Jitsujo T. Gauthier begins with a scene from an interfaith meeting of clergy with the local police. A homeless middle-aged woman experiencing mental health problems had recently been hit with rubber bullets. Some clergy condemn police violence, while others point to the need for appropriate mental health services, training and boundaries; one even notes that the police have protected his community from bomb threats. The discussion escalates into a heated argument over whether police officers are protectors or perpetrators.
Torn between the pain in the room and the conflicting truths, Gauthier says she turns to the three tenets of the Zen Peacemaker Order: not-knowing, bearing witness, and taking action. First, she lets go of her opinions and rests in not-knowing. Then she bears witness to the present moment, listening to the traffic outside the room and the raised voices inside. From this more grounded position, she speaks not of opposing sides but of a group enriched by different cultural experiences, needs and perspectives.
The three tenets were developed in 1997 by the late Roshi Bernie Glassman and other founding teachers of the Zen Peacemaker Order, of which Gauthier is a member. When practiced in sequence, they help people act skillfully to alleviate personal and social causes of suffering and create a more compassionate, just and peaceful world. They begin with letting go of fixed ideas through not-knowing and opening to the joy and suffering of the world through bearing witness, allowing effective action to emerge.
According to the author, the three tenets are rooted in the three pure precepts, which are part of the sixteen traditional bodhisattva precepts that form the ethical foundation of Mahayana Buddhism. The three pure precepts are: do no evil, avoid harm and unskillful actions; do good, act skillfully and perform wholesome actions; and do good for others, purify the mind and cultivate an awakened mind for the sake of all beings.
In the first pure precept, evil can be understood as the illusion of separation, so avoiding harm means recognizing the truth of nonseparation. Gauthier advises letting go for a moment of the prejudices, assumptions and expectations that separate us from others. A mindful breath can create space to enter the next moment with an empty heart and mind. By affirming our inherent interconnectedness with all beings, even briefly, we rest in a vast container without division or exclusion.
The second pure precept finds expression in bearing witness. This means taking time to listen deeply to the many aspects of a situation, opening to its complexity and allowing the separation between ourselves and the situation to disappear. If the complexity feels unbearable, she suggests turning inward, following the rhythm of the breath and using phrases such as “I notice… I see… I hear… I feel…” to hear what resonates in the heart and mind.
The third pure precept is likened to taking action. When the mind has been purified through not-knowing and bearing witness, action becomes spontaneous and skillful, neither planned in advance nor arising from the thinking mind. Gauthier writes that such action is often simple, organic and easy. By opening to not-knowing and bearing witness to what arises, a new and unexpected response can emerge.
One way to practice the three tenets is the three tenets mala (TTMala), a set of Buddhist prayer beads developed in 2016 by Roshi Wendy Egyoku Nakao, Gauthier’s teacher. The mala is divided into five sections representing the situation, not-knowing, bearing witness, taking action, and love. Each group begins with a large bead followed by smaller beads. The author says the practice can be used when we feel stuck, irritated, drained, overwhelmed, full of negative thoughts or emotions, or in conflict, or simply for reflection and gratitude.
To make a TTMala, Gauthier says we need cord or beading wire and at least twenty-one identical small beads, along with five larger beads for the five sections. The situation bead is strung with three small beads, the not-knowing bead with three, the bearing witness bead with nine or more, and the action and love beads with three each. Once the mala is securely tied, the ends of the knot can be used to attach the tassel.
The practice begins by rubbing the mala between the palms and saying: “I affirm the oneness of all life. All things coexist in relationship with one another.” Holding the large situation bead, the practitioner describes the who, what, when, where and how of the situation. The small beads that follow are used to recognize the awakened nature of all beings, meet all beings with respect and dignity, and invite all hungry beings into the practice. The not-knowing bead is accompanied by letting go of our certainties, fears and resentments and opening to new possibilities. During bearing witness, each bead is used to name an “ingredient” that arises from the situation—what we see, hear, feel, sense or notice. The action bead is used to state a specific action and explain how it serves the situation and others, while the final love bead affirms love, gratitude and the intention to take our place in the circle of life.
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