Morality

in scarborough bluffs you’ll find the dignified furrow

of a tireless edge,

the echoes of endless timeless times

in spite of the withering cross-sectional roots,

now gaping

clinging to the vestiges of careworn land

still, this monument gazes back at us from times immemorial

reminding me of both passing time and middling eternity

it harkens back to the time when I received the five precepts

in gaping golden temple, it was I, who was reminded

not to kill,

steal,

lie,

adulterate,

or take harming

intoxicants

these too remain true

in spite of the ravages of scandals.

in a when truth is only innuendo, where can these tired roots stick

so that they are not so sorely exposed to withering light?

without a sense of deep connection

to this rock of human values

could harmony be preserved amidst the fickleness of nature?

without the sense of a highest part of one’s being,

unsullied by tricks

of watery, shimmering illusions,

and unfettered by the iron blackballs

of time-bomb desire;

could there be anything to hang securely

on this trembling cliff–

**

Exercise 1: Constructing a Morality Object

As we did in our previous module on Generosity, please read the poem at the beginning of this page on “Morality”. Then consider the following:

1. As you are reading the poem, what images, thoughts or metaphors might come to mind which connect with your deepest understandings of morality? Consider some commonly used metaphors such as ‘rock’, ‘foundation’, ‘wall’, ‘structure’, ‘guidepost’, ‘signpost’, ‘book’ etc. Write down a few words or descriptions that immediately strike you as most exemplifying morality for you personally.
2. Is there a specific way you would like to represent morality, either through a poem, a short story, paragraph, photo, or art piece? Take some time to craft a ‘morality object’ which might represent your current understanding of morality. Try to save an electronic version of this object under the file “Morality_Exercise_1”. If you have already created a working blog from Module 1; Generosity, be sure to post your Morality Object someplace where you are grouping your Module 2 exercises.

Post this exercise to your blog if you feel comfortable to do so, in whichever form you wish.

Exercise 2: Mapping Your Personal Morality “Grid”

For the next exercise, please watch my video:

 

This video attempts to articulate how there may be different ways of looking at morals—some very restrictive, while others perhaps more visionary and expansive. In one instance, morals are viewed as ‘rules’ that are ‘hammered into us’ while we’re young, making us want to ‘emerge from the sandbox’ and ‘into the wild’. Note the stark contrasts I made in this video between ‘wild’ and ‘confined’, ‘rules’ and ‘chaos’, etc.

I’d like you to take a moment to reflect: have there been times in your life when the term ‘morality’ has been more connecting to you personally than other times? More disconnecting than other times? Have you ever felt too restricted by moral codes that you felt compelled to follow or respect in the cultures, religions or societies surrounding you? Conversely, have there been other times when morals offered a way to envision life that is expansive, liberating, or potentially creative?

Based on your reflection, try to come up with a few descriptions in the grid below, about experiences or times in your life which most capture the “connections”, “disconnections”, “restrictions” and “expansions” of your own moral life. You can either write full sentences (for example: “I felt most connected when..” ; “I felt most disconnected when..”).. or you can just write a few key words that come to mind under each category.

A Morality Grid

Connections -where have I felt most connected in talk about morality? -are there specific moral ideas, traditions or values that make me feel excited and engaged?	Disconnections -where have I felt disconnected in the discourses of morality? -are there specific moral ideas, traditions or values that feel disengaging, alienating, or disconnecting
Restrictions -where do I feel most restricted or ‘narrowed’ by morals -where have I felt that my life has limited options, expressions or choices as a result of moral beliefs? (consider both personal and culturally transmitted beliefs in your background)	Expansions -where do I feel that morals have played a part in expanding my view of life’s meaning -how might certain morals or values have given me new possibilities undreamt of otherwise?

When you are finished, be sure to save your work under the file name “Morality Exercise 2: Morality Grid”. Post to your blog if you feel comfortable to do so, in whichever form you wish.

Exercise 3: A Buddhist View of Morality

The required reading for this module is Master Sheng Yen’s Six Paramitas. Please be sure to read pages 18-21.

In Buddhism, there are said to be five major precepts of morality, namely:

1. Do not take life
2. Do not steal
3. No false speech/lying
4. No sexual impropriety
5. Not using intoxicants

Generally speaking, there is a tendency to look at the Buddhist precepts as prohibitions rather than as positive actions, as in ‘refraining from’ doing something bad. However, Master Sheng Yen couches them relative to the more positive terms of the three cumulative pure precepts: namely, “to refrain from harmful deeds, to cultivate moral virtue, and to benefit all sentient beings.” (p.18)

Another interesting point about the five precepts, from the perspective of bodhisattva cultivation, is that they are not simply followed in order to uplift one’s own character or personal reputation. Sheng Yen contextualizes these precepts as parts of an inclusive path of connecting with other beings and helping to relieve their suffering. Hence, he poignantly remarks:

The very spirit of the bodhisattva precepts is the vow to benefit others. Through genuinely benefitting others, we ultimately benefit ourselves. Instead of making our own concern paramount, we first look to the welfare of our immediate family and the sangha. We then extend that spirit to relatives, friends and associates. (p.20)

Perhaps we can think of precepts not as fixed ‘scripts’ on how to be a good person, but more as widening circles of mutually beneficial actions and behavior. Paradoxically, it is precisely in loosening my preoccupation with personal ‘good’ or worth that I can be truly available to others, and let go of the perfectionism that I often demand from myself and others. Sheng Yen even emphasizes the spirit of flexibility one should adopt when approaching the precepts, when he refers to the ability to take precepts partially or one at a time, depending on one’s level of confidence or motivation (see p.19). In essence, this characterizes the precepts as points for inner reflection and growth, not fixed essences or edits that are imposed from outside a person.

Take a look at the following video by Master Sheng Yen on the importance of observing precepts:

  

Now go back to your Exercise 2 in Moral Mapping. What new insights have you learned from the Buddhist perspective of morality and precept taking, and where might these insights fall in the moral grid of Connection/Disconnection/Restriction/Expansion”. Take a moment to fill in the grid, or create a new grid listing new insights or connections you might have made.

Buddhist Morality and Digital Media

Exercise 4: Getting Acquainted with Buddhist-Oriented Media

There are many digital media sources offer Buddhist-themed approaches to moral issues. I decided to do a bit of research on it myself to figure out what sources are out there and what features they offer to digital users and communities. Below is a list of some of the sites you can access online:

Name of Digital Source	URL/Website	Description and Features
Buddhist Channel	http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/	-Contains up-to-date articles related to both Buddhism and current event news stories -Side bar lets you choose from different geographies of interest (Europe, Asia-Pacific, Americas, World), as well as specific features
Lion’s Roar	https://www.lionsroar.com/	-formerly known as Shambala Sun this website provides in-depth coverage of editorials and community related topics dear to Buddhism -there is even a sidebar tool which teaches people how to meditate -extremely bright, colorful and ‘modular’ design which allows the reader to select from a range of headlines in a single screen -very user friendly, and encourages people to sign up for a newsletter
The Guardian	https://www.theguardian.com/world/buddhism	-Guardian has a special archived section related to World issues and Buddhism, grouped by month -very gorgeous photographs; has the look and feel of a travelogue experience -not organized by specific category as Lion’s Roar and Buddhist news, but still worth exploring
Tricycle Magazine	https://tricycle.org/	-like Lion’s Roar, this site has the look and feel of Zen- very minimal color with a bright and polished tone -most popular stories are arranged for viewers to read -contains embedded videos, interview pieces and other multimedia learning tools -a pop up tool to sign up for a free e-newsletter is provided, along with daily “Dharma inspiration” pieces

See if you can research a few more examples of Buddhist online publications which cater to current events or media issues. Are there specific sites which cater to your needs more than others? Explain your choices, as well as compare a few publications in a chart format, such as the one described here.

 Exercise 5: Exploring Buddhist Morals in Digital News

For the next exercise, we are going to tie in the online explorations of Buddhist themed digital media in Exercise 4 with the previous discussion on Buddhist morality and ethics. We will explore the following question:

How are “Buddhist” values or views being communicated, if at all, in Buddhist news articles?

1. Choose a particular article from one of the online publications which seems appealing to you. Highlight a few examples of where the precepts or differently-worded moral principles in Buddhism are mentioned, or might influence the ways in which the writer tells or narrates the story. Then write a short reflection describing the following:

a. How is the writer applying the precepts in terms of how they see the world or what actions they might be taking in relation to the story? For this exercise, you might want to do a comparison between a news story written in a Buddhist journal catering to Buddhist audiences, and one which is written in a non-Buddhist tradition or framework.

b.  Pay particular attention to the precept of prohibiting false speech and lying, when reading your articles. In what ways do you feel that the article might be honoring this prohibition? How, for instance, might one start to distinguish a story that honors the third precept, as opposed to indulging in false, divisive or gossiping speech? Do you feel that “Buddhist” journalism does a somewhat better job in upholding this precept, or is it already built into the values of most reputable journalism? What might be the differences in their treatment of false speech?

c. What actions is the article potentially inspiring or inciting readers to perform? 

Write a short reflection to answer some or all of these questions.

Exercise 6: Creating a Twitter Account

Now that you have been exploring digital news from Buddhist perspectives and contexts, see if you would like to try following some Buddhist sources of digital news.

Step 1: Create a Twitter account by going to https://twitter.com/?lang=en-ca and hitting "Sign Up" in the top right corner of the site.

Step 2: Fill in all required fields to activate your account

Step 3: Once you are logged into your account and set it up, you can tailor it to receive updates from specific sources.  Beside the "Trends" link on the left side of the page, click "Change" to tailor your trends. You can also select who to follow by using the Twitter Search Tool to find desired news feeds and sources you'd like to follow, or choose to follow groups that are recommended to you.

As you are creating your account, go back to the previous exercise on digital news media. Among the many sources of Buddhist/spiritual based news, what kinds of sources do you think it's most worthwhile and productive to follow? Consider to add a few sources to your Twitter account.

Exercise 7: Digital Product Review

Research a particular product on the market in digital technology. This product could be either a recent new piece of hardware (cellphone, iPad, computer, notebook, etc.) or software which has been developed for use as an app. or a downloadable function on your digital device(s). You might also review a particular website or other service which is devoted to providing a particular experience for its clientele. 

Go back to the five precepts mentioned. Do a product review of the product you have chosen and consider: how does this product help users further the five precepts, and how might it hinder the practice of five precepts? Use the following table example to help you in framing your reflection:

Precept	How Product Enhances Upholding the Precept	How Product Inhibits or Prevents Upholding the Precept
No Killing
No Stealing
No Lying/False Speech
No Sexual Misconduct
No Intoxicants

This exercise forces you to look at technology not simply from a consumerist/instrumental perspective, but more so from the perspective of how well the product or service enhances the practices of morality and generosity (as mentioned in the first module of this course).

When reviewing the product, it’s important to consider not just the tangible, immediate functions of the product (i.e. what it was ostensibly designed to do), but also the long-term effects and consequences of using the product on the surrounding environments.

Also consider that certain Buddhist terms such as ‘intoxicants’ have both a literal and a symbolic meaning. While some intoxicants are most certainly prohibited by Buddhists because of the chemical dependencies they create, other intoxicants are related to items which promote unhealthy mental attachments. Could the latest video game be an ‘intoxicant’ to the mind? Consider this possibility as you are reviewing the product.

Consider this product as part of a greater web of relationships and connections. Prior to doing tis exercise, you might want to take a look at “The Story of Stuff”, which relates the ways in which what is produced traces back to how and by whom it’s produced. In other words, the ‘final’ product we see in front of us is always a complex result of different conditions acting upon it. It might be a good practice to relate your own product in terms of the transactions that take place for the product to be produced.

When you are finished your Digital Product Review, feel free to post it on your blog.

END OF MODULE 2

References

Shengyen (2002). The Six Paramitas: Perfections of the Bodhisattva Path. Elmhurst, NY: Dharma Drum Publications.