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Precept Taking Ceremony
It is important for us to understand human life. What is its meaning and purpose? What is our relationship to nonhuman 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 understand our lives we must discover peace, love, and happiness in our everydays. That way we'll discover that the true purpose of human life is to realize that all beings are an interconnected and interrelated whole, and thus enter the nondual gate of inconceivable liberation.
It is traditional Buddhist practice to point out a clear direction and provide guidance and support for those who set out on the dharma journey of discovery. The Buddhist journey always begins by taking refuges 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 necessary for a happy and successful life.
Most importantly we need faith. Faith in Buddhism is very different from other religions. It is not a belief in God or in doctrines but a belief in ourselves. Buddhism teaches 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 is inherent in us all. For this reason alone the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas among us take great trouble to convince us that each and every one of us is completely capable of spiritual awakening and full enlightenment.
It is also the teaching of Buddha that we can always help ourselves spiritually, no matter what happens. The only reason we don't is not our past karmic hindrances or present difficulties, but the lack of faith and trust in ourselves. We do not believe that we are originally Buddhas. It is as though we disbelieve in the existence of the sun on a cloudy day, because we can not see the sunlight. Once the clouds scatter we realize that the sunshine and blue mountains have always been there. Likewise once we gain a wisdom eye we know that we have been Buddhas all along.
Buddhist faith is non-dual faith which does not allow separation between Buddhas/Bodhisattvas and sentient beings. With non-dual faith and sincere hearts we can successfully overcome our destructive feelings and transform our desires into wisdom and attachments into liberation.
Taking the precepts in a formal ceremony presided over by a qualified teacher representing the Buddhist tradition confirms your entry into the Buddhist path. The Three Jewels protect our efforts in this regard. The first jewel, Buddha, is one who is fully awake and wise, so we learn to direct our efforts to awakening, keeping a mindful attitude, and being wise and compassionate every day. The second jewel, Dharma, is universal truth, teaching and discipline, so we learn to direct ourselves over and over again towards what is right and true, and mold our lives accordingly. The third jewel, Sangha, is the community of followers and nonfollowers and also the community of human beings and nonhuman 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 Jewels and Five Precepts also promote right livelihood and social action. 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."
After taking the Three refuges and Five Precepts you will be given a Buddhist name and a set of meditation beads. The ceremony will mark a new departure in your life and generate energy for your Buddhist journey.
Three refuges (Ti Sarana)
Buddham Saranam Gacchami
Dhammam Saranam Gacchami
Sangham Saranam Gacchami
(Pali)
Namo Buddhaya, Namo Dharmaya, Namo Sanghaya
(Sanskrit)
I go for refuge to the Buddha
I go for refuge to the Dharma
I go for refuge to the Sangha
Five Traditional Precepts:
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 speak the truth.
5. Do not partake in the production and transactions of firearms and chemical poisons that are injurious to public health and safety nor of drugs and liquors that confuse and weaken the mind.
Three Optional Contemporary Precepts:
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.
Preparations for Precept-Taking:
Three Thousand Prostrations
Participants are advised to perform three thousand prostrations: one thousand to one thousand Buddhas in the past; one thousand to one thousand Buddhas in the present; and one thousand to one thousand Buddhas in the future. There are two main reasons for doing the prostrations: the first is to surrender yourself completely to your path and remove the defilements of the three poisons (anger, greed, and delusion) so that you can make the transition from samsara to nirvana. The other is to honor all the Buddhas in the three periods of time so they can attest to the sincerity of your heart.
All participants should finish the prostrations by the weekend prior to the precept taking ceremony. If you do 20 prostrations each day (10 in the morning and 10 at night) it will take 5 months to finish all 3,000. If you do 30 prostrations a day it will take about three months and nine days. It is best to do them at your own speed. If you are unable to do prostrations for physical/health reasons you can do bows instead.
Chanting the Three Refuges
Those taking the Precepts are required to recite the Three Refuges out loud 33 times each day until the day of the precept taking ceremony. Saying or chanting the Three Refuges regularly with devotion helps to maintain calm and clarity in our everyday lives.
Renewing Precepts
The precepts are not commandments. They are voluntary commitments, sometimes called "mindfulness trainings". You are not expected, upon taking the precepts, to lead a perfect life. In the light of one's own karma (the effects of past wrongful deeds) you are bound to repeat mistakes in spite of your best intentions and commitment. Because of this, it is useful to renew the precepts on a regular basis as a reminder that our work is to simply keep going, stumbles and all.
Fees and Offerings
The fee for the Precept Ceremony is $108. Please submit $50 with your registration form (click to download PDF). The balance is payable on the day of the ceremony. The fee for renewing precepts is $50.
On the day of the ceremony it is customary to bring offerings to the altar such as candles, incense, flowers, fresh fruits, cakes, dried fruits, nuts, or any other gift one might wish to make.
Precept ceremonies are offered at Still Point every other year.
May all beings awaken in this lifetime.
