Receiving the Zen Precepts

To see the secular as a hindrance to practice is to only know that in the secular nothing is sacred; it is not yet realizing that in sacredness, nothing is secular. Realize the Precepts as your own body and mind and realize sacredness.
— John Daido Loori, Roshi

In the Mountains and Rivers Order, taking the Buddhist Precepts is a significant and specific aspect of training. The Buddhist Precepts are one of the most vital areas of practice for students, regardless of whether they practice as lay practitioners or intend to take the vows of a monastic. In essence, the Precepts are a definition of the life of a Buddha, of how a Buddha functions in the world. They are how enlightened beings live their lives, relate to other human beings and this planet, and make moral and ethical decisions while manifesting wisdom and compassion in everyday life. At the training center of the Order, the Precepts are the basis of the rules and guidelines for all residents and visitors. For those practicing at home, the Precepts provide a compass to navigate the vicissitudes of the marketplace. The Buddhist Precepts are unique among religious ethical teachings in that they are based on the experience of no-self.

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Maintain this Buddhist Wish of Noble Sympathy:

May I be happy, may I maintain my happiness and live without any trace of enmity.
May all beings be successful and happy: May they be of joyful mind, all beings that
breathe & have life, whether they are weak or strong, tiny or huge, visible or invisible,
near or far away, born or to be born, let all beings enjoy safety, content ease & bliss!
Let no one deceive another, let no one be harsh in speech, let no one by anger or hatred
wish bad for his neighbour. Even as a mother, at the risk of her life, guards and protects
her only child, so with a boundless heart of compassion, I venerate all living beings by
permeating this entire universe with sympathy, above, beneath & all around, without limit,
immeasurable and endless! Thus I cultivate an infinite goodwill toward this whole world.
Standing or walking, sitting or lying down, during all my waking hours I treasure always
this thought, knowing that this very way of caring is the Noblest in the whole wide world!
Thus shall I, by stilling pointless discussions and controversies, by acting blamelessly,
be gifted with tranquillity & true insight. Thus shall I subdue the urge for sense-pleasure,
and never again know rebirth. May this also inspire and thereby cause all other sentient
beings to fulfil the conditions leading swiftly to Nibbāna.
May all sentient beings be thus utterly liberated & completely released from suffering.
May all sentient beings thus escape the dangers of ageing, disease, and death. Yeah!

   
((source: Buddha Direct)