Dharma Wheel

Hi....

I would love to know if in Zen or Chan Buddhism can you Renew your Precepts at home / on your own without a teacher / temple....?

... such as if you were to do it ceremonaly / with true intent / incense / calling upon the Buddha.....etc.

(..as in my situation there is no teachers / temple...)

I would appreciate any answers so much

What precepts do you mean? Lay precepts are for life, bodhisattva precepts are until buddhahood, monastic precepts are for life. What you can give back are the monastic (Vinaya) precepts, but to be re-ordained it takes the community to approve it. Otherwise you don't lose the other vows. You can do repentance on your own of course, and remind yourself of the vows you took.

It's probably safe to say that we've all broken one of the 5 precepts from time to time. Just remind yourself of what they are & why you try to keep them & get back on the bike. At the same time remember that the karma from this mistake is unavoidable, so try & do a few extra good deeds as a type of pennance so that when the bad karma does turn up, hopefully some good karma turns up at about the same time so that it doesn't seem as bad to your life in general.

Here's a helpful practice:

*Recognize that you've made a mistake through ignorance, hatred, or greed.
*Recognize that such mistakes cause harm. Reflect on the harm your actions have caused.
*Resolve firmly never to do THAT again.
*Don't do it again, don't dwell on it, and go on with your life and your practice.
*Repeat as necessary.

The longer and more intensely you reflect in this way, the easier it is to redirect your behavior.