In my previous article, we looked at the four foundational principles of the Order of Interbeing: non-attachment to views, direct experimentation, appropriateness, and skillful means. Founded by Thích Nhất Hạnh in 1966 amid the ideological division and immense suffering of the Vietnam War, the Order articulated the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings as a contemporary expression of the bodhisattva (enlightened being) precepts. These trainings guide practitioners in cultivating mindful awareness, compassion, and ethical action in daily life.
We focused on the First Mindfulness Training, which stands out as a direct response to the Vietnam War. It emphasizes not being bound to any doctrine, theory, or ideology, and points to the dangers of fanaticism, intolerance, and dualistic perception that contributed to the suffering of that era. It demonstrates that openness and the insight of interbeing help transform dogmatism and violence in ourselves and in the world.
In this article, we continue our exploration by examining these Mindfulness Trainings in detail.
Opening sentences of the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings
Let us look at the opening sentence of each of the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings. Their full version can be seen on the Plum Village website. (Plum Village)
The First Mindfulness Training: Openness
Aware of the suffering created by fanaticism and intolerance, we are determined not to be idolatrous about or bound to any doctrine, theory, or ideology, even Buddhist ones . . .
The Second Mindfulness Training: Non-Attachment to Views
Aware of the suffering created by attachment to views and wrong perceptions, we are determined to avoid being narrow-minded and bound to present views . . .
The Third Mindfulness Training: Freedom of Thought
Aware of the suffering brought about when we impose our views on others, we are determined not to force others, even our children, by any means whatsoever—such as authority, threat, money, propaganda, or indoctrination—to adopt our views . . .
The Fourth Mindfulness Training: Awareness of Suffering
Aware that looking deeply at the nature of suffering can help us develop understanding and compassion, we are determined to come home to ourselves, to recognize, accept, embrace and listen to suffering with the energy of mindfulness . . .
The Fifth Mindfulness Training: Compassionate, Healthy Living
Aware that true happiness is rooted in peace, solidity, freedom, and compassion, we are determined not to accumulate wealth while millions are hungry and dying nor to take as the aim of our life fame, power, wealth, or sensual pleasure, which can bring much suffering and despair . . .
The Sixth Mindfulness Training: Taking Care of Anger
Aware that anger blocks communication and creates suffering, we are committed to taking care of the energy of anger when it arises, and to recognizing and transforming the seeds of anger that lie deep in our consciousness . . .
The Seventh Mindfulness Training: Dwelling Happily in the Present Moment
Aware that life is available only in the present moment, we are committed to training ourselves to live deeply each moment of daily life . . .
The Eighth Mindfulness Training: True Community and Communication
Aware that lack of communication always brings separation and suffering, we are committed to training ourselves in the practice of compassionate listening and loving speech . . .
The Ninth Mindfulness Training: Truthful and Loving Speech
Aware that words can create happiness or suffering, we are committed to learning to speak truthfully, lovingly and constructively . . .
The Tenth Mindfulness Training: Protecting and Nourishing the Sangha
Aware that the essence and aim of a Sangha is the realization of understanding and compassion, we are determined not to use the Buddhist community for personal power or profit, or transform our community into a political instrument . . .
The Eleventh Mindfulness Training: Right Livelihood
Aware that great violence and injustice have been done to our environment and society, we are committed not to live with a vocation that is harmful to humans and nature . . .
The Twelfth Mindfulness Training: Reverence for Life
Aware that much suffering is caused by war and conflict, we are determined to cultivate nonviolence, compassion, and the insight of interbeing in our daily lives and promote peace education, mindful mediation, and reconciliation within families, communities, ethnic and religious groups, nations, and in the world . . .
The Thirteenth Mindfulness Training: Generosity
Aware of the suffering caused by exploitation, social injustice, stealing, and oppression, we are committed to cultivating generosity in our way of thinking, speaking, and acting . . .
The Fourteenth Mindfulness Training: True Love
[For lay members]: Aware that sexual desire is not love and that sexual relations motivated by craving cannot dissipate the feeling of loneliness but will create more suffering, frustration, and isolation, we are determined not to engage in sexual relations without mutual understanding, love, and a deep long-term commitment . . .
[For monastic members]: Aware that the deep aspiration of a monk or a nun can only be realized when he or she wholly leaves behind the bonds of sensual love, we are committed to practicing chastity and to helping others protect themselves . . .
To better understand how these trainings are organized, let us now explore their underlying structure.
Understanding the structure of the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings
While all the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings are fundamentally interrelated, they can be broadly understood through the Buddhist framework of mind, speech, and body: the First to Seventh Trainings primarily concern mental cultivation, the Eighth and Ninth concern speech and communication, and the Tenth to Fourteenth concern ethical action expressed through the body and in social life.
Like the Noble Eightfold Path, which begins with the mind in its first two path factors (i.e., right view and right intention), the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings also begin with practices related to the mind in their first seven trainings. Similar to the Five Mindfulness Trainings, this emphasis on awareness is reflected in the repeated use of the wording “Aware of/that” at the beginning of each description. For more on the Five Mindfulness Trainings, see my previous series for BDG, “Thích Nhất Hạnh’s Five Mindfulness Trainings, Parts 1 to 3.”
These aspects highlight the trainings not only as ethical guidelines, but as an integrated framework for transforming awareness into embodied practice. As Thích Nhất Hạnh pointed out, for the Buddha, everything begins with the mind. (Thích Nhất Hạnh 1998) The approach of putting the mind first is thus essential for cultivating mindful speech, compassionate action, and the transformation of suffering.
Differences between the Fourteen and the Five Mindfulness Trainings
By looking at the opening sentences of the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings, we can notice that these trainings, in many respects, overlap with the Five Mindfulness Trainings. As Thích Nhất Hạnh said, “When you practice the Five Mindfulness Trainings deeply, you are already practicing the Fourteen.” (Thích Nhất Hạnh 1998) This echoes his observation that “the practice of mindfulness is interwoven into all aspects of our life. We ourselves are interrelated—any action we do has an effect on everything around us.” (Thích Nhất Hạnh 2003)
He explained:
If you want to formally receive the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings and enter the core community of the Order of Interbeing, it is because you wish to become a community leader, to organize the practice in a Sangha. Only when you have the feeling that you have enough time, energy, and interest to take care of a community should you ask for formal ordination. Then you will be working together with other brothers and sisters. Otherwise, the Five Mindfulness Trainings are enough. You can practice the Fourteen without a formal ceremony, without being ordained as a member of the Order. (Thích Nhất Hạnh 1998)
This suggests that the fundamental difference between formally receiving the Fourteen and the Five Trainings is whether one has the desire to lead a practice community. As leadership involves a high level of selfless devotion and responsibility for others, it can be regarded as an embodiment of the bodhisattva ideal in the context of sangha practice.
Conclusion
The Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings of the Order of Interbeing are Thích Nhất Hạnh’s modern reinterpretation of traditional bodhisattva precepts through the lens of mindfulness, interbeing, and engaged practice.
Their structure can be broadly understood through the Buddhist framework of mind, speech, and body, emphasizing the transformation of the mind as the foundation for compassionate and ethical action in everyday life.
The Fourteen and the Five Mindfulness Trainings overlap in various respects, particularly their shared emphasis on awareness and interbeing. While the Five Trainings are sufficient for personal practice, the formal receiving of the Fourteen Trainings reflects a commitment to serving and supporting a sangha community.
In the next article, we will further examine how the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings are embodied within the practice of the Order of Interbeing.
References
Plum Village. 2023. “The Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings.” Retrieved from https://plumvillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/The-Fourteen-Mindfulness-Trainings-2023-March.pdf
Thích Nhất Hạnh. 1998. Interbeing: Fourteen Guidelines for Engaged Buddhism. Berkeley, California: Parallax Press.
Thích Nhất Hạnh. 2003. Creating True Peace: Ending Violence in Yourself, Your Family, Your Community, and the World. London: Rider.
Related features from BDG
Thích Nhất Hạnh’s Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings, Part 1
Thích Nhất Hạnh’s Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings, Part 2
