Panyaden’s 12 Wise Habits
The 12 Wise Habits serve as a key tool to develop a Buddhist way of life. Developed by Phra Ajahn Jayasaro based on Buddhist principles, the 12 Wise Habits guide our community members towards achieving the Panyaden Profile. Opportunities to practise, develop, and reflect upon these are integrated into the daily life of the school for both students and staff. To help us all work in harmony towards achieving our mission, parents are encouraged to embrace these habits and implement them at home. Attending our assemblies and reading the school newsletters can help families in their partnership towards this goal.
Avihimsa (a-wee-him-sa)
Not harming
Avihimsa is not harming any form of life, from ourselves, to other human beings, to animals and plants. Avihimsa helps us see the distinction between pain, which is created objectively, and suffering, which we add to it through clinging or aversion.
Mattanuta (ma-tan-yoo-ta)
Knowing the right amount
Mattanuta is knowing the right, leading to a healthy balance in life. It is the quality of understanding that, whatever goals we set ourselves, there is an optimum amount of material and non-material things that we need. It is the ability to assess what is enough, and to know when we are being over-demanding on ourselves, others or our environment.
Chanda (chan-ta)
Being enthusiastic
Chanda is being enthusiastic or having an intrinsic motivation without concern for the result, and instead focussing on the quality of the action in the moment.
Viriya (wi-ree-ya)
Persevering
Viriya can be defined as an attitude of gladly engaging in wholesome activities and staying with them in order to accomplish the desired results. It is the mind intent on being unshaken and not giving up.
Khanti (kan-tee)
Being patient and tolerant
Khanti is ‘patient endurance’ or forbearance. As with other wise habits, it starts with patience with ourselves and extends to everything around us. It is the ability to tolerate provocation, hardship, pain and all obstacles in your life, and the voluntary control of mood and temper by the training of the mind.
Sati (sa-tee)
Being mindful and alert
Sati is most commonly translated as presence of mind, awareness or mindfulness. To have sati is to be fully present, not lost in daydreams, anticipation or worry. It is being alert and attentive to everything as it is, and limiting the impact of unconscious biases.
Samadhi (sa-ma-tee)
Being calm and focussed
Samadhi is usually translated as ‘concentration’ or composing of the mind. It is the mind that does not waver, does not scatter itself and is focused on the task at hand despite being disturbed, persuaded or provoked. When we achieve samadhi we attain the calm and collectedness needed to make wise choices and decisions.
Sacca (sa-cha)
Being truthful
Sacca is a Pali word meaning ‘real’ or ‘true’. It means to uphold integrity by speaking and acting according to the truth and to keep one’s word. The opposite of sacca is false speech or action.
Indriya-Samvara (in-see sang-won)
Using the senses wisely
Practising Indriya-Samvara is to develop the ability to exert some level of restraint over senses to make sure that following them still leads to harmony within ourselves and with the world around us.
Metta- Karuna (me-ta ka-roo-na)
Being kind and compassionate
Metta, often translated as loving-kindness, is perhaps better defined as goodwill or benevolence. It is a strong, sincere wish for the happiness of all beings without discrimination. Karuna is compassion, the empathetic understanding of the suffering of others and the genuine wish to relieve them of that suffering.
Caga (chaa-ga)
Being generous
Caga is delighting in giving without expectation of something in return, whether time, energy, forgiveness, or willingness.
Yonisho-Manasikara (yo-nee-so ma-na-see-kan)
Applying the mind skilfully
Yonisho-manasikara means to apply the mind skillfully, or wise reflection. It is thinking in terms of causal relations, such as the consequences of thoughts and actions, or by way of problem-solving, in order to help us to see things as they really are, leading to wiser decisions. Ultimately, it is the conscious use of thought to bring the mind to peace.