Mind is the forerunner of all things. Mind is chief; mind-made are they. If one speaks or acts with a wicked mind, suffering follows, as the wheel of a cart follows the hoof of the ox.
Mind is the forerunner of all things. Mind is chief; mind-made are they. If one speaks or acts with a pure mind, affection follows, as one’s shadow that never leaves.
—Gotama Buddha (Dhammapada)
In my determination to live skillfully, it doesn’t take much effort to realize catching myself about to act unskillfully usually happens during the thought process. It’s easy to see that the roots of our actions must pass a considerable length through our mind before reaching their tips.
Daehaeng Kun Sunim ends the third precept, “I vow to strive to keep my mind pure.”
Although it would be a proper finish to anyone of the precepts, it surely feels as though it’s in the right place. The third precept is the one I have the least concern with physically, but mentally is probably my biggest disaster. When I return to mindfulness from a rather unwholesome series of thoughts, I find myself asking, “Why bother planting these karmic seeds?”
Wake Up and Laugh! 
Hi Joseph,
I never figured you for someone who had a problem with stealing what belongs to others?! 😉
It is amazing how, if we aren’t careful, seemingly trivial thoughts gain momentum and come back to us with a real whollup. For me, the key is noticing that a certain thought(s) has been running on and on in the background, and then relaxing and ceasing to give it energy.
haha, I was totally thinking “fourth” but I typed “third”.
I guess mind might be the forerunner but there are still gaps!! *^^*
…and I just noticed I did it twice!
but you corrected it…which is the great part about “practice!” 😉
now I’m really confused… I did mean the third precept! haha
stealing is second, right???
Sorry, Joseph! I couldn’t resist! 😉
Chong Go Sunim, I was so tired yesterday, I didn’t even stop to consider that I’d actually already checked the precepts to make sure I didn’t make a mistake…
Haha, you got me good!
This is wonderful practice. Thank you, Joseph!
Thanks, Barry!
Genju, if proofreading were a metaphor for practice, I haven’t got a chance!! ^_–
Which why we live in sangha… we always have a chance or 10, 000… 😀