Week 2 - Moral Discipline/Ethics

This week we turned our focus onto how and why we must train in moral discipline and ethics in all that we think, do and say.


To listen to the replay, click this link:
http://InstantTeleseminar.com/?eventid=15684258 Please note there is about a minute of dead air to begin.


The perfection of ethics is a state of mind with the ultimate goals being


ALLEVIATE Suffering & CREATE Happiness & Peace

We do this by:
1.) Restraining from harm
2.) Creating virtue – that which causes peace; non virtue is that which disturbs the mind
3.) Benefitting Other Beings

There are three major ways as a human being we must train in moral discipline and ethics.

Through our:
Body
- avoid sexual misconduct
- avoid killing
- avoid stealing

Speech
- avoid lying
- avoid gossip
- avoid slander (divisive or harsh speech)

Mind
- avoid wrong view.

There are eleven virtuous mental factors to keep in mind: faith, shame, embarrassment, non-attachment, non-hatred, non-ignorance, joyous effort, pliancy, conscientiousness, equanimity and non-harmfulness.

Guard the mind from disturbing emotions. Acknowledge faulty thoughts and actions.

Short term suffering - > long term happiness
Short term happiness - > long term suffering

GUARD YOUR MORAL DISCIPLINE LIKE YOR EYES

Being in a human body, as hard as we try to attain and perfect our moral discipline and ethics, we transgress and fall down. The following are antidotes to cleanse and purify our transgressions.

The Four Antidotes
1.) Power of Reliance
2.) Counteractive Behaviour
3.) Regret
4.) Promise

Power of Reliance
1.) take heartfelt refuge in the unseen beings and higher powers
2.) cultivate the wish to help beings; cultivate an altruistic intention

Counteractive Behaviour= Positive action as Purification
1.) make offerings (of time, objects, fearlessness and love)
2.) consciously
3.) cultivate compassion and love consciously do kind hearted actions
4.) contemplate interconnectedness and interdependence of all beings and all phenomena

Regret
First acknowledge your wrong actions, thoughts, or speech as if you have swallowed poison and deeply regret your transgressions. This action will reinforce the deep dislike for what we have done.

Promise
In our mind and heart we make a promise not to do the nonvirtuous action again for a set period of time. Make the period of time reasonable, so that you will actually fulfil the promise to self.

Example, say that you won’t gossip for a week. At the end of the week, when you feel you’ve accomplished your promise, then re-set your goal. Build on the strength of doing virtue, rather than setting the intention to never gossip again and failing to do that, feeling bad when you fall down.

Heartwork/Homework
1.) Write a list of people you have harmed, deceived, stole from, spoken ill of, lied to IN YOUR LIFETIME. Make sure your name is on the list.
2.) Notice when you need to apply the antidotes in your life.


To listen to the replay, click this link:
http://InstantTeleseminar.com/?eventid=15684258