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As the opening passage of this book makes clear, the paper reproduced here was first delivered to a gathering of members of Western Buddhist Order, in London, in April 1984.
The occasion marked the celebration of the Order’s sixteenth anniversary, and the theme of the paper was one of fundamental importance to all those present: the Ten Precepts.
These Precepts are the ten ethical principles that Order members “receive” at the time of their ordination, and which they undertake subsequently to observe as a spiritually potent aspect of their everyday lives.
The theme was therefore a very basic and seemingly down-to-earth one, but here, as he is wont to do, Sangharakshita demonstrated that no theme is so “basic” that it can be taken for granted. As a communication from the Enlightened mind, the various formulations and expressions of the Buddha’s Teaching can be turned to again and again; their freshness and relevance can never be exhausted.
As he spoke, it was clear that Sangharakshita was addressing a far larger audience than that which was present at the time. The relevance of his material extended of course to those Order members, present and future, who could not be there on that occasion. But it reached out further than that, to the entire, wider “Buddhist world”, and still further, to all those who, whether Buddhist or not, seek guidance and insights in their quest for ethical standards by which to live.
In the hope, therefore, that it will reach at least some more members of that vast audience, we are very happy to publish that paper in the form of this book.
Perhaps the central point to emerge in Part 1, where Sangharakshita is addressing himself to a more decidedly Buddhist audience, is that the list of Ten Precepts being examined is not to be regarded as simply one more list – and a rather short one at that – among the many other lists. It is qualitatively different. It is a list which addresses itself to acts of body, speech, and mind, thus providing a formula that has reference to the whole being of man. Other traditional lists, most of which are much longer, may indeed work out and emphasise certain matters of detail that fall within its scope, but none of them offer the same comprehensiveness. Because of this unique comprehensiveness, the Ten Precepts can be said to contain a fundamental set of ethical principles for the spiritual life: a mula pratimoksa.
In expounding this set of precepts, Sangharakshita is offering for the consideration of the entire Buddhist Sangha a formula for ethical life that cuts through the layers of often lifeless formalism and legalistic detail that have not only sapped the life from other formulations, but which have also been used all too often as agents in the disunification of the Buddhist Spiritual Community.
This offer is made along with the plea that the precepts – in no matter what formulation – should never be regarded as more than expressions of what is in fact the highest common factor of Buddhism: the Going for Refuge. It is only out of a fundamental commitment to higher levels of being that higher values and therefore ethical precepts can evolve.
In this section Sangharakshita is therefore offering to all schools and sects of the Buddhist Sangha a key to unity, a key to the experience of “Maha Sangha”. Those who assume that such a key could only be turned at the price of a dilution in spiritual commitment and integrity may be heartened to find that the precise opposite is the case.
Western Buddhists, Eastern Buddhists, and non-Buddhists alike will find a wealth of day to day, practical value in Part 2. Here, Sangharakshita explores each of the Ten Precepts in turn, asking us to turn the lens of moral vision onto one aspect of our lives after another. Dwelling as much on their “positive” formulations as on the more often quoted “negative” ones, he helps us to discover the precepts for what they are, not dry rules, but challenging reflexes of a genuine commitment to the spiritual life and spiritual values.
As we follow him along the way we may be surprised to find ourselves surrounded, not by walls, fences, and narrow tracks, but by ten great pillars, each one brilliant and sparkling with precious stones and gems, together supporting the sky-like majesty of the spiritual life.
Nagabodhi
Sukhavati
20 June 1984