Ethics Policy

Wisdom Sun Ethics Policy

Opening Statement

Relationship is at the core of all that happens at Wisdom Sun: our relationships with all parts of our own being; our relationships with our fellow practitioners on the path; and our relationships with those in the teaching seat.

Human beings thrive in community, in connection with other human hearts where each individual is honored as sacred. The community (“sangha”) in Buddhism is sacred and performs a vital function, but is often disadvantaged when compared to the teacher or leader of the community. When the individuals that make up the community are disempowered and disregarded the leader’s behavior may become increasingly erratic.

Therefore, at Wisdom Sun we strive to hold our relationships within a sense of a sacred whole, in which community and teacher are equally important. This means that we strive to hold all relationships in the space of non-defensive loving awareness, and to infuse and support them with ethics grounded in empathy, respect, and equality rather than hierarchy.

The following bodhisattva vow—the spirit of which is important for all community members in whatever role we each find ourselves in—expresses the foundation of our ethics.

Bodhisattva Vow (composed by Ari Goldfield and Rose Taylor)

Cleanse (Tibetan: byang)

I cleanse myself of being intolerant of myself and others.
I cleanse myself of closing my heart to myself and others.

Awaken (chub)

I awaken into openness and warmth towards myself and others.
I awaken into acceptance of myself and others.
I awaken into love for myself and others.

Aware (sems)

I am aware of what I am thinking, feeling, and doing.
I am aware of my intentions and aspirations.
I am interested in learning the thoughts, feelings, and actions of others.
I am interested in others’ intentions and aspirations.

Courage (dpa’)

I am courageous enough to love myself and others.
I am courageous enough to remember that my own nature is a treasure of good qualities.
I am courageous enough to remember that others’ true nature is a treasure of good qualities.
I am courageous enough to admit and forgive my own and others’ mistakes and flaws.
I am courageous enough to interact with others in an honest, genuine, and skillful way.
I am courageous enough to avoid interaction with others when that is the best course of action.

 Commitment (sdom pa)

I commit myself to self-love and self-care.
I commit myself to a life of altruism and meaning.
I know that I may not always keep this commitment, but it is always here for me to renew.

We also undertake to hold to specific ethics in the following areas:

Speech and Confidentiality: For the Wisdom Sun community to be able to enter deeply into the personal path of transformation and confidently share our intimate experiences with each other as we traverse that path, confidentiality is vital. We will therefore hold in confidence what is explicitly told to us in confidence.

 Sexual Conduct: We agree to avoid creating harm through sexuality and to avoid sexual exploitation. All teachers will not use their teaching role to exploit their authority and position in order to assume a sexual relationship with a student.

Furthermore:

            a) A sexual relationship is never appropriate between teachers and students.
            b) If interest in a genuine and committed relationship develops over time between a single teacher and a student, the student-teacher relationship must clearly and consciously have ended before any further development toward a romantic relationship. Such a relationship must be approached with restraint and sensitivity. A clear understanding from both parties that the student-teacher relationship has ended must be coupled with a conscious commitment to enter into a relationship that brings no harm to either party. Given the delicate nature of starting a relationship where there has been a teacher-student structure, the “teacher” is to ask Rose, Ari and/or other Board members for help navigating this complexity. The “student” is also invited to speak to Rose, Ari, and/or other Board members to help them navigate this emerging relationship.

If you or someone you know in the Wisdom Sun community is having an issue with an ethical breach or some breakdown in a relationship with a Wisdom Sun teacher or community member, and attempts to work with that person directly have proved unworkable, please contact one of the members of the board: Rose Taylor Goldfield (rose@wisdomsun.org); Ari Goldfield (ari@wisdomsun.org); John Roadhouse (jroadhouse@me.com); or Lama Palden Drolma (lamapaldendrolma@gmail.com).