Mangoes and Oranges

If you love mangoes, you are free to continue to eat mangoes, but no one forbids you to eat pineapples or oranges. Your favorite fruit is the mango, yes, but you don’t betray your mango when you eat pineapple. I think it’s too narrow-minded, even stupid, to enjoy only mango, when there are so many different fruits around in the world. Spiritual traditions are like spiritual fruits, and you have the right to enjoy them. It is possible to enjoy two traditions, to take the best of two traditions and live with that. If you like to eat Italian food, you can still enjoy French and Chinese cooking. You cannot say. “I have to be faithful to my Italian cooking”—that’s too funny.
~ Thich Nhat Hanh

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I like Zen teachings but I also read all other good teachings that come my way, whether Christian, Muslim, Catholic, philosophy whatever. Like what Thich Nhat Hanh said, we can like our mangoes but still eat pineapples and oranges! So today I would like to share something from the Gospels whereby Jesus said the rich will find it difficult to enter the kingdom of God. I think it’s quite similar to the Buddhist teaching of practising non-attachment to worldly possessions.

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The Rich Young Man - extracted from the Gospel of Mark

10.17And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 10.18And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 10.19You know the commandments: ‘Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” 10.20And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have observed from my youth.” 10.21And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 10.22At that saying his countenance fell, and he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions. 10.23And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” 10.24And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 10.25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 10.26And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” 10.27Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.” 10.28Peter began to say to him, “Lo, we have left everything and followed you.” 10.29Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 10.30who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. 10.31But many that are first will be last, and the last first.”

Thay’s Precepts

Thay’s (Thich Nhat Hanh) Precepts:
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• Do not be idolatrous about or bound to any doctrine, theory, or ideology, even Buddhist ones. All systems of thought are guiding means; they are not absolute truth.

• Do not think that the knowledge you presently possess is changeless, absolute truth. Avoid being narrow-minded and bound to present views. Learn and practice non-attachment from views in order to be open to receive others’ viewpoints. Truth is found in life and not merely in conceptual knowledge. Be ready to learn throughout our entire life and to observe reality in yourself and in the world at all times.

• Do not force others, including children, by any means whatsoever, to adopt your views, whether by authority, threat, money, propaganda, or even education. However, through compassionate dialogue, help others renounce fanaticism and narrowness.

• Do not avoid contact with suffering or close your eyes before suffering. Do not lose awareness of the existence of suffering in the life of the world. Find ways to be with those who are suffering by all means, including personal contact and visits, images, sound. By such means, awaken yourself and others to the reality of suffering in the world.

• Do not accumulate wealth while millions are hungry. Do not take as the aim of you life fame, profit, wealth, or sensual pleasure. Live simply and share time, energy, and material resources with those who are in need.

• Do not maintain anger or hatred. As soon as anger and hatred arise, practice the meditation on compassion in order to deeply understand the persons who have caused anger and hatred. Learn to look at other beings with the eyes of compassion.

• Do not lose yourself in dispersion and in your surroundings. Learn to practice breathing in order to regain composure of body and mind, to practice mindfulness, and to develop concentration and understanding.

• Do not utter words that can create discord and cause the community to break. Make every effort to reconcile and resolve all conflicts, however small.

• Do not say untruthful things for the sake of personal interest or to impress people. Do not utter words that cause diversion and hatred. Do not spread news that you do not know to be certain. Do not criticize or condemn things you are not sure of. Always speak truthfully and constructively. Have the courage to speak out about situations of injustice, even when doing so may threaten your own safety.

• Do not use the Buddhist community for personal gain or profit, or transform your community into a political party. A religious community should, however, take a clear stand against oppression and injustice, and should strive to change the situation without engaging in partisan conflicts.

• Do not live with a vocation that is harmful to humans and nature. Do not invest in companies that deprive others of their chance to life. Select a vocation which helps realize your ideal compassion.

• Do not kill. Do not let others kill. Find whatever means possible to protect life and to prevent war.

• Possess nothing that should belong to others. Respect the property of others but prevent others from enriching themselves from human suffering or the suffering of other beings.

• Do not mistreat your body. Learn to handle it with respect. Do not look on your body as only and instrument. Preserve vital energies (sexual, breath, spirit) for the realization of the Way. Sexual expression should not happen without love and commitment. In sexual relationships be aware of future suffering that may be caused. To preserve the happiness of others, respect the rights and commitments of others. Be fully aware of the responsibility of bringing new lives into the world. Meditate on the world into which you are bringing new beings.

• Do not believe that I feel that I follow each and every of these precepts perfectly. I know I fail in many ways. None of us can fully fulfill any of these. However, I must work toward a goal. These are my goal. No words can replace practice, only practice can make the words.

“The finger pointing at the moon is not the moon.”

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Thich Nhat Hanh or Thay as his disciples affectionately call him, is among my favourite Zen teachers. I got these precepts from a Vietnamese friend I got to know online who also likes his teachings. Contemplate on them!