Tuesday in October

The Buddhism: Meditation and Skillful Living group will meet on Tuesday, October 13th, from 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm at the Franciscan Spirituality Center, 910 Market Street, La Crosse. Please arrive 10 to 15 minutes early, as the center locks its exterior doors promptly at 6:00 pm.

Our session will begin with 30 minutes of silent meditation, followed by a  discussion of precepts.

One of our meditation group members, Mykel Thoren, generously offered to pick a topic and be the discussion leader for this Tuesday's meeting. Please note that within Buddhism different traditions vary in the number of precepts. Mykel lists ten and the article only discusses five.

Below are Mykel's comments and a link to a Lions Roar article.

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Hi Everyone,

I found an article from Lion's Roar that stood out to me with an interesting perspective on how to approach the Precepts in our practice. If you have a few minutes, please follow the link provided and read it yourself. I also provided below, a list of the general Buddhist Grave Precepts along with some prompt questions that emerged while I was doing my reading and research for this month's discussion topic. I hope they help spark some contemplation in you about the Precepts before our next group.  I look forward to discussing with each other our various experiences with the Precepts relating to our practice as well as relating to life as it appears to us in each moment.

Ten Grave Precepts

1. Not Killing
2. Not Stealing
3. Not Misusing Sex
4. Not Lying
5. Not Giving or Taking Drugs
6. Not Discussing Faults of Others
7. Not Praising Yourself While Abusing Others
8. Not Sparing the Dharma Assets
9. Not Indulging in Anger
10. Not Defaming the Three Treasures

Prompt Ideas for Discussion

• What have these meant at different points in your practice/life?
• Where is the wiggle room on these precepts, and who/what is it that determines what variation is acceptable?
• Are any of these surprisingly easy/difficult for you to maintain?  When and why is that?
• Do you agree with the analogy of the precepts being like training wheels?
• What are some different perspectives on each of the precepts in your/other traditions?
• What are the situations in our daily life interacting with others where we are faced with opportunities to maintain or not maintain the precepts?