After studying for several years, I will soon be making my commitment to doing my best in upholding the 16 Zen Buddhist precepts, in a formal ceremony called Jukai. Studying with a Zen Buddhist priest (in my case, a wonderful woman named Fu) and sewing by hand a special vestment are just two of the ways that I have been preparing for this ceremony. I have lot more to say about this journey but need to get to work soon so I will be sharing bits of it over the next 16 days, leading to leaving for my precepts ceremony.
By the way, since there are 16 Zen Buddhist precepts, I will be reviewing them one by one, as a final review and an act of preparation for this event.
Zen precept #1: I take refuge in the Buddha.
My understanding of this precept is that you are taking refuge in yourself, your clear, un-deluded self or Buddha nature. Unlike Catholicism where they believe that everyone is born with original sin, those following the Buddhist way believe that we all are born with inherent basic goodness and over time create delusions or misunderstandings that obscure our true nature with ourselves. As Reb Anderson says about this precept, "In essence, to take refuge in the buddha is give up all alternatives to being buddha, to being yourself. When you see and accept that you have no alternatives, you naturally and spontaneously go forward on the path of the buddha. When you are willing to throw yourself completely into everyday life, moment by moment, you are taking refuge in the buddha, dharma, and sangha."
I really like this idea of "being yourself" in all areas of life, and it is the approach I take with my business clients and words we use on our business website.
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