#precept

Religion is the solid basis of good morals; therefore education should teach the precepts of religion, and the duties of man toward God. ↗

— Gouverneur Morris

#duties #education #god #good #man

No one can practice the precepts perfectly, including the Buddha... Boiled vegetables contain dead bacteria. We cannot practice the First Precept or any of the precepts perfectly. But because of the real danger in our society--alcoholism has destroyed so many families and has brought about much unhappiness--we have to do something. We have to live in a way that will eradicate that kind of damage. That is why even if you can be very healthy with one glass of wine every week, I still urge you with all my strength to abandon that glass of wine (76). ↗

— Thich Nhat Hanh

#precept #family

This is the precept by which I have lived: Prepare for the worst; expect the best; and take what comes. ↗

— Hannah Arendt

#comes #expect #i #lived #precept

The first precept was never to accept a thing as true until I knew it as such without a single doubt. ↗

— Rene Descartes

#doubt #first #i #knew #never

Charming women can true converts make, We love the precepts for the teacher's sake. ↗

— George Farquhar

#converts #love #make #precepts #sake

We love the precepts for the teacher's sake. ↗

— George Farquhar

#precepts #sake #teacher

I don't know of any cases where as a result of religious precepts a population have found themselves enjoying less food than they would have if they didn't follow this particular religion. ↗

— Marvin Harris

#cases #enjoying #follow #food #found

Learn from me, if not by my precepts, then by my example, how dangerous is the pursuit of knowledge and how much happier is that man who believes his native town to be the world than he who aspires to be greater than his nature will allow. ↗

— Mary Wollstonecraft

#aspires #believes #dangerous #example #greater

I would like to ofer some exercises that can help us use the Five Precepts to cultivate and strengthen mindfulness. It is best to choose one of these exercises and work with it meticulously for a week. Then examine the results and choose another for a subsequent week. These practices can help us understand and find ways to work with each precept. 1. Refrain from killing: reverence for life. Undertake for one week to purposefully bring no harm in thought, word, or deed to any living creature. Particularly, become aware of any living beings in your world (people, animals, even plants) whom you ignore, and cultivate a sense of care and reverence for them too. 2. Refraining from stealing: care with material goods. Undertake for one week to act on every single thought of generosity that arises spontaneously in your heart. 3. Refraining from sexual misconduct: conscious sexuality. Undertake for one week to observe meticulously how often sexual feelings arise in your consciousness. Each time, note what particular mind states you find associated with them such as love, tension, compulsion, caring, loneliness, desire for communication, greed, pleasure, agression, and so forth. 4. Refraining from false speech: speech from the heart. Undertake for one week not to gossip (positively or negatively) or speak about anyone you know who is not present with you (any third party). 5. Refraining from intoxicants to the point of heedlessness. Undertake for one week or one month to refrain from all intoxicants and addictive substances (such as wine, marijuana, even cigarettes and/or caffeine if you wish). Observe the impulses to use these, and become aware of what is going on in the heart and mind at the time of those impulses (88-89). ↗

— Jack Kornfield

#mindfulness #communication

Where one person shapes their life by precept and example, there are a thousand who have shaped it by impulse and circumstances. ↗

— James Russell Lowell

#example #impulse #life #person #precept