Code of Conduct
for students and servers
May your Pāli Workshop prove most beneficial to you. With best wishes for success, we offer you the following information. Please read it carefully before coming to the workshop.
The Five Precepts
The Five Precepts are the foundation of the Code of Discipline:
- To abstain from killing any being;
- To abstain from stealing;
- To abstain from sexual misconduct (meaning, at the Pāli Workshop, to abstain from all sexual activity whatsoever);
- To abstain from wrong speech;
- To abstain from all intoxicants.
These Five Precepts are mandatory for everyone at a Pāli Workshop and must be observed scrupulously at all times. It is expected that those attending or serving a workshop are also trying to seriously maintain the Five Precepts in their daily lives.
Separation of Men and Women
While absolute separation of the sexes is not practical for the students and servers of a Pāli Workshop due to the close living and working conditions, this situation should not be misunderstood as an opportunity for men and women to socialize unnecessarily. This rule is all the more important for couples.
Physical Contact
In order to maintain the pure meditative atmosphere and the introspective nature of the practice, all Pāli students and servers must avoid all physical contact with other students and servers.
Noble Speech
When speaking, servers must practice Right Speech, refraining from:
- Speaking lies or anything less than the truth.
- Harsh language or rude words. Someone practicing Dhamma should always be polite and soft-spoken.
- Slander or backbiting. There should be no criticism of others arising from one’s own negative feelings. A problem should be brought to the attention of the person concerned or to the Pāli workshop teacher or course managers.
- Idle gossip, whistling or humming.
Noble Speech is, without a doubt, much more difficult than silence. It is therefore a very important training for anyone following the path of Dhamma.
Personal Appearance
Nothing should be worn which is tight, transparent, gaudy or revealing, or that might attract undue attention (such as shorts, short skirts, tights and leggings, sleeveless or skimpy tops). This attitude of modesty prevails at all times.
Smoking & Intoxicants
It is assumed that one who has accepted Dhamma is no longer involved in the use of intoxicants such as alcohol, hashish, marijuana, and so forth. The use of tobacco in any form is also totally forbidden, indoors or outdoors, either within or outside of the workshop site.
Food
The workshop provides simple, wholesome, vegetarian meals, without subscribing to any particular food philosophy.
Because meals prepared and served at these workshops are completely vegetarian, food containing alcohol or liqueur, eggs or food containing eggs (some baked goods, mayonnaise, etc.), or cheese with animal rennet, may not be brought to the workshop site. In general, any food from outside should be kept to an absolute minimum.
Pāli students and servers observe Five Precepts and may therefore have a meal in the evening if they wish. Fasting is not permitted.
Reading
Study books and course materials will be provided to at the workshop.
Outside Contacts
Plan for being offline and unavailable during the workshop. A contact number is provided for emergencies.
Keeping the Pāli Workshop Site Clean
It is the duty of the Pāli students and servers to help keep the workshop site neat and clean. Besides the kitchen and dining hall, the residences, meditation hall, bathrooms, offices and other areas may need attention. Servers and students should also be prepared, if necessary, to do occasional chores unrelated to food preparation and cleaning.
Dāna
There are no charges at Pāli workshops, either for the teaching, or for board, lodging, or other facilities provided to students.
The teaching of pure Dhamma is always given freely. Food, accommodation and other facilities are offered as gifts made possible by the donations of students of the past. Pāli students and servers can develop their own dāna pāramī by giving donations according to their means, for the benefit of others. These Pāli Workshops are able to operate only by the donations of grateful students.