Cattāri Brahmavihārā

152. And what else should be done? You should think: “Our bodily conduct must be perfectly pure, clear, open, without defect and controlled. But not because of our being pure will we exalt ourselves or disparage others.” This is how you should train yourselves.

Majjhima Nikaya

I came upon this verse today using my Buddha vacana app and was pleasantly surprised by just how well it addresses my present situation. Guarding the sense doors in order to maintain purity of verbal and bodily conduct is something which I have struggled with for a long time and send to me to highlight the intimate relationship between sati and sila. Without mindfulness it is almost impossible to practice morality and cultivate virtue.

Once more I find that the path is not linear but rhizomatic in that each factor of the path grows into and back out of one another. May I do my best to cultivate them all. Happy Uposatha everyone!