On the full moon of February 1966, Zen Master Nhat Hanh ordained six members to the Order: three men and three women, ranging in age from twenty-two to thirty-two. They were all board members of the School of Youth for Social Service, which he had helped found the year before. During the ceremony, the six ordained ones pledged to study, practice and observe the fourteen precepts of the Order of Interbeing, a beautiful blend of traditional Buddhist morals and contemporary social issues.
For ten years, no new members were allowed to join the Order’s core community. In fact, this “period of experimentation” was extended until 1981, when Nguyen Anh Huong, a microbiologist and lay meditation teacher, became the seventh member of the Order.
Today, just twelve years later, there are more than 150 members of the core community and thousands of others worldwide who regularly recite the fourteen precepts of Engaged Buddhism, which remain uniquely applicable to contemporary moral dilemmas. They are guidelines for anyone who wants to live mindfully. By developing peace and serenity through ethical and conscientious living, we can help our society transition from one based on greed and consumerism to one in which thoughtfulness and compassionate action are of the utmost value.
—Fred Eppsteiner