Out of Standford University came the fascinating research by Carol Dwenk about growth mindsets versus fixed mindsets. In the growth mindset, there’s a sense of improvement being possible, that learning is an important goal, that effort strengthens one, and that these lead to improved results. This is contrasted against a fixed mindset, which has low confidence in the ability to change oneself, doesn’t like to make mistakes or risk making mistakes, and would rather perform easy tasks. Professor Dwenck pioneered this work in the context of children and their performance at school, and yet the parallels with many aspects of life are clear. And that includes the practice of Buddhist ethics.
At the foundation of Early Buddhism is the triad of sīla-samādhi-pañña, or ethics-concentration-wisdom. ‘Clean up your act, concentrate your mind, and use your concentrated mind to investigate reality’ is how modern jhāna & vipassana teacher Leigh Brasington explains this triad.
But how does one practice Buddhist ethics, or sīla? For lay practitioners, the five precepts are usually cited: not killing, no taking of what is not freely given, no sexual (sometimes translated ‘sensual’) misconduct, no false speech, and no taking of intoxicants that cloud the mind. For monastics, there are several hundred, the exact number varying on gender and lineage. What’s important to understand is that the Pāli term used for these is ‘training guidelines’. In other words, from the onset over 2500 years ago, it was recognized that developing these takes practice, will likely involved failure, and that one grows and makes an effort in response to that failure. As in any training, one makes a commitment and keeps at it, making effort and experiencing progress. Framing the precepts as ‘training guidelines’ is a way of framing them with a growth mindset.
People are sometimes surprised that one can take all, some, one, or none of the precepts. It’s up to the individual. The point is not to sign up as a Buddhist, tick all the boxes of all of the precepts, and then feel guilty when there is the inevitable breaking of one or more of them. That would be a fixed mindset. The point of the precepts is growth on the spiritual path. It’s recognised that it takes time, it takes effort, and it’s a non-linear process.
Taking the precepts is a commitment to a growth mindset, which includes the awareness, even the expectation, that one will stumble. For example, looking at the precept against taking what is not freely given, we may be confident that we are not stealing from another person. But over time practice becomes more nuanced and we realise this applies to other, subtler situations. When food foraging, am I taking so much that wildlife dependent on the berries will go hungry? Is my clothing purchase perpetuating a system of unwanted but forced overtime in another country? Do I take the floor too often in speech, dominating conversations and not allowing others an equal chance to speak?
There is room for improvement regarding each of the precepts. It may not be contemplate, learn and improve, but a growth mindset is not about taking the easy route. It’s about taking the route that will lead to change and growth. It’s about making effort that strengthens and improves our practice. And that leads to a positive end-result, whether that’s less regreat and improved relations, or a sense of satisfaction with growth on the spiritual path.
In a growth mindset, in practicing the precepts, we needn’t stress or worry about perfection — it isn’t expected that we’ll be perfect. It’s expected that we’ll try. The precepts give us an opportunity to apply mindfulness so that we see the situation as it actually is, while at the same time providing an opportunity to apply a growth mindset for the benefit of those and those whose lives we touch.