Reflective Meditation is relational, independent but not done solely alone. We get to know each other through our meditation practice and the sharing of our reflections. We acknowledge a collective effort to use kindness, understanding, and appropriate restraint in our speech and other communication.

We agree to take responsibility for our intentions and actions.  We gather strength from being willing to talk about our ignorance and misunderstandings in relationships with others in our community. We do this with the intention to learn from our mistakes, express our regrets, and practice compassion and understanding for ourselves, and those who walk with us upon this path.

The statements below are based on the five precepts and define our ethical conduct individually and organizationally. The Buddhist precepts are commitments to abstain from killing living beings, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying and intoxication.

    1. We honor the varied life experiences and conditions each of us brings to practice. We inquire with curiosity and respect different needs and paths of development. We endeavor to not “kill” others’ experience with disrespect or advice or by abuse of the power inherent in roles of explicit or implicit leadership. We strive to treat each person with respect and dignity, without discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender, age, national origin, sexual orientation, mental or physical form.
    2. In offering our teachings on a contribution basis, we are grateful to receive. Along with this honor, comes the responsibility of allowing others to give freely without coercion. Organizationally we commit to act responsibly and to communicate candidly regarding financial matters.
    3. We endeavor to maintain appropriate sexual relationships within our lives and community, and to create an atmosphere free from sexual harassment.
    4. With our speech, we endeavor to be kind and honest. Our desire is to create a safe space where people can share freely, to their comfort level, and expect what they share to be held with care and confidentiality. We favor dialogue over silence, and encourage people to talk about conflicts and disagreements, and to become aware of their own conflicts of interest. If conflicts arise, please try to talk directly with each other, first. If a conflict cannot be resolved in this way, please bring the issue to a teacher and/or initiate a Pine Street Grievance process, if necessary. Our commitment is to offer an atmosphere free from retaliation. We encourage reconciliation when possible and agree to part ways when it looks like staying together would create more harm.
    5. In order to reduce recklessness and heedlessness, we will not abuse mind-altering substances. While participating in events at Pine Street Sangha, we will not be under the influence of intoxicants.

Additional precepts for teachers and Board members


We acknowledge the power we have in teaching and Board positions. We endeavor not to abuse our power and to become more aware of nuanced power dynamics. In our small community, some dual relationships are inevitable; we engage in them with careful consideration. Sexual relationships between teacher and student are prohibited. We agree to be accountable to another teacher or peer in our community when working with others.