Ethics and Precepts- addressing lapses

A forum for discussion of Buddhist ethics.
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Mdg137
Posts: 46
Joined: Tue May 10, 2022 1:32 am

Ethics and Precepts- addressing lapses

Post by Mdg137 »

Jack H wrote: Tue Nov 01, 2022 3:48 pm Thank you again Kim. That makes perfect sense. I have to say, the idea of making a mistake and being okay puts me at ease. Try to learn from the mistake and try not to do it again.

Here is a question. What if someone knowingly and intentionally breaks a precepts? Say, I am at a party and I drink way to much or at all? Or, I take a marker home from the office?
You need to understand that being a Buddhist does not depend on your ability to be an ethical person. There are Buddhists who keep precepts, and there are Buddhists who don't. Both groups are called Buddhist because they at the very least believe in the basics of the Dharma and have taken refuge in the Three Jewels. Not all Buddhists take the Five Precepts, and even if they do, not all of them keep it. But they are still Buddhists. Buddhism does not really have a policy on full excommunication. There are monks who, having committed a serious offense, are banned from becoming a monk again in this lifetime, but as far as I know they can still be laypeople and practice Buddhism. All of this is to say, if you for some reason confessed all your perceived sins to the monk or nun who runs your local Sangha, they might roll their eyes at you, but they aren't going to kick you out of the group (I mean, unless you did something really bad like murder, then they might call the cops, but you can still be a Buddhist in prison).

That being said, being a Buddhist does not mean that karma and its consequences are no longer a factor. Being a Buddhist, practicing Buddhism, keeping precepts, these are all things that create good karma. But if you're a Buddhist and you drink or smoke, that still has a karmic consequence. Note as well however that just because you do something unskillful now does not mean that you automatically go to hell in the next life. Karma is complicated, and the Buddha actually says that it is useless to try and ponder its exact consequences. But that karmic seed you plant with that unskillful action will become a part of a future existence somewhere down the line.

Its important to understand that Karma is not the same as the judgement of God. Our actions do have consequences, but those consequences are in a sense our own. They don't come from outside of ourselves. There was a pretty funny meme about this with the quote "Dudes be like 'life is so difficult'. My brother in Samsara, YOU made the Karma." This isn't God dispensing punishment and reward. Its us being ignorant, trying to change stuff to our liking, and causing a bunch of unintended consequences in the process. This is partially a cause for joy for you because, as a former Christian, it may be nice to know that there isn't an aspect of judgement here. You don't have to look or be good for anyone's approval. However it is a cause for anxiety for me, because, as a former atheist, I am suddenly laden with so much more responsibility than I thought I had. And that was a new source of shame for everything I did wrong, and it may be one for you as well and I will tell you the following so that you can skip that entire step:

The shame is useless. It is itself a toxic ego trip, the same as pride is. There is so much selfishness in thinking you aren't good enough because whether you identify as the greatest saint or the greatest sinner, you are still identifying and THAT is the problem. That is why no matter where you go the answer to your questions will be the same: Don't beat yourself up for your mistakes. Don't give up on the possibility of improving. Just keep practicing.
:namaste:
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