Over the last few months we've been looking at how the middle path of the Buddha crosses over the middle path of Hecate. How each one of the steps on that Buddhist path intersects with the Five Virtues of Hecate. Of course just like everyone else blogging today, this is UPG (unverified personal gnosis). What I do provide is my take on the documentation that I have found to date as well as my personal opinions related to those teachings. This is a wrap up of what we've have discussed to date as well as looking into the person who follows both.

Hecate and Buddha have very different philosophical belief structures. An example would be these two quotes below based on war.

"Of Buddha on war:

"In killing I would be betraying and abandoning the very teachings I would be seeking to preserve. So it would be better to let him kill me and remain true to the spirit of the Dharma."

Of Hecate on war:

And when men arm themselves for the battle that destroys men, then the goddess is at hand to give victory and grant glory readily to whom she will. Good is she also when men contend at the games, for there too the goddess is with them and profits them : and he who by might and strength gets the victory wins the rich prize easily with joy, and brings glory to his parents." - Theio

While I see myself as someone who does not wish to harm others, I also life by the believe that a witch who cannot harm cannot heal. You must have within you the ability to do both, if you intend to do either.

Both are found ancient texts with Buddha being mentioned in the 1st Century BCE and Hecate in the 8th Century BC.  However, their messages are as modern as laptops and TikTok. As I move through my path I have found that both of these keep me in a balanced state. While I sit and walk the path of the Buddha, I can see and feel the spirit of Hecate with. I work on things for her that guide my walk and help keep me in a spot that allows me to protect myself and others.  

One may say, well then, you're not a Buddhist if you choose to fight to survive. The Buddha clearly states harming others is not something we should do, even to save ourselves.  In that sense of the word, I agree, I am not there. 

For me walking the middle path is a way of not only gaining inspiration and guidance from the Buddhist side but also allows me to nurture the connection I have with Hecate in all of her forms. I relate more to her Brimo form.  The angry one, the fiery one and the terrible one. I believe this relates directly to my the abuse I have had in my life and probably my inability to "turn the other cheek". 

I like to say, I don't hold grudges. I merely hold you responsible for your actions. As we all should. I believe that this is something that will not be changing or me anytime soon. I am open to change but I just don't see a way to make peace with the negativity and walk the the path of the Buddha without my occasional cross over to my work with Hecate.

I feel as though these two paths keep me in balance. Just as the waters of the Earth ebb and flow so do our feelings and energies. Each one lifting up as the other drops to help us become who and what we are.

What do you think? How do these two paths work together? It is a successful union? What other energies to you bring into your walk with Hecate? 

Feel free to leave your comments here or continue to send messages over the direct chat tool at the bottom of this page.

Wishing you an amazing Sunday,

Rev. Renee Sosanna Olson

Keybearer to the Covenant of Hekate

Founder of the Sanctuary of Hecate Brimo

 Our final part to this series on the Noble Eightfold Path ends with a look at Right Concentration.  What is Right Concentration and how does it connect to the Five Virtues of Hekate?

Right Concentration is the ability to focus on one object only. Focusing on one thought only to be calm and peaceful. With concentrated meditation helps to calm and stabilize the mind, making it possible to achieve clearer insight and focus on more important things.

To achieve Right Concentration, a scheduled meditation is key. Some focus on sitting mediation, were you sit in the lotus position each day which can cause suffering. It is believed that this type of suffering burns off the bad or negative karma. If we are able to achieve the four Jhanas, next will be enlightenment.

The four Jhanas are outlined in the chart below:

Another part of Right Concertation is to follow the Five Precepts:

• Abstain from Killing
• Do not steal
• Avoid Sensual Misconduct
• Abstain from False Speech
• Abstain from Intoxicants

So how does this connect to the Five Virtues of Hecate? Temperance is very similar to Right Concentration. Temperance is about limits. It is about self control and moderation. Concentration is limiting the distraction and having the self control and moderation to focus only into one thing. The equanimity of dwelling in our single space. A state of pure happiness.

Learning to live in Right Concentration, in Temperance can be a struggle for some. We should take some time to think about how these two impact us. Over all, I believe that the Noble Eightfold Path walks parallel to the Five Virtues of Hecate. 

What do you think? How do you see Right Concentration? What about Temperance? Does it align with your walk with the Buddha or with Hecate?  Feel free to  post your comments here on the blog, on the Facebook page or continue to share your thoughts with me privately with the chat button at the bottom of the screen.

Wishing you and amazing day.

Namaste,

Rev. Renee Sosanna Olson
Keybearer to the Covenant of Hekate
Found of the Sanctuary of Hecate Brimo

Resources

 This week we'll continue out study of The Nobel Eightfold Path vs. The Five Virtues of Hekate by looking deeper into Right Mindfulness.

What is Right Mindfulness and how does it relate to the Five Virtues of Hekate?

Mindfulness is currently a big deal in most self help and positive energy groups today. But what is right Mindfulness from the Buddhist perspective? 

For Buddhist the four precepts of Mindfulness include: 

Mindfulness of the Body - mindful of our breathing - as the breath enters the body and leaves the body. Also of how our body is position but also our internal body. Our organs and cells including the elements that make up the body. Such as water and air. This helps us understand and separate the areas that we need to be mindful of. Including death and decay of the body, adding to the understanding that this is a natural place and we will all be in this place at some point in our lives.

 Mindfulness of Feelings - This is related to the sense of pleasant feelings, neutral feelings and negative feelings. Through these feelings attachment can arise. An example would be having a possession that you cherish above all other things. Possessions can cause suffering, we may not see this at first because we're happy we have this possession but the issue comes in when we lose this possession. Now we have suffering. This was explained in the Buddha's talk about releasing our cows. 

 Mindfulness of Mind - This is the quality of our mind. We should be aware of when our mind is angry, constricted or annoyed. Any point where our mind is closed and also when it is opened. We want to be aware of the state of our mind so that we can continue to behaving skillfully in the world. An example would be if we're in an angry state, we know that we need to avoid dealing with others until that anger has subsided. If we are mindful of the anger we can understand that we need to breathe or calm down before we move forward with the conversation. - This relates directly to our post last week regarding the Chicken Finger offerings to Hecate.  I knew that in my current state and in their current state, anything I offered would be taken as an attack, so I choose to not get involved in the debate.

 Mindfulness of Dhammas - In this context, it means certain types of mental states. Be aware of the hinderances. The things that hinder us in daily life. Pleasure, Ill will, Doubt are types of hinderances that will make mediation difficult. Understanding the previous precepts of mindfulness and using them to make a space for mindfulness. To be aware of these things and understanding their links to each other and to our own ability to connect without adding to the suffering of self or others.

As we look at the Five Virtues, how does Mindfulness align? To me Temperance and Wisdom aligns with them. Temperance reminds us not to take things in excess. It is moderation of self and action. We look before we leap. We evaluate before we move forward. The same can be said for Wisdom. We examine, we evaluate, we calculate and then we act. As I continue this, I believe this connection between these two allow me to maintain my devotion to Hecate as well as walk the Nobel Eightfold Path as a lay Buddhist. 

What do you think? Do you connect with Right Mindfulness?  How does it connect to the Five Virtues for you?  Do you see a way to walk both paths? Is the middle path the right path for those devoted to Hecate?

Feel free to share your comments here on the blog, on the Facebook page or continue to share your thoughts with me privately using the message button at the bottom of the page.

Wishing you and amazing day.

Namaste,

Rev. Renee Sosanna Olson
Keybearer to the Covenant of Hekate
Found of the Sanctuary of Hecate Brimo

Resources

 As we continue out look at how closely aligned the Nobel Eightfold Path is with the Five Virtues of Hekate, today we're looking at Right Effort.

What is Right Effort?

Right effort is often overlooked in a lot of Buddhist teachings due to how connected effort can be with ego. In early traditions the whole idea of the path is to be sure that your effort is moving your forward.

One of the four aspects of Buddhism is to strive for continued positive states of mind. We may get angry or greedy and this effort is to stop those things prior to becoming in that state. We understand we're not awakened yet, we can be led to do unskillful things or be in an unskillful state. We should guard against that by taking the effort not to put ourselves into situations that cause us to create suffering.  We should be striving for the skilled states, Loving Kindness, Compassion, Sympathetic Joy, Wisdom and Equanimity are examples of this.

Right away we see that several of the Five Virtues are here. Compassion, Wisdom are most prominent but we can also see the remaining virtues within the skilled states.  Justice can easily fit into Equanimity, along with courage. Temperance can fit with kindness and sympathetic joy. We have to reminder that all of these skills, paths or virtues are all about balance. 

Our effort should always be in the right direction or in the direction of easing suffering. Easing suffering for ourselves and for others. For some it may mean downsizing your living space or making donations to a local charity. I may also include limiting your exposure to those things that cause you to become frustrated or angry. The idea is to ease suffering. The idea behind the Five Virtues is to walk a path of strength, positive action and positive mind while exploring our world. 

Working with Compassion, I think this is one of most aligned pieces of our path so far. Within us we should treat all living beings with compassion. This includes ourself. We should look to live in a way eases suffering. To me, this includes how I engage with other people. How I prepare my food and even how I write these posts.  I'm careful to share what my thoughts are without passing judgement on how other people may feel.

An example of this is a recent discussion in a Facebook group where they were discussing offerings to Hecate. One wanted to know if chicken fingers were ok to put on their altar. When another replied with the traditional offerings and asked why the person chose chicken, they were immediately blocked by the original poster. Today, we seem to lack the ability to engage in conversations that question our actions without feeling attacked. What was the right action here?  At first, I wanted to reply and try to mediate the situation. Even if what I was saying was truthful, and kind, was it necessary? 

In the end, for me it was not necessary. The effort here would be to "correct" the situation and it really isn't my place to correct anyone. So I left myself out of the conversation. Was this right effort? To me it was, but really there's no real way to judge this. Some may say, it is my place as a Keybearer to the Covenant of Hekate to correct someone when inaccurate information is being shared. In some situations I would agree. Had I been asked for my opinion, I think it may have been welcomed.  Even though the poster asked "Can I give Hekate chicken fingers." The real statement was, "I want to give Hekate Chicken Fingers, please reply if you agree with me."   We can see this based on the immediate block of the first person to disagree.  

So does the step, Right Effort align with the Five Virtues of Hecate?  Absolutely! I see it in several. What do you think?  Do you see something different? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments, on the Facebook page or continue to share privately in our chats.

Wishing you and amazing day.

Namaste,

Rev. Renee Sosanna Olson
Keybearer to the Covenant of Hekate
Found of the Sanctuary of Hecate Brimo

Resources:

What is Right Livelihood ?

Right Livelihood is part of the Noble Eightfold Path. It is under ethical conduct and provides guidance on what the Buddha taught was the best way to reach enlightenment. 

Right Livelihood involves not only what kind of business we're involved in but also balancing our expense vs our income so that we have a balance. We do not over or under spend. We do what we need to do to care for ourselves.  It's legal, ethical and good for all involved. There are five different business that the Buddha said we should avoid.

1. Trading in weapons.
2. Trading in human beings.
3. Trading in meat.
4. Trading in intoxicants.
5. Trading in poison.

How does this link to the Five Virtues of Hekate?

Just as our last look at Right Action, we can see that Right Livelihood can be found in all of the virtues of Hecate.  Our livelihood, the work we do to do the mundane, pay our bills, take care of ourself and family, we can see that each of the virtues of Hecate fit directly into them. 

• Compassion
• Courage
• Temperance 
• Justice
• Wisdom 

 I work each day and use compassion to help others.  I use courage and temperance to be sure that I work hard but not too hard. I use justice and wisdom to help those around me in my professional capacity.  Each action I take in my livelihood will not harm myself or others.

What do you think?  How does Right Livelihood fit into the Five Virtues of Hekate? Do you see it directly relating to one of them? Does it cross them all?  Feel free to comment here or continue to reach out to me directly to continue our conversation.

Namaste,

Rev. Renee Sosanna Olson

Keybearer to the Covenant of Hekate

Founder of the Sanctuary of Hecate Brimo

Resources:

 What is Right Action?

Right action is a step on the Noble Eightfold path. In Buddhism, the eightfold path is meant as a guideline, to be considered, to be contemplated, and to be taken on when, and only when each step is fully accepted as part of the life you seek. Buddhism never asks for blind faith, it seeks to promote learning and a process of self-discovery.

1st Aspect of Right action is not take a life of another living animal. Generally it means not killing other people, other types of animals or insects.  The buddha did not approve of pulling up plants for no reason but eating plants was not considered a wrong action.

2nd Aspect of right action is to abstain from stealing. Both of these are generally found in most ethical structures around most societies. It includes aspects of being honest and being ethical, so not just stealing money from someone. Some forms of livelihood will include this type of action. So we wound want to be sure that this right action would link directly to right livelihood. Stealing is taking that which is not ours.

3nd Aspect of right action is to obtain for sexual misconduct. Monastics would abstain completely but layperson would not have sex in ways that are harmful or dangerous to other people. There is no other restrictions against sexual contact such as homosexual sex.  We should limit our sexual action to those who are able to consent.  There is no context related to marriage either. So our goal in this action is that if we chose to have sex, we are all consenting and working within a space right intention.

So how does Right Action fit in with the Five Virtues of Hekate?

While I do not see that Right Action fits into a single virtue, I do see that it actually encompasses all of them.  When we look at them:

• Compassion
• Courage
• Temperance 
• Justice
• Wisdom 

Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh

What is Right Vision?  

Right vision is the first step on the Noble Eightfold Path. It directly relates and ties into the next as the spokes on a ships wheel each support one another. Right view is where we begin. It is the place where we acknowledge the Four Noble Truths. 

1. The Truth of Suffering (The Truth of Suffering)
2. The Truth of the Cause of Suffering (Truth of the Origin of Suffering)
3. The Truth of the End of Suffering (Truth of Cessation)
4. The Truth of the Path that Leads to the End of Suffering (Truth of the Path)

“Right View” is what the Buddha considered to be the correct way to look at existence. It is seeing things as they are. “Right View” is the wisdom to look at existence from the perspective of the Four Noble Truths. The wrong view will lead us towards courses of action that bares results in suffering while the right view will guide us towards right actions, and thereby towards the cessation of suffering.

Right view - leads to end suffering.

Wrong view - does not lead to end suffering.

Hecate's Wisdom vs. Buddhism's Right View.

Wisdom is the ability to take knowledge gained from experience and apply it to new situations to avoid harm, discomfort or injury. To me this is very similar to Right View. 

Wisdom guides us to down the path and helps us know when to employ the remaining virtues. It helps us know when to call on courage or temperance. It guides us to speaking truthful words in a peaceful way. It guides to work with our community and join together without strife or conflict. It helps us on our path to being at balance.  Right view is working from a set of guidelines (Hecate's Virtues) and use that to further our walk down the right path (Noble Eightfold Path).  Each step building on the last and helping guide us to the ultimate goal, the end of suffering.

What are you thoughts on this? Does the Noble Eightfold Path resonate with you? What do you think about right vision?  Here are a view videos on the Right View. 

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Prayer of the 5-Virtues of Hekate

Sacred Goddess Hekate
help me to manifest Justice in my actions
Temperance in my soul
Courage in my choices
Wisdom in my words
Compassion towards all beings.

Full content of the five virtues from the COH Website:

Real Life Example – You could try to help the homeless or less fortunate be they of the two or four legged variety. Volunteering at local shelters or organizing food drives are great ways to learn and show compassion.

Courage
– Strength or character or fortitude to stand firm in your convictions and face adversity or distress without fear. A person attempting to develop the virtue of Courage within their daily life and practice may chose to stand firm against those who would chose to undermine their beliefs or convictions or to speak out against those who hurt and undermine others.

Real Life Example – Try standing up for someone you or your friendship group may deem unpopular. Also when someone shows remorse for a wrongdoing some people will continue to be angry and unforgiving. Instead state your position calmly (in itself an act of courage) and then allow the situation to pass.

Temperance
– Moderation and self-control are both acts of Temperance. A person attempting to develop the virtue of Temperance within their daily life and practice may chose to restrict some part of their life be that thought or action in an attempt to find a balance rather than choosing to allow extremes.

Real Life Example – Try abstaining from certain types of food or drink or showing restraint in discussions online. An example would be to learn to hold one’s tongue and listen a bit more before jumping into an argument.

Justice
– Moral and physical rightness are both aspects of Justice, as is the sometimes contradictory act of behaving fairly towards other people. A person attempting to develop the virtue of Justice within their daily life would strive to act fairly, truthfully and with personal integrity when dealing with others and themselves.

Real Life Example – Try to treat others fairly, in action and tone be it online or in person. Try to not pass judgement on another based upon your own feelings for a person, your understanding of the situation or hearsay. There are often two (or more) sides to a story and the truth lies somewhere between. If the truth cannot be ascertained then try being impartial.

Wisdom
– To have the common sense, foresight and understanding to think or act in a manner most objectively and beneficially to any given situation. A person attempting to develop the virtue of Wisdom within their daily life would strive to apply their knowledge and experiences in a prudent and practical way.

Real Life Example – Try volunteering to share on a topic that you are knowledgeable on with a local group or center. Offer to do a guest blog post or write an article for an eZine on a particular subject.

 Samhain marks a new year for me. I think of it as a time when we morph into a newer form of ourselves and journey forward into a new life. We give a nod to the energies that come ever so near as the veil thins and bid them pass on their wisdom of the unknown. This is the time that I embrace change. These last few years have been incredible for me.  I have stood in awe watching things that I thought would be forever crumble around me.

I began to actually see what the Buddha meant by dukka. Our suffering, my suffering is rooted in attachment to things that are not permanent. By definition, this attachment causes suffering. I have found that as I begin to notice that things are indeed impermanent; it becomes easier to keep my sense of peace. 

While some may thing this is sticking our heads in the sand, he goes on to explain that we can see what is wrong in the world but only water the seeds of things that bring us joy.

We have to take a moment to breathe and listen to ourselves so that we can simply sip our tea or wash the dishes.  We can be in this moment to find joy.  I use the fourteen precepts to help me through our day. I'd like to share them with you in this post.

While you look over this new day with fear or happiness. Remember nothing is permanent. All things change. Where we are today is a different place than yesterday and tomorrow. We need to look into ourselves and find the seeds of happiness and water those seeds. We need to share those seeds with others around us until we have a garden of happiness around the world. 

In you, I see me.  We interare.

The Fourteen Precepts of Engaged Buddhism

1. Do not be idolatrous about or bound to any doctrine, theory, or ideology, even Buddhist ones. Buddhist systems of thought are guiding means; they are not absolute truth.
2. Do not think the knowledge you presently possess is changeless, absolute truth. Avoid being narrow-minded and bound to present views. Learn and practice nonattachment from views in order to be open to receive others’ viewpoints. Truth is found in life and not merely in conceptual knowledge. Be ready to learn throughout your entire life and to observe reality in yourself and in the world at all times.
3. Do not force others, including children, by any means whatsoever, to adopt your views, whether by authority, threat, money, propaganda, or even education. However, through compassionate dialogue, help others renounce fanaticism and narrowness.
4. Do not avoid contact with suffering or close your eyes before suffering. Do not lose awareness of the existence of suffering in the life of the world. Find ways to be with those who are suffering, including personal contact, visits, images, and sounds. By such means, awaken yourself and others to the reality of suffering in the world.
5. Do not accumulate wealth while millions are hungry. Do not take as the aim of your life Fame, profit, wealth, or sensual pleasure. Live simply and share time, energy, and material resources with those who are in need.
6. Do not maintain anger or hatred. Learn to penetrate and transform them when they are still seeds in your consciousness. As soon as they arise, turn your attention to your breath in order to see and understand the nature of your hatred.
7. Do not lose yourself in dispersion and in your surroundings. Practice mindful breathing to come back to what is happening in the present moment. Be in touch with what is wondrous, refreshing, and healing both inside and around you. Plant seeds of joy, peace, and understanding in yourself in order to facilitate the work of transformation in the depths of your consciousness.
8. Do not utter words that can create discord and cause the community to break. Make every effort to reconcile and resolve all conflicts, however small.
9. Do not say untruthful things for the sake of personal interest or to impress people. Do not utter words that cause division and hatred. Do not spread news that you do not know to be certain. Do not criticize or condemn things of which you are not sure. Always speak truthfully and constructively. Have the courage to speak out about situations of injustice, even when doing so may threaten your own safety.
10. Do not use the Buddhist community for personal gain or profit, or transform your community into a political party. A religious community, however, should take a clear stand against oppression and injustice and should strive to change the situation without engaging in partisan conflicts.
11. Do not live with a vocation that is harmful to humans and nature. Do not invest in companies that deprive others of their chance to live. Select a vocation that helps realize your ideal of compassion.
12. Do not kill. Do not let others kill. Find whatever means possible to protect life and prevent war.
13. Possess nothing that should belong to others. Respect the property of others, but prevent others from profiting from human suffering or the suffering of other species on Earth.
14. Do not mistreat your body. Learn to handle it with respect. Do not look on your body as only an instrument. Preserve vital energies (sexual, breath, spirit) for the realization of the Way. (For brothers and sisters who are not monks and nuns:) Sexual expression should not take place without love and commitment. In sexual relationships, be aware of future suffering that may be caused. To preserve the happiness of others, respect the rights and commitments of others. Be fully aware of the responsibility of bringing new lives into the world. Meditate on the world into which you are bringing new beings.

From “Interbeing: Fourteen Guidelines for Engaged Buddhism,” Revised edition: Oct. 1993 by Thich Nhat Hanh, published by Parallax Press, Berkeley, California.