The Tenth Grave Precept

With palms together
Good Morning Everyone,

The Tenth Grave Precept: Do Not Speak Ill of the Three Treasures or, as in the affirmative, I vow to value and honor the Triple Treasure: the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha.

This vow completes our vows as Bodhisatvas in the Soto Tradition.Once we accept these vows as our own, we are essentially their manifestation. Thus, to malign them, is to malign ourselves.

We should also look to our motivation for even considering such a thing. Often the people, places, and things we surround ourselves with let us down...or so we think., Such thoughts point to incorrect aims.. If we think that being a Buddhist, or following the Dharma, or membership in a Sangha will solve problems, change us, or make us better people, we are deluding ourselves. And, paradoxically, they will turn against us as they were never part of us.

The Buddha is not a god, not a healer, not a medicine man: he was awake. When we take this refuge, we aim for awakening itself, not for "being like" a buddha, but "being " a buddha ourselves. There is nothing outside of ourselves: we make our reality. Thus, we are the dharma. As we recognize our complete interdependencew with everything, we recognize we are sangha oursaelves. Any ideas of these are incorrect.

So, this vow is a vow to recognize our universality and our oneness. From recognition to manifestation.

Be well.