the body, with it’s many parts from division into hands and other limbs, should be protected as a single entity, so too should this entire world which is divided, but undivided in its nature to suffer and be happy.
Even though suffering in me does not cause distress in the bodies of others, I should nevertheless find their suffering intolerable because of the affection I have for myself.
In the same way that, though I cannot experience another’s suffering in myself, his suffering is hard for him to bear because of his affection for himself.
I should dispel the suffering of others because it is suffering like my own suffering. I should help others to because of their nature as beings, which is like my own being.
When happiness is liked by me and others equally, what is so special about me that I strive after happiness only for myself? (Verses 90-96)
At a practical level the Vinaya warns the monastic against harming creatures as small as a bedbug and even the eggs of a bedbug.
Sakyamuni Buddha also extolled his disciples to dispose of waste and unwanted food in a way that did not harm living creatures in the immediate environment, such as not throwing scraps into water if that water contained life. This is an early example of “Engaged Buddhism” or “Dharmic Environmentalism”.
The way we interact with our environment has an impact on all life on this planet through the web of inter-connectivity. We cannot ignore this fact. The way we choose to live and the way we use precious natural resources is something we need to consider in practicing this precept.
2/ Abstention from taking the not given / With open handed generosity I purify my body
The principle here is clearly Dana, generosity, open handed and open hearted giving.
The letter of the precept is asking us to abstain from Adana - seizing or grasping the not given, namely theft in all of its different forms.
Similar in nature to the first precept, theft is an indirect form of violence. It is not aimed directly at the individual, but through their property; by forcibly separating an individual from his or her property. However, it is most certainly the individual that feels loss or grief from this separation.
The definition of theft can be extended beyond material items. Other considerations include:
Time - time is precious. We take time from others when we impose ourselves on them against their will, when they are busy, for example. By subjecting them to a tirade, perhaps of complaint or gossip, something they would rather not have to listen to.
Then there is the theft of silence, such as during silent periods. Perhaps a person is really enjoying the silence, allowing their mind to unravel into precious space, peacefully reflecting and relaxing into an inner and outer quietness. Then someone comes up and whispers a joke, or passes them a note concerning something that could have waited till later. Silence is a rare and subtle thing. It is not merely the absence of talking and can be disturbed quite easily if we are not very mindful of ourselves and others.
Another area we should be aware of is energy or vitality. Sangharakshita talks about the “psychic vampire” who drains our energy through complaints, appeals or tirades, so as to reduce their victim to emotional exhaustion or nervous collapse. Quite dramatic, eh? I’m sure we all have experienced this to some degree, of being caught with someone who is having that klesha attack and that feeling of being drained afterward.
Generosity can be seen as the fundamental Buddhist virtue. It is the first paramita of the Bodhisattva training. If we can’t find time to practice meditation. If our general ethics aren’t as good as they could be, then we can always be generous.
I think we are generally very good at this here at the Abbey. I have been very impressed with the level of generosity that I have received here and have seen others benefiting from. Of course, there is always room for improvement!
We can practice generosity in many ways, with property, with our time and expertise, with our money, in expressing gratitude and in terms of friendliness. Even if we are feeling unhappy we can still make an effort towards friendliness.
According to the scriptures the greatest gift is the gift of the Dharma. When we make the Dharma available to someone we are giving them an opportunity for freedom, and this is priceless.
3/ Abstention from sexual activity (lay precept:- sexual misconduct) / With stillness, simplicity and contentment I purify my body.
Brahmacharya is a compound word. Charya means the path/way or “to course in” as in a boat on a river. Brahma refers to the Brahma Lokas or “god realms”. So this means to live as the gods or higher beings live.
Western terms we are familiar with are chastity and celibacy. Definitions of these terms sometimes vary, but often celibacy is taken to mean abstention from sexual activity with another person. Chastity usually refers to complete abstinence from all sexual activity of body, speech and mind.
According to Indian Buddhist cosmology human beings exist in the Karma Loka, the realm of sense desire. Here we find sexual dimorphism e.g. men and women.
In the lower god realms this dimorphism is said to become less distinct. As we enter the higher god realms of the Rupa Loka (the realms of refined form), we find that beings here are androgynous, there is no sexually polarity and therefore no sexual tension.
Here, polarization gives way to harmony. Tension is resolved into relaxation and discontent dissolves into contentment.
The higher stages of Shamatha as experienced as psychological states are said to correspond to the cosmological realms of the Rupa Loka and even the Arupa Loka (the formless realms) - very refined states indeed. In these states the mind becomes more flexible, relaxed and at ease, inner tensions are resolved and the mind becomes integrated. This is a natural, happy state. The practice of Brahmacharya helps us to support our Shamatha meditation and cultivate flexible, relaxed states of mind in post meditation.
Another one of the paramitas or perfections is Viriya or “energy in the pursuit of the good”. We need energy to practice ethics and meditation. The spiritual life requires an abundance of energy. So we don’t want to repress or suppress our natural energies, we simply want to contain them and use them. The idea is not to become dried up and lifeless. Ani Pema talks about wanting monks and nuns here at the Abbey who are “juicy”
In practicing Brahmacharya we want to be engaging with a process of sublimation or refinement, helping to arouse the Bodhicitta through a process of alchemy. Our body, speech and mind are our crucible and our natural energies are both the raw material that we seek to transform and the fuel that we use to heat our crucible, to bring about the magical transformation. So let’s try to stay juicy!
Other areas we might want to think about with regard to contentment include food and entertainment. It’s quite common for discontentment to move from one area to another. The key to this is mindful awareness and a willingness to “stay with” our experience.
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