Dr. Thomas Daffern
The Floral Axis contains the essential vows from which all others can be derived and to which all nine petals are attached. They touch the heart and depth of our spiritual being. They are meant for deep thinking and meditation. They are the vows of all great thought systems. The 23th Tirthankara Parsvanatha, who lived several hundreds of year before Mahavira, phrased 4 vows, and one was added by Mahavira himself: 1) Non -violence (Ahimsa); 2) Truth (Satya); 3) Non-stealing (Asteya) 4) Chastity (Brahmacharya, added by Mahavira); 5) Non-possession (Aparigraha).
Based on this, we vow to
To abstain from violence in heart, mind, speech and action which includes: to abstain from killing, hurting, obstructing, stealing, cheating, hoarding, sexual assault, discrimination and overindulgence in worldly pursuits, harmful drugs
Be helpful where we can, when needed
To inspire others to study such vows as given here and integrate them in their mind and action To add other vows which arise from our heart
To think deeply about the true nature of life
To accept all disappointments in life as an opportunity to grow spiritually.
And
To meditate on
- the equal value of each soul in the universe
- the equal right to happiness, fulfilment and spiritual awakening for each soul
- nonviolence as a true quality of the soul, instead of violence
- compassion and kindness as the core of all emotions and expressions in nature
- that our genes are not selfish, but a most chemically complex, conscious, wonderful, ever changing and active manifestations of compassion itself, provided from within by guidance of the Soul within as the blueprint of all bodies in Nature as well as storehouse of physical karma
- that Nature's essence is not red with tooth and claw, but a complex living network of living beings whose actions are all connected and only exist to help each other to become fully evolved and reach fully enlightened consciousness
- That possession does not lead to freedom and happiness, but to a burdened mind, followed by selfish action.
- that all 'evil' even among ferocious animals and poisonous insects stems from the working of Mind only
- that nothing else than Mind is responsible for suffering, and that each being which has a mind has the freedom to choose between evil and good always, eternally and to create misery or joy for others.
- that mental activity is reciprocal, and that every thought and action comes to bloom and fruit for evil or good and karmically returns to the thinker/ actor.
- that there has never been a beginning to life and consciousness, and that it will never end. Sleep and waking are just different phases of consciousness, but never absence of consciousness, even though it may seem so.
- that no fellow being is a computer, because a living being has a soul and its own purpose
- Your soul has ever been and will always be, and you will ultimately reach the greatest wisdom, goodness, compassion, bliss and beauty and still: your consciousness will be ever expanding. It is infinite
