Precepts and Lineage

To me precepts and lineage are alive in one’s experience, not an outward “signing up for” or “belonging to”.  It is a natural process of awakening to your original nature.

The sixteen bodhisattva precepts are a set of vows of ethical conduct taken by a Zen practitioner when he/she is ready to make a commitment to conduct that benefits others, and are taken by both monastic and lay practitioners. I took/take the sixteen Bodhisattva vows as an expression of inner connection and commitment to Buddhadharma. I am not concerned with outwardly belonging to a particular sect or lineage. To me, the precepts are not some sort of credentials that make you officially belonging to a particular Buddhist lineage. Living lineage  is present when one realizes one’s true nature or essence of mind, then all the Buddhas and Patriarchs are truly alive in your very being.  A person only becomes a ‘lineage holder’ when, following sustained practise, they gradually realize the inner meaning of the transmitted teachings and infuse them with all aspects of their being.  It is nothing but a concept and distraction otherwise. 

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