The Five Mindfulness Trainings
Thich Nhat Hanh's contemporary expression of the Buddha's Five Precepts — updated for our time. They are a concrete way of living the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path in daily life. To practice them is to cultivate the insight of interbeing.
A commitment to protecting life — of people, animals, plants, and the planet. To cultivate compassion and the insight of interbeing so deeply that harm becomes unthinkable, and to transform the roots of violence — anger, fear, greed — in oneself and in the world.
A commitment to generosity and the understanding that true happiness cannot be found in wealth, fame, power, or sensual pleasures. To practice looking deeply into the happiness and suffering of others as inseparable from our own, and to live simply and contentedly in the present moment.
A commitment to protecting the integrity and safety of individuals, couples, and families through responsible, conscious love. To cultivate the four elements of true love: loving kindness, compassion, joy, and inclusiveness — and to recognize that the body and mind are not separate.
A commitment to speaking truthfully and listening deeply — to relieve suffering rather than add to it. To refrain from speaking when anger is present, to look into the roots of wrong perception and misunderstanding, and to use words only to inspire confidence, joy, and reconciliation.
A commitment to mindful consumption — of food, but also of sense impressions, entertainment, conversations, and anything we take into body and mind. To consume in ways that preserve peace and well-being, and to refrain from using consumption to cover over loneliness, anxiety, or suffering.
The Five Mindfulness Trainings are Thich Nhat Hanh's own formulation, updated in 2022. The full text belongs to Plum Village and is available as a PDF directly from Plum Village, and on the Plum Village website. The full text is worth reading slowly and returning to often.