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DHARMA MEMPHIS

CENTERS

Dear friends,

We just received notice from the U.S 2009 Tour Team today that Thay is ill. Due to this unexpected news, we are very sorry to announce that Thay will not be able to attend the retreat at Magnolia Village. However, the retreat will still go on as schedule along with 24 Monk and Nuns.

We wish all of you to have steady practice to breathe, smile, and happiness in order to deal with fortunate and unfortunate events that will occur in our daily lives.

Please let us know if you are still able to attend the retreat so we can make prior arrangements. Thank you for your understanding of the circumstance. We hope to see you at the retreat.

Sincerely,

Magnolia Village Sangha,
Ben Ho

BUDDHIST INTERESTS

OTHER INTERESTS

Morality--Sila

Adherence to moral guidelines--precepts--is an essential protection from causing suffering to oneself and to others. While these guidelines define a code of discipline, the virtues that bring about moral behavior can also be cultivated with the practice of a culture of the heart.

There are 5 basic precepts that Buddhist practitioners undertake (Monks and Nuns undertake many more). A modern analysis of these precepts is offered by the Vietnamese monk Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh. They are:

Reverence for Life (refrain from killing)
Generosity (refrain from stealing)
Sexual Responsibility (refrain from sexual misconduct)
Deep Listening and Loving Speech (refrain from lying)
Mindful Consumption (refrain from ingesting intoxicants)

In the context of the Eightfold path, these 5 precepts imply:

Right Speech

Right Speech means to tell the truth and speak appropriately in accordance with the 4th precept. Specifically, it implies abstaining from

	lying
	divisive gossip
	rude and abusive language
	idle and useless chatter

Right Action

Right actions are the the actions that are consistent with precepts 1,2,3 and 5. They include actions that show reverence for life, generosity and restraint in sexual conduct.

Right Livelihood

Right livelihood means that one should earn a living that allows the 5 precepts to flourish. Dealing in arms, drugs or violence; exploitation of others and profiteering cannot be conducive to the moral life.