Zen precept #4: Refrain from all evil.
This precept has been defined by some as the "abandoning inappropriate actions of body, speech, and mind." But what are "inappropriate" actions in a Buddhist context?
For me, my evil behavior is clearly driven by some version of fear, which can be defined as those moments when I feel separate from the rest of creation, scared in a fundamental way. I notice that I commit evil when I forget my interdependence with all beings and things...especially in those dark moments of neediness, grasping and seeking ground.
Fortunately, as a young man in Los Angeles I began to understand that there are only two choices in every moment, either love or fear. This precept is about encouraging me to choose love and realize the teaching of interdependence.
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