In our community we live by a number of guidelines that help us live happily and in harmony with ourselves, each other, and the planet. They are trainings that help us to be aware of the effects of our actions and words. We read them regularly to help our understanding deepen and insight to arise, so that we know what to do and what not to do to increase happiness and reduce suffering in ourselves and in the world. They are not rules or commandments, but insights born from directly observing suffering and its causes. The first three trainings concern the mind and our way of seeing. They come first because the mind is the root of everything else: our thoughts, perceptions, speech, and actions.