Exploring "The Pāramī of Morality" with Jane Rauenhorst this Sunday at Minneapolis Insight

Dear Community,

Sunday 10am Community Practice & Discussion

From Jane:  I have been continuing my exploration of Sylvia Boorstein’s book on the Paramis: Pay Attention for Goodness Sake; Practicing the Perfections of the Heart, the Buddhist Path of Kindness.

In her exploration of the second Parami, Morality, Silvia invites us to broaden our thinking about morality as an aspect of our actions and intentions. How do we act in ways that do not cause harm to ourselves and others in a world that is so complex?   What she offers has been particularly helpful to me, as I consider myself to be “recovering” from ideas about morality based in somewhat rigid concepts of “right and wrong” that were handed down to me from an external source and were subject of judgment to what could be considered “good and bad.”

Silvia presents her perspective of the Buddhist approach to Morality, stating: “The practice of Morality habituates the mind to calm.  When the mind is calm, there is generally enough composure in it to allow for reflection and enough balance to stay comfortable.  A comfortable mind is unlikely to generate unskillful behavior because it doesn’t need to leap, impulsively, after desires.  It thinks before it acts.”  

Silvia talks about how she pairs the practice of the Parami of Morality with the practice of the Precepts.  She explores ways this allows her to examine the mistakes she has made and how it helps her mend those mistakes.  She states that as she leads folks in chanting the precepts she; “invites people to listen to the sound as we chant and to feel the pleasure in the body and mind that comes from saying familiar and heartwarming phrases.”

And she reflects on how this practice helps her: “I feel my mind relax and become balanced with each repetition.  That balance provides the antidote to the hypervigilant scrupulosity I feel- ‘Did I do that exactly right?’- when the level of alertness in my mind is high and the level of calm in it is low.  When my mind is relaxed, I can trust my dedication to Morality, and my confidence in my good intentions is enough.”  

I particularly like the version of the precepts Silvia offers:

Do no harm to anyone,

Take nothing that is not freely given,

Speak truthfully and helpfully,

Use my sexual energy wisely,

And keep my mind clear.

This Sunday we will practice together and explore how we experience Morality in our lives and how we might join it with the Precepts or other practices.  Please join us. Everyone, of all meditation experience levels, is welcome. Registration and Zoom information available here.

With metta (loving-kindness),
Minneapolis Insight