Refuges, Precepts, and Aspirations

Refuges

I take refuge in the Buddha.

I take refuge in the Dhamma.

I take refuge in the Sangha.

For the second time

I take refuge in the natural unfolding of the mind-heart.

I take refuge in the community of fellow seekers,

those who have walked this path before me,

and the interdependence of beings.

For the third time

I take refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha.

I undertake these precepts:

to be peaceful and refrain from harming intentionally;

to be content with what is and refrain from taking what is not given freely;

to be attentive and refrain from sensory entanglement;

to be truthful and refrain from deceit, gossip, harsh speech, and idle chatter;

to be simple and refrain from heedless intoxication;

to be kind and refrain from speaking or acting with ill will;

to be generous with myself and all beings.

Knowing that one day this body will cease:

I seek simplicity, clarity, and acceptance,

observe the mind-heart without preference,

and surrender into the expanse.

When sending and receiving kindness feel the same,

self dissolves in contentment,

yearning fades into timeless presence,

and eternity merges with this moment right now.

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How to cite this document (a suggested style): "Little Mind, Big Mind" by Doug Kraft, www.dougkraft.com/?p=BigMind.