My Precept

Ms. Davidson’s Precept

Be better.

When I was in my 20’s I had the privilege of living and teaching in Japan for two years. It was there, among the green tea fields, the cherry blossoms, the crush of people and the thunder of bullet trains that I discovered my personal precept: be better. One of my closest friends and mentor in Japan was named Suzuki sensei. He was one of those people who everyone instantly likes: he had a wide, open face and was always quick to laugh. Like many people in Japan, Suzuki sensei was a Buddhist, and it was from him that I learned my precept. The Buddhist philosophy can be boiled down to, “be better,” and Suzuki sensei used it to guide his life.  As soon as I heard it I knew that I had encountered a profound idea, and this precept has guided me ever since. I apply it to all aspects of my life, from teaching to parenting to health. I know that I can’t be perfect, but if I just focus on being a little bit better, then I will constantly improve. My precept guides how I teach as well, as I believe that everyone can be successful, and that improving is always the goal. Looking back, I can see that I left Canada for Japan all those years ago to try to see myself and the world more clearly.  Little did I know that by moving to the other side of the world I would find what I believe in most deeply, and in turn, truly find myself.