Vision of a Human Being -We believe that the human being is miraculous, upright and beautiful, and we encourage the development of our spiritual human faculties, capacities and virtues.

Vision of Humanity -We believe that humanity can use its potentials to bring about healing, well-being, beauty, and peace in the world through people working together for the benefit of all life. We therefore intend to support such realization of this vision in our daily lives and in the larger global society.

Reverence for Life -The cultivation of compassion brings so much joy, openness, ease, and warmth to a person's life. It also helps guide us, with the motivation of love and care, to choose actions which do not cause suffering to other living beings. Together we will help the energy of compassion grow in us, and develop a sincere reverence and love for all life, reflected in our actions as a community and as individuals.

Practicing Together and Communication -In our relationships we will practice cherishing each other as spiritual beings, seeing the positive in each other. We will practice supporting each other's practice, having patience, using deep looking in order to understand and to relate in an honest and compassionate way. We will strive to develop a true caring for each other and to enjoy our life and friendship together. We will practice understanding rather than judging. We will use various formal practices when needed to keep harmony and happiness in our relationships.

Joy, Creativity, and Cultural Richness -We wish to take time to nourish ourselves with culture and joy. Smiles and laughter are very healing. We will find ways to share and express our creativity with performances, art, games, music, dances, and gatherings. We are on a path to explore, understand and express what lives deep inside of us, and to keep unfolding.

Simple Living -Choosing to live with simplicity will free up time that we might otherwise spend earning money, shopping and taking care of our things. This makes time to enjoy peace, time for each other, our family and nature. It means less consumption of the Earth's resources and less pollution.

Spirit in Matter -Working at simple tasks or making things with our hands gives a unique satisfaction and energy, helping us be in touch with our body and with the earth, as well as the inner nature of physical things. For example, as one carves a piece of wood one begins with relaxing the body and mind, letting go of past and future in order to be fully present in that moment. Then one can look deeply into the wood to see the tree, how miraculously the tree grew in the forest, how this wood is a continuation of that tree. In this way we are filled with gratitude for the tree, and we touch the forest, the rain, the soil, the life in the forest and so on. Thus, as we make by hand, or know that others are making by hand, we feel more and more nourished by the things that surround us, through the living, creative spirit and love that went into the object. This is a very different experience from being surrounded by objects that are mass-produced, creating pollution and suffering for others.