2007 International Precept-Taking and Renewing Ceremony, Wednesday, July 4 at Toronto

The meaning of becoming a Buddhist

The Buddhist journey begins by your being able to accept yourself the way you are, both bad and good. When you are able to accept yourself, you can trust and believe in yourself as a Dharma agent for change. When you can trust yourself, then you can help yourself and wake yourself up. If you can wake yourself up then you can help and wake up others. In the process you discover your Buddha nature and the Buddha nature of others, and realize that we are an interdependent and interrelated whole.

Buddhists are happy people and peaceable beings because it is a joy to follow the path of non-violence and liberation. They are helpful and responsible because they practice Dharma and observe precepts. They are called bodhisattvas, wisdom beings, because they cultivate compassionate heart and serve people with wisdom eye.

Throughout history a small number of dedicated people has made a great difference in changing our society and reshaping the world community. It is my belief that although small in number, we Buddhists can make a world of difference and contribute to the creation of a global society that would preserve the ecological integrity of our universe.

The Three Refuges

1. I go for refuge to the Buddha and resolve that with all beings, I will realize The Great Way and develop a heart of enlightenment.
2. I go for refuge to the Dharma (the teachings of the Buddha) and resolve that with all beings I will penetrate the teachings and uncover wisdom as vast as the ocean.
3. I go for refuge to the Sangha (the collected people of Buddhism) and resolve that with all beings I will seek great peace and harmony, so that nothing will impede our progress towards enlightened society.
   

The Three Jewels offer us meaning and purpose. The first Jewel, Buddha, is one who is fully awake and wise, so we learn to direct ourselves to awakening, keeping a mindful attitude, being wise and compassionate in our everyday life. The second Jewel, Dharma, is universal truth, teaching and discipline, so we learn to direct ourselves over and over toward what is true and right, and mold our life accordingly. The third Jewel, Sangha, is the community of followers and non-followers and also the community of human beings and non-human beings (the universal sangha). We learn to live in peace and harmony with all beings and dedicate ourselves to extending our loving kindness to all.

The Three Refuges and Five Precepts promote right livelihood and social responsibility. It is our aim to become living embodiments of the Three Jewels. To remind ourselves of this, we take the fourth refuge, I go to the Three Jewels within myself as my Refuge.

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What are the precepts?

One must do one's best to maintain and uphold the vows, as one's own true self is the only measure. Having completed a number of prostations and a short meeting about precepts and what they mean, one takes the following eight vows....

1. Do not harm, but cherish all life.
2. Do not take what is not given, but respect the things of others.
3. Do not engage in sexual promiscuity, but practice purity of mind and self-restraint.
4. Do not lie, but only speak the truth.
5. Do not partake in the production and trading of firearms and chemical poisons that are injurious to public health and safety, nor of drugs and liquors that confuse or weaken the mind.
6. Do not waste, but conserve energy and natural resources.
7. Do not harbor enmity against the wrongs of others, but promote peace and justice through non-violent means.
8. Do not cling to things that belong to you, but practice generosity and the joy of sharing.

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Why take the precepts?

It is important for us to understand human life. What is its meaning and purpose? What is our relationship to non-human beings and the physical environment? Is there an individual self that survives through the cycle of successive lives? Peace, love and happiness form the basis for the true meaning of human life. Therefore, in order to make our lives meaningful and enriching we must discover peace, love and happiness in our everyday lives. The purpose of human life is to realize that all beings are an interconnected and interrelated whole, and to enter the non-dual gate of inconceivable liberation.

Traditional Buddhist practice points out a clear direction and provide guidance and support for those who set out on this journey of discovery. The Buddhist journey always begins by taking refuge in the Three Jewels and the Five Precepts. The Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma and Sangha) provide a spiritual focus while the Five Precepts furnish us with moral guidelines.

Most importantly, we need faith. Faith in Buddhism is very different from other religions. It is not a belief in God or in doctrines; instead, it is a belief in ourselves. In Buddhism we believe that we are all endowed with Buddha-nature and therefore, despite our habits and defilements, our original mind is pure, untainted and completely free from duality. In other words, Enlightenment and Liberation are inherent in us all. For this reason alone, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas among us constantly urge us to discover our true nature Right Now.

It is the Buddhist belief that we can always help ourselves spiritually, no matter what our life is like. The only reason why we don¹t is not our past karmic hindrances or past difficulties, but our lack of trust in ourselves. We do not believe that we are originally Buddhas. It is as though we question the existence of the sun on a cloudy day, because we cannot see the sunlight. Once the clouds scatter, we realize that the sunshine and blue mountains have always been there. Likewise, once we gain wisdom, we know that we have been Buddhas all along.

Often people do not take precepts because they may break them later. Nevertheless, Buddhist teachers urge them to take precepts. The reason is because there is a difference between people who commit wrongdoings after taking precepts and those who do so without taking precepts. People who commit wrongdoings after taking precepts are more aware of their mistakes and know to renew their precepts and start again. For those who commit wrongdoings without taking precepts there is no such awareness. Often they don¹t even think about their wrongdoings, and continue to harm themselves and others.

People who are afraid or reluctant to take five or eight precepts can take the first precept first. The first precept is Ahimsa or non-violence. You renounce violence and all harmful and abusive acts. If you adhere to the spirit of the first precept and learn to be skillful you will find that the rest of the five precepts are already present within the first precept in spirit. We must renounce violence in our life in order to build a peaceful and enlightened society.

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Precept-taking preparation

Three Thousand Prostrations
Participants are encouraged to perform 3,000 prostrations. There are two main reasons for doing the prostrations: one is to surrender yourself completely and remove the defilements of the three poisons (greed, hatred and delusion) in order to make the transition from Samsara to Nirvana. You dedicate the first one thousand prostrations to repenting and forgiving all your past wrongdoings, the second one thousand to forgiving the wrongdoings of others and the last one thousand to making your resolve to follow the path of wisdom and compassion. You also honor all the Buddhas in the three periods of time so they may attest to the sincerity of your heart. All participants should finish the 3,000 prostrations by July 3rd, the date of the Precept-Taking ceremony. If you cannot, promise to your temple priest that you will complete the prostrations before the end of the year. If you do 20 prostrations every day (10 in the morning and 10 at night) it will take you five months to finish 3,000. If you do 30 prostrations every day, it will take you 3 months and 9 days or so to complete 3,000. You can work out your time frame. It is best to do the prostrations at your own speed. If you cannot perform full (five point) prostrations for physical or health reasons there are alternative ways of doing prostrations. For instance, you may perform bows standing or seated with or without occasional full prostrations. Consult with the director of your temple for help. Each temple will organize prostration meetings.

Chanting of the Three Refuges
Those taking the Precepts are required to recite the Three Refuges out loud in Pali, Sanskrit or English, thirty-three times each day until July 3rd. Chanting the Three Refuges regularly with devotion will help you embrace the great tradition of the Three Jewels now taking root in the West and help you maintain calmness and peace and clarity in your everyday life.

Three Refuges (Ti Sarana)

(Pali) Buddham Saranam Gacchami Dhammam Saranam Gacchami Sangham Saranam Gacchami

(Sanskrit) Namo Buddhaya, Namo Dharmaya, Namo Sanghaya

I go for refuge to the Buddha. I go for refuge to the Dharma I go for refuge to the Sangha

Precept-taking ceremony

Taking the Three Refuges and Five Precepts in a formal ceremony presided over by qualified teachers representing the Buddhist tradition confirms your entry into the Buddhist path. Hundreds have taken precepts here; see their pictures (currently offline for updates).

After taking the Three Refuges and One, Five or Eight Precepts you will be given a Buddhist name and a certificate along with meditation beads. Your Buddhist name has three meanings: inner, outer and hidden meaning. If your Buddhist name is Kalyanamitra (Good Friend), first you try to become a good friend to all beings including animals and trees. That¹s the outer meaning of your Dharma name. Then you wake up to the inner meaning and realize that you have to become a good friend to yourself first in order to become a good friend to others. Eventually with your wisdom eye open you will discover the hidden meaning of your Dharma name.

The beads are for chanting, repentance practice and meditation. Holding and playing with your beads while chanting and repentance help you to forgive yourself, so that you could renew your precepts and re-empower yourself for Dharma.

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Renewing the precepts

The precepts are not commandments but self-help rules and voluntary commitments. You are not expected, upon taking the precepts, to lead a perfect life. In the light of one¹s karma (the effect of past wrongful deeds) you are bound to repeat mistakes in spite of your good intentions and commitment. Nevertheless, undaunted, you renew yourself and rededicate yourself to the way of Buddha and the precepts over and over again, much like a person who, having stumbled on the road, gets up and moves forward again. There are no secrets and no easy solutions aside from your constant resolve. For this reason, Buddhists regularly renew their precepts to recommit themselves. If you have taken the precepts in the past, you can renew your precepts by joining others in prostrations on the night before the ceremony. Please bring your precept certificate and beads.

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Fees and offerings

The fee for the Precept-Taking Ceremony is $150 ($120 for full-time students or unwaged). $100 is to cover expenses, $20 is an honorarium for teachers and $30 is a donation to the Buddhist Society for Compassionate Wisdom. Please send $50 with your registration form, the balance payable on July 3rd. The fee for renewing precepts is $50.

On the day of the ceremony, it is customary to bring offerings for the altar such as candles, incense, flowers, fresh fruits, cakes, dried fruits, nuts or seeds, or any other gift one may wish to make.

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When is the next ceremony?

In 2007,Precept-taking Ceremony will be held on July 4 at the Toronto temple.

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Information and Orientation meetings

Chicago:
March 11 (Sun) 11:30 am, March 25 (Sun) 11:30 am, April 1 (Sun) 11:30 am, April 15 (Sun) 11:30 am. e-mail or call (773) 528-8685

Ann Arbor:
e-mail or call (734) 761-6520

Toronto:
e-mail or call (416) 658-0137

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