Guidelines for Ethical Violations, Conflict Resolution and Informal Concerns

 

The purpose of the ethics and conflict resolution guidelines of Stone Creek Zen Center (SCZC) is to have a policy that supports and protects the harmony and well-being of the Sangha members, teachers, and the Sangha as a whole. The guidelines and procedures rely on the sixteen precepts of Zen Buddhism as their basis.

Our practice, whether as teachers or practitioners, is to be as awake, aware, and kind as we can be, living in a way that fosters the well-being of everyone. At Stone Creek we have a vibrant connection, and so we must bring extra attention to the well-being and harmony of our Sangha. It is essential that an environment of trust and openness prevail, so that all of us feel free to let go of the fears that hinder our clarity, and to open our hearts to the dharma. Practice is based on trust, respect, and true communication.

 

The Precepts As Our Constant Guide 

 

The Sixteen Bodhisattva Precepts are a strong and flexible container and a teacher, rather than an absolute code. The Precepts help us bring awareness and understanding to all our actions as we meet the ever-changing conditions of life

We each have personal standards of how we observe the Precepts. Our group life is a different situation, with its own energies and its own potentials for misunderstanding and trouble that can lead to abuse. To meet this group reality, we need shared standards, as well as our individual standards. SCZC is a practice community and a non-profit organization. We are not a workplace and we do not live in a residential practice community. We regularly study and practice together in different ways—our daily and Sunday schedules, sesshins, community celebrations and meetings bring us into close contact with each other. We exchange money, eat together, engage in ceremonies, and share physical spaces. We welcome everyone regardless of age, religion, race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, education or socioeconomic status.

The Precepts are an expression of the underlying truth that all human actions have an ethical aspect, as all human actions bear consequences. The Sixteen Bodhisattva Precepts are central to the practice of Zen and to participation at SCZC, and they are essential to the well-being of the Sangha. If a person is unwilling to abide by the Precepts, the person may be asked to leave SC.

While the Sixteen Bodhisattva Precepts are the foundation of our vows, SCZC recognizes that ethical standards and guidelines are needed to provide a conscious process and forum for SCZC practitioners and teachers ‘to be seen and heard’ when difficulties arise. This policy and these guidelines are in force throughout the center, indoors and out, in all gatherings both formal and informal, and at events off-site that are sponsored by the center.

 

Taking Refuge in the Triple Treasures

 

In the context of Sangha life, the teachers sit in the Buddha seat as representatives of and guides for the process of awakening. The Dharma is both the underlying nature of reality and, critically, the teachings that express reality in human terms. And Sangha is the community of all the people who practice at SCZC. Taking refuge is turning to the Triple Treasure for guidance and support.

 

The Three Pure Precepts

 

The three Pure Precepts are the Buddha’s fundamental definition of enlightened action. In the Mahayana, including Zen, they are: to refrain from doing evil, to do all that is good, and to benefit all beings.

1. To refrain from doing evil is to practice restraint. It requires us to be aware of our actions and their consequences. In Sangha life we each have to watch out for envy, and for competitive and judgmental attitudes, and to guard our tongue.
2. To do what is good is to act with care for the sake of all beings and the earth we inhabit. It calls for relinquishing our self-centered views and recognizing our deep interdependence. In Sangha life each of us has to make an effort to listen and to do our part. 
3. To benefit the myriad beings is to embrace the bodhisattva path. It asks us to see all beings as we truly are and to open our hearts to each other, continually clarifying our understanding and our compassion. It is to vow to live together wide awake.

 

The 10 Bodhisattva Precepts

 

1. Do not kill. Do not cut off life. We are recipients of the precious gift of life, in common with all beings. This precept goes beyond taking life; we must not kill the aspiration for growth and goodness in each other.
2. Do not steal. Do not take what is not given. We commit to cultivating and living from generosity, rather than interacting from places of fear, narrowness and contraction. 
3. Do not misuse sexuality. Acknowledging and honoring our sexuality is part of creating an environment where conscious, mindful and compassionate relationships can be cultivated. Everyone coming to SCZC has the right to the respect and safety provided by appropriate sexual boundaries, and the right to be free from harassment. This precept includes sexually abusive speech. It is considered a misuse of authority and responsibility for a SCZC teacher to engage in sexual behavior with a practitioner in the SCZC Sangha.
4. Do not lie. Lying creates an atmosphere of mistrust and confusion. Honesty, openness and transparency are characteristics of a community where we feel free to open to truth without fear.
5. Do not indulge in intoxicants. Using substances to hide from the reality of our lives is self-destructive. We commit to bringing awareness and clarity to the ways that we escape and avoid difficult or unpleasant situations and to meet reality as it is. Anyone coming to SCZC while under the influence of an intoxicant will be asked to leave.
6. Do not speak ill of others. Gossip and slander cause pain to the people ill-spoken of, and they lead to discord in the community. Open communication and transparency are the grounds of the mutual support and understanding that encourage trust, creating a reliable place to practice at SCZC.
7. Do not praise yourself at the expense of others. Praising oneself or seeking personal gain at the expense of others arises out of a misunderstanding of the interdependent nature of self. Be willing to take responsibility for mistakes that have been made; practice humility.
8. Do not be greedy or possessive. Clinging to status, to the teachings, or to a practice position leads to divisiveness in the community. All positions at SCZC are for the support of everyone’s practice and awakening. SCZC belongs to us all as we take up different responsibilities for the well-being of everyone. Generosity is essential to practicing the bodhisattva path.
9. Do not indulge in anger. Sangha members having conflicts or tensions with others should attempt to resolve them directly in a spirit of honesty, humility and kindness. When allowed to grow unchecked, and especially when fueled by self-righteousness, anger can cause serious damage to the harmonious functioning of the community. Observing our anger shows us those places where we are rigid and defended, helping us let go of fixed and oppositional views.
10. Do not defile the Three Treasures. Our teachers, the teaching and the community are all facets of a single practice. Our conduct and all our acts of body, speech and mind matter. The aspiration to awaken flourishes in an environment of gratitude and respect.

Our full ethical policy can be accessed here: SCZC Guidelines for Ethical Violations, Conflict Resolution and Informal Concerns.                       Further questions can be addressed to info@stonecreekzen.org.