Peace Practices
The Fourteen Precepts from Interbeing
Thich Nhat Hanh
1. Do not be idolatrous about or bound to any
doctrine, theory, or ideology, even Buddhist ones. Buddhist systems of
thought are guiding means; they are not absolute truth.
2. Do not think the knowledge you presently possess is changeless,
absolute truth. Avoid being narrow-minded and bound to present views.
Learn and practice nonattachment from views in order to be open to
receive others' viewpoints. Truth is found in life and not merely in
conceptual knowledge. Be ready to learn throughout your entire life
and to observe reality in yourself and
in the world at all times.
3. Do not force others, including children, by any means whatsoever,
to adopt your views, whether by authority, threat, money, propaganda,
or even education. However, through compassionate dialogue, help
others renounce fanaticism and narrowness.
4. Do not avoid contact with suffering or close your eyes before
suffering. Do not lose awareness of the existence of suffering in the
life of the world. Find ways to be with those who are suffering,
including personal contact, visits, images, and sounds. By such means,
awaken yourself and others to the reality of suffering in the world.
5. Do not accumulate wealth while millions are hungry. Do not take as
the aim of your life fame, profit, wealth, or sensual pleasure. Live
simply and share time, energy, and material resources with those who
are in need.
6. Do not maintain anger or hatred. Learn to penetrate and transform
them when they are still seeds in your consciousness. As soon as they
arise, turn your attention to your breath in order to see and
understand the nature of your anger and hatred and the nature of the
persons who have caused your anger and hatred.
7. Do not lose yourself in dispersion and in your surroundings.
Practice mindful breathing to come back to what is happening in the
present moment. Be in touch with what is wondrous, refreshing and
healing both inside and around you. Plant seeds of joy, peace, and
understanding in yourself in order to facilitate the work of
transformation in the depths of your consciousness.
8. Do not utter words that can create discord and cause the community
to break. Make every effort to reconcile and resolve all conflicts
however small.
9. Do not say untruthful things for the sake of personal interest or
to impress people. Do not utter words that cause division and hatred.
Do not spread news that you do not know to be certain. Do not
criticize or condemn things of which you are not sure. Always speak
truthfully and constructively. Have the courage to speak out about
situations of injustice, even when doing so may threaten your own
safety.
10. Do not use the Buddhist community for personal gain or profit, or
transform your community into a political party. A religious
community, however, should take a clear stand against oppression and
injustice and should strive to change the situation without engaging
in partisan conflicts.
11. Do not live with a vocation that is harmful to humans and nature.
Do not invest in companies that deprive others of their chance to
live. Select a vocation that helps realize your ideal of compassion.
12. Do not kill. Do not let others kill. Find whatever means possible
to protect life and prevent war.
13. Possess nothing that should belong to others. Respect the property
of others, but prevent others from profiting from human suffering or
the suffering of other species on Earth.
14. Do not mistreat your body. Learn to handle it with respect. Do not
look on your body as only an instrument. Preserve vital energies
(sexual, breath, spirit) for the realization of the Way. (For brothers
and sisters who are not monks and nuns:) Sexual expression should not
take place without love and a long term commitment. In sexual
relationships, be aware of future suffering
that may be caused. To preserve the happiness of others, respect the
rights and commitments of others. Be fully aware of the responsibility
of bringing new lives into the world. Meditate on the world into which
you are bringing new beings.
About the author
Thich Nhat Hanh was born in Vietnam in 1926, and he left home as a
teenager to become a Zen monk. In Vietnam, he founded the School of
Youth for Social Service, Van Hanh Buddhist University, and the Tiep
Hien Order (Order of Interbeing). He has taught at Columbia University
and the Sorbonne, was Chair of the Vietnamese Buddhist Peace
Delegation to the Paris Peace Talks, and was nominated by Martin
Luther King, Jr. for the Nobel Peace Prize. Since 1966, he has lived
in exile in France, where he continues his writing, teaching,
gardening, and helping refugees worldwide. He is the author of seventy
five books including Being Peace, The Miracle of Mindfulness, and The
Sun, My Heart.
Dona nobis pacem; grant us peace.
