Wonderful to connect with those of you who made it yesterday to the Day 30 Zoom Check In. We did not record the session, but I will record a guided meditation on cultivating composure (virtue) and share it soon!

Virtue (sīla), which we can also think of as composure or self-control is the theme of Days 31-40 of our 100 Days of Care. This quality is developed in order to bring calm and quiet to the heart-mind and to reduce the harm we cause ourselves and others.

I love Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh’s approach to the traditional precepts developed during the time of the Buddha, which are the foundation of the practice of good self-conduct. He calls these the Five Mindfulness Trainings:

1. The first training is to protect life, to decrease violence in oneself, in the family and in society.
2. The second training is to practice social justice, generosity, not stealing and not exploiting other living beings.
3. The third is the practice of responsible sexual behavior in order to protect individuals, couples, families and children.
4. The fourth is the practice of deep listening and loving speech to restore communication and reconcile.
5. The fifth is about mindful consumption, to help us not bring toxins and poisons into our body or mind.

The Five Mindfulness Trainings are one of the most concrete ways to practice mindfulness. They are nonsectarian, and their nature is universal. They are true practices of compassion and understanding. 

With mindfulness, we are aware of what is going on in our bodies, our feelings, our minds and the world, and we avoid doing harm to ourselves and others. Mindfulness protects us, our families and our society. When we are mindful, we can see that by refraining from doing one thing, we can prevent another thing from happening. We arrive at our own unique insight. It is not something imposed on us by an outside authority.

Practicing the mindfulness trainings, therefore, helps us be more calm and concentrated, and brings more insight and enlightenment.

Thich Nhat Hanh, Happiness: Essential Mindfulness Practices