Satipanna Insight Meditation Toronto (SIMT) Retreat, Chapin Mill, Batavia, N.Y.

How can we stay true to our spiritual aspirations and work to fulfill them without compromise? Diligence in our practice is a great resource for growing the endurance, patience, and courage we will need to guard the mind against the hindrances and keep our focus on present moment awareness. This is the way to free ourselves from all suffering. And it is also a gift we can offer to help others through life's inevitable trials.

This talk by Jason Murphy is the sixth in the speaker series Ethics, Action and the Five Precepts.The five training precepts are not commandments nor are they a list of “don’t dos.” Instead, they have an over-arching principle of ahimsa, or do no harm. In other words, following the precepts can be seen as a way to stop us from spilling our suffering onto the rest of the world. In addition, the aim of observing the precepts is to allow practitioners to be blameless and at ease, thereby preparing their minds for meditation. The fifth precept deals with not taking alcohol, drugs or other intoxicants that will lead to heedlessness. This precept is really about seeing clearly: we cannot see clearly and develop our wisdom when we intoxicate our mind.

Awaken to the dharma wisdom that is contained in poetry and experience the power of poetry to inspire our spiritual practice.