Ethics Statement for Monterey Bay Zen Center

 

Introduction

The Sixteen Bodhisattva Precepts, integral to sangha harmony and safety, serve as a guide for our ethical conduct. This is as true during the process of conflict resolution as at any other time.

 

The Three Refuges

  • We take refuge in Buddha. We acknowledge the Buddha Nature of all beings. Even though there are different levels of religious and administrative authority at Monterey Bay Zen Center (MBZC), the sangha recognizes that fundamentally everyone is equally the expression of Buddha Nature.

  • We take refuge in Dharma. We acknowledge the wisdom and compassion of the Bodhisattva Way of life. Through Dharma we embody, express and make accessible the teachings of the Buddha as conveyed to us from Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, founder of San Francisco Zen Center, and their lineage holders. We realize that our approach to Buddhism is one of many approaches and we acknowledge and respect all other expressions of the Dharma.

  • We take refuge in Sangha. Sangha life is central to our practice.  As we take refuge we also offer refuge. We aspire to create an inclusive environment for everyone's engagement in the Bodhisattva Way. We affirm and respect our differences and similarities in gender, age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, political belief, and physical abilities and appearances. An inclusive sangha is one that encourages open, ongoing communication among all sangha members. Therefore, any ethical concerns or conflicts which arise are to be fully heard and addressed by the MBZC community in an appropriate forum. To facilitate this, MBZC members are encouraged to question leaders and study religious and communal contexts in order to understand the reasons for, and limits to, authority and decision making at MBZC.

 

The Three Pure Precepts

  • I vow to embrace and sustain Right Conduct  means to refrain from causing harm to oneself, others, animals, plants, the earth, the waters and the air.

  • I vow to embrace and sustain All Good means to uncover and to act from the loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity of our awakened nature. We embrace and rely upon confession, repentance, atonement, and reconciliation, which are time-honored Mahayana practices.

  • I vow to embrace and sustain All Beings means we endeavor to support all beings in their discovery and expression of their awakened nature. To do this in a collective organization of people means to maintain a balance between individual, religious, and institutional needs. When a conflict between these arises, open communication and clarification is a practice of  ‘saving all beings.’

The Ten Grave Precepts

  • I vow not to kill any thing.   We vow to live compassionately and harmlessly, especially toward the body, psyche and spirit of self and others. Thus, physical violence and abusive behaviors, including threats and extreme and repeated displays of anger, are a kind of "killing." Firearms and weapons have no place within our practice places. We also acknowledge our role, direct or indirect, in the killing of other forms of life throughout time and space. When questions of killing pests, weeds and other plants and animals arise, we must carefully consider our real needs and our Bodhisattva-inspired responsibilities to work to benefit all beings.

  • I vow not to take what is not freely given.  This vow offers us the opportunity to live generously. Avaricious behavior harms the person who steals. Those who handle sangha funds or other assets have a special responsibility to take care of them and avoid deliberate misuse or misappropriation, which is an institutional form of stealing. We also recognize that misuse of authority and status is a form of taking what is not given. Given a complex system of hierarchical levels of authority, it is important to realize that these play a role in some situations and not in others. It is important that persons in positions of trust do not misuse their status to achieve inappropriate privileges or to otherwise misuse their influence or control others.

  • I vow not to misuse sexuality or manipulate others seductively. We recognize that sexuality is as much the field of practice as other aspects of our daily lives. We honor this part of our lives and create an environment where conscious, mindful and compassionate relationships can be cultivated. Care must be taken when people of unequal status or authority enter into sexual relationships. There are two forms of this that can lead to great harm and confusion. Both are considered misuse of sexuality within our community: First: adults with minors. Full responsibility for avoiding such encounters lies with the adult. Second: Teachers and students. If a teacher or student feels at risk of violating this guideline, they should suspend the teacher-student relationship at least until they have sought counsel with another senior teacher or practitioner. The wisest course is for the teacher and student to wait a number of months after terminating the teacher-student relationship before beginning sexual intimacy with one another.  Because this area is so delicate we ask that priests, people in formal roles that entail clear advantages of influence in relationship to others, should discuss the appropriateness of the potential relationship with a teacher or practice leader.
    Particular care must be shown new students. As the foundation of a practice is formed in the first months, it can be seriously undermined and confused through the lens of a romantic relationship. Please speak with a practice leader before beginning a sexual relationship and consider six months of continuous practice as a guideline before beginning relationships with newer students or sangha members. This is especially important in the case of priests and people in positions of authority (religious or secular.) Sexual harassment has no place in Bodhisattva practice. Continued expression of sexual interest after being informed that it is unwelcome is a misuse of sexuality.

  • I vow not to lie and to refrain from deception.   Many of our transgressions arise as a result of deception. Lying to ourselves, another, or the community, obscures the nature of the bodhisattva intention. This includes the deliberate withholding of information. We make every effort to have direct, open communication, and straightforward feedback given in a spirit of honesty and compassion. Students should feel that they can carefully explore and study the self in an atmosphere of trust. While consultation between teachers will take place, a student can request that a disclosure be confidential. Any sharing will be done with care and respect.

  • I vow not to intoxicate mind or body of self or others.   Clarity of mind is an essential aspect of our practice; intoxicants make this impossible. Intoxication is inappropriate within MBZC and repeated misuse may call for intervention. 

  • I vow not to slander or allow silence to harm others.   False and malicious statements, as well as remaining silent in the face of such statements, are acts of alienation from oneself and others. The consequence of slander is pain for others and divisiveness in the community. An effort to understand the roots of the desire to slander is an expression of this precept.

  • I vow not to praise self at the expense of others.    Learning to rejoice in one's wholesome qualities and to rejoice in the talents and abilities of others is a deep practice; one of the heavenly abodes. Critique is appropriate in the proper context and it is up to the practitioner to acknowledge and take care of their own motives.

  • I vow not to be possessive of what I have or to be envious of what I don't.   All roles and things are transient. In the spirit of non-possessiveness, decision-making bodies of MBZC should make decisions together in a cooperative manner, considering all points of view. Making decisions and minutes available to the sangha is particularly important.

  • I vow not to harbor ill will or seek retribution.  Such harboring is harmful to the community, the individuals holding the anger and fear, and those being abused. Every effort needs to be made to find resolutions when a person feels wrongly treated. Harboring anger will continue the cycle that kills creativity, compassion, love and friendship.

  • I vow not to abuse the Three Treasures. Buddha, Dharma and Sangha are inseparable. When all three are realized our lives are whole and awakened.