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The Five Precepts (Pali: pañca-sīlāni; Sanskrit: पञ्चशीलानि pañca-śīlāni)[1] constitute the basic Buddhist code of ethics, undertaken by lay followers (Upāsaka and Upāsikā) of the Buddha Gautama in the Theravadan as well as in Mahayanan traditions. The precepts in both traditions are essentially identical and are commitments to abstain from harming living beings, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying and intoxication. Undertaking the five precepts is part of both lay Buddhist initiation and regular lay Buddhist devotional practices.
They are not formulated as imperatives, but as training rules that laypeople undertake voluntarily to facilitate practice.[2]
Pali literature provides the scriptures and commentary for traditional Theravadin practice.
For more on the first precept, see ahimsa. In the fifth precept sura, meraya and majja are kinds of alcoholic beverages. In some modern translations, Surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhānā, is rendered more broadly, variously, as, intoxicants, liquor and drugs, etc.
According to the Buddha, killing, stealing, sexual misconduct and lying are never skillful.[8]
In the Pali Canon, the Buddha describes the Five Precepts as gifts toward oneself and others:[9]
"There is the case where a disciple of the noble ones, abandoning the taking of life, abstains from taking life. In doing so, he gives freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, freedom from oppression to limitless numbers of beings. In giving freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, freedom from oppression to limitless numbers of beings, he gains a share in limitless freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, and freedom from oppression. This is the first gift, the first great gift — original, long-standing, traditional, ancient, unadulterated, unadulterated from the beginning — that is not open to suspicion, will never be open to suspicion, and is unfaulted by knowledgeable contemplatives & priests...
In the next canonical discourse, the Buddha described the consequences of breaking the precepts. [10] [11]
The format of the ceremony for taking the precepts occurs several times in the canon in slightly different forms,[12][13][14] and each temple or tradition has slightly different ordination ceremonies.
One ceremonial version of the precepts can be found in the Treatise on Taking Refuge and the Precepts (simplified Chinese: 归戒要集; traditional Chinese: 歸戒要集; pinyin: Guījiè Yāojí). In recetation, the characters 某甲 should be substituted with your name:
1. As all Buddhas refrained from killing until the end of their lives, so I too will refrain from killing until the end of my life.
Simp. Chinese: 如(Rú) 诸(zhū) 佛(Fó) 尽(jìn) 寿(shòu) 不(bù) 杀(shā) 生(shēng), 我(Wǒ) 某(mŏu) 甲(jiǎ) 亦(yì) 尽(jìn) 寿(shòu) 不(bù) 杀(shā) 生(shēng)
Trad.Chinese: 如(ㄖㄨˊ) 諸(ㄓㄨ) 佛(ㄈㄛˊ) 盡(ㄐㄧㄣˋ) 壽(ㄕㄡˋ) 不(ㄅㄨˋ) 殺(ㄕㄚ) 生(ㄕㄥ), 我(ㄨㄛˇ) 某(ㄇㄡˇ) 甲(ㄐㄧㄚˇ) 亦(ㄧˋ) 盡(ㄐㄧㄣˋ) 壽(ㄕㄡˋ) 不(ㄅㄨˋ) 殺(ㄕㄚ) 生(ㄕㄥ)
2. As all Buddhas refrained from stealing until the end of their lives, so I too will refrain from stealing until the end of my life.
Simp. Chinese: 如(Rú) 诸(zhū) 佛(Fó) 尽(jìn) 寿(shòu) 不(bù) 偷(tōu) 盗(dào), 我(Wǒ) 某(mŏu) 甲(jiǎ) 亦(yì) 尽(jìn) 寿(shòu) 不(bù) 偷(tōu) 盗(dào)
Trad. Chinese: 如(ㄖㄨˊ) 諸(ㄓㄨ) 佛(ㄈㄛˊ) 盡(ㄐㄧㄣˋ) 壽(ㄕㄡˋ) 不(ㄅㄨˋ) 偷(ㄊㄡ) 盜(ㄉㄠˋ), 我(ㄨㄛˇ) 某(ㄇㄡˇ) 甲(ㄐㄧㄚˇ) 亦(ㄧˋ) 盡(ㄐㄧㄣˋ) 壽(ㄕㄡˋ) 不(ㄅㄨˋ) 偷(ㄊㄡ) 盜(ㄉㄠˋ)
3. As all Buddhas refrained from sexual misconduct until the end of their lives, so I too will refrain from sexual misconduct until the end of my life.
Simp. Chinese: 如(Rú) 诸(zhū) 佛(Fó) 尽(jìn) 寿(shòu) 不(bù) 淫(yín) 欲(yù), 我(Wǒ) 某(mŏu) 甲(jiǎ) 亦(yì) 尽(jìn) 寿(shòu) 不(bù) 邪(xié) 淫(yín)
Trad. Chinese: 如(ㄖㄨˊ) 諸(ㄓㄨ) 佛(ㄈㄛˊ) 盡(ㄐㄧㄣˋ) 壽(ㄕㄡˋ) 不(ㄅㄨˋ) 淫(ㄧㄣˊ) 欲(ㄩˋ), 我(ㄨㄛˇ) 某(ㄇㄡˇ) 甲(ㄐㄧㄚˇ) 亦(ㄧˋ) 盡(ㄐㄧㄣˋ) 壽(ㄕㄡˋ) 不(ㄅㄨˋ) 邪(ㄒㄧㄝˊ) 淫(ㄧㄣˊ)
4. As all Buddhas refrained from false speech until the end of their lives, so I too will refrain from false speech until the end of my life.
Simp. Chinese: 如(Rú) 诸(zhū) 佛(Fó) 尽(jìn) 寿(shòu) 不(bù) 妄(wàng) 语(yǔ), 我(Wǒ) 某(mŏu) 甲(jiǎ) 亦(yì) 尽(jìn) 寿(shòu) 不(bù) 妄(wàng) 语(yǔ)
Trad. Chinese: 如(ㄖㄨˊ) 諸(ㄓㄨ) 佛(ㄈㄛˊ) 盡(ㄐㄧㄣˋ) 壽(ㄕㄡˋ) 不(ㄅㄨˊ) 忘(ㄨㄤˋ) 語(ㄩˇ), 我(ㄨㄛˇ) 某(ㄇㄡˇ) 甲(ㄐㄧㄚˇ) 亦(ㄧˋ) 盡(ㄐㄧㄣˋ) 壽(ㄕㄡˋ) 不(ㄅㄨˊ) 忘(ㄨㄤˋ) 語(ㄩˇ)
5. As all Buddhas refrained from alcohol until the end of their lives, so I too will refrain from alcohol until the end of my life.
Simp. Chinese: 如(Rú) 诸(zhū) 佛(Fó) 尽(jìn) 寿(shòu) 不(bù) 饮(yǐn) 酒(jiǔ), 我(Wǒ) 某(mŏu) 甲(jiǎ) 亦(yì) 尽(jìn) 寿(shòu) 不(bù) 饮(yǐn) 酒(jiǔ)
Trad. Chinese: 如(ㄖㄨˊ) 諸(ㄓㄨ) 佛(ㄈㄛˊ) 盡(ㄐㄧㄣˋ) 壽(ㄕㄡˋ) 不(ㄅㄨˋ) 飲(ㄧㄣˇ) 酒(ㄐㄧㄡˇ), 我(ㄨㄛˇ) 某(ㄇㄡˇ) 甲(ㄐㄧㄚˇ) 亦(ㄧˋ) 盡(ㄐㄧㄣˋ) 壽(ㄕㄡˋ) 不(ㄅㄨˋ) 飲(ㄧㄣˇ) 酒(ㄐㄧㄡˇ)
The same treatise outlines the option of undertaking fewer than all five precepts,[15] though nearly all modern ceremonies involve undertaking all five precepts. Certainly, committing more skillful and fewer unskillful actions is beneficial. But before entering nirvana, the Buddha said his disciples should take the precepts as their teacher,[16] so few ceremonies are held for partial precept undertaking. There are exceptions, however.[17][18][19]
In concise terms, the late Dharma Master Yin-Shun, listed the Five Precepts simply as (translation by Wing H. Yeung, M.D.):[20]
Different Buddhist traditions adhere to other lists of precepts that have some overlap with the Five Precepts. The precise wording and application of any of these vows is different by tradition.
The Eight Precepts are precepts for Buddhist lay men and women who wish to practice Buddhism more strictly than through adherence to the usual five precepts. The eight precepts focus both on avoiding morally bad behaviour, as do the five precepts, and on leading a more ascetic life.
In Theravada Buddhist countries such as Sri Lanka and Thailand, Buddhist laymen and laywomen will often spend one day a week (on the Uposatha days: the new moon, first-quarter moon, full moon and last-quarter moon days) living in the monastery, and practicing the eight precepts.
The Buddha gave teachings on how the eight precepts are to be practiced,[21] and on the right and wrong ways of practicing the eight precepts.[22]
The Ten Precepts (Pali: dasasila or samanerasikkha) refer to the precepts (training rules) for Buddhist samaneras (novice monks) and samaneris (novice nuns).[23] They are used in most Buddhist schools.
Lay followers undertake these training rules at the same time as they become Buddhists. In Mahayana schools a lay practitioner who has taken the precepts is called an upasaka. In Theravada, any lay follower is in theory called an upasaka (or upasika, feminine), though in practice everyone is expected to take the precepts anyway.
Additionally, traditional Theravada lay devotional practice (puja) includes daily rituals taking refuge in the Triple Gem and undertaking to observe the five precepts.
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