1. Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life, I vow to cultivate compassion and to learn the ways of protecting the lives of people, animals and plants. I am determined not to kill, not to let others kill, and not to condone any act of killing in the world, in my thinking, and in my way of life.
2. Aware of the suffering caused by exploitation, social injustice, stealing and oppression, I vow to cultivate loving-kindness and learn ways to work for the well-being of people, animals and plants. I vow to practice generosity by sharing my time, energy, and material resources with those who are in real need. I am determined not to steal and not to possess anything that should belong to others. I will respect the property of others, but I will do everything in my power to prevent others from human suffering of other species.
3. Aware of the suffering caused by sexual misconduct, I vow to cultivate my responsibility and learn ways to protect the safety and integrity of individuals, couples, families and society. I am determined not to engage in sexual relations without love and long-term commitment. To preserve the happiness of myself and others, I am determined to respect my commitments and the commitments of others. I will do everything in my power to protect children from sexual abuse and to protect families from being broken by sexual misconduct.
4. Aware of suffering caused by
unmindful speech and the inability to
listen to the suffering of others, I vow
to cultivate loving speech and deep
listening in order to bring joy and
happiness to others and relieve others
of their suffering. Knowing that words
can create happiness or bring
suffering, I vow to learn to speak
truthfully, with words that can inspire
self confidence, joy and hope. I am
determined not to spread news that I
do not know to be certain, and not to
criticize or condemn things I am not
sure of . I will refrain from uttering
words that can cause division or
discord, or that can cause the family or
the community to break. I will make
every effort to reconcile and resolve all
conflicts, even small.
5. Aware of the suffering caused by
unmindful consumption, I vow to
cultivate good health, both physical
and mental, for myself, my family, and
my society by practicing mindful eating,
drinking, and consuming. I vow to
ingest only items that preserve peace,
well-being and joy in my body, in my
consciousness, and in the collective
body and consciousness of my family
and society. I am determined not to
use alcohol or any other intoxicants,
or to ingest foods or other items that
contain toxins, such as certain T.V.
programs, magazines, books, films and
conversations. I am aware that to
damage my body and my
consciousness with these poisons is to
betray my ancestors, my parents, my
society, and future generations. I will
work to transform violence, fear, anger,
and confusion by practicing a diet for
myself and for society. I understand
that a proper diet is crucial for self-
transformation, and for the
transformation of society.
MAY ALL BE HAPPY !!!
~ By Thich Nhat Hanh