we “grin and bear it.” This approach is a lot more
playful than that—like dancing with it. We realize
that this separateness that we feel is a funny kind of
mistake. We see that things were not dualistic from
the start; we can wake up to that realization. The
basis of any real kind of compassionate action is the
insight that the others who seem to be out there are
some kind of mirror image of ourselves. By making
friends with yourself, you make friends with others.
By hurting others, you hurt yourself.
Another slogan says, “Always abide by the three
basic principles.” The first basic principle is always
to abide by any vows you have taken—the refuge
vows that you take to become a Buddhist and the
bodhisattva vows taken later as an expression of
your wish to benefit others. The second principle is
to refrain from showing off, or from outrageous con-
duct. The third is always to cultivate patience. So
these are the three basic principles: keeping the
vows you have taken, refraining from outrageous
conduct, and cultivating patience.
Keeping the vows you have taken. The first principle,
to keep the vows you have taken, speaks specifically
to those of us who have taken the refuge vows and
bodhisattva vows, but it may be helpful for everyone
to hear a little bit about these vows. The refuge vow
Compassionate Action 149