Buddhism: In All Its Modern Avatars

The Five Pledges:

Don’t kill: Far from a simple injunction to turn vegetarian, this pledge urges you to take up a more environment-friendly lifestyle: determine to protect the lives of people, animals, plants and minerals.

Loving kindness or compassion: Commit oneself to share one’s time, energy and material resources with those in real need. Further, prevent others from profiting from human suffering or the suffering of other species.

Responsible sex: Not to engage in sexual relations without love and long-term commitment. Do everything in one’s power to protect children from sexual abuse and to prevent couples and families from being broken by sexual misconduct.

Loving speech: Not lying, but also a commitment not to spread news that one does not know to be certain and not to criticise or condemn things of which one is not sure. And to refrain from uttering words that can cause division or discord, or that can cause the family or community to break. Determine to make all efforts to reconcile and resolve all conflicts, however small.

No toxins: This included, apart from the usual intoxicants, a pledge to stay away from toxic TV programmes, magazines, books, films and conversations. A pledge to transform violence, fear, anger and confusion in oneself and in society by practising a "mindful" diet crucial for self and social transformation.

BSG mentor Daisaku Ikeda has likewise laid down pragmatic rules for changing the world through the individual’s transformation:

• To challenge oneself at all times so that from being buffeted about by the environment or people around you, a person becomes someone who can change his or her environment;
  
• To grow from interaction with others rather than in isolation;
  
• A commitment to realise all your hidden potential towards the goal of self-realisation;
  
• A commitment to be happy despite problems;
  
• Not to run away from oneself but to change from within;
  
• To stay free of fear;
  
• Never to compare oneself with others, but with ourselves as we were yesterday.