The Buddha Precepts assure and guarantee practitioners not to be reincarnated in lower worlds during their next reincarnation for a new life. Of course respect for these precepts must be essential. Non-compliance will therefore have terrible consequences on the life of the practitioner. In this article we will present the different precepts of Buddha.
The Nine Precepts That Restrain Passions
It should be noted that the Buddha's teaching is based on virtue. To achieve this virtue, human beings must respect precepts. There are nine which are the foundation of virtue. They also curb passions. When they are well respected and established in the heart of the practitioner, he is able to protect himself against all bad tendencies which arise or which lie dormant within him.
We must also realize that these nine precepts are divided into three classes. First of all, we cite the faults committed by the body, namely murder, lust and theft. Then there are the mistakes committed by speech, that is to say lies, insulting words and slander. And finally, we have the faults of the mind such as lust, wrong views and wickedness.
Faults committed by the Body
In order to avoid bad karma, one should not commit murder. You must not kill a living being other than yourself, nor have the intention of destroying a life. Failure to follow these two factors results in a karmic path. In other words, the moment the murderer dies, he will be drawn into a painful rebirth. The degree of intensity of the fault and the karma generated varies according to the motives and the gender of the victim. The latter can be a human being or an animal.
The most serious of all murders are the murder of a spiritual Master, the father, the mother or a religious person. Subsequently, theft is not as tolerated in the world of Buddhism. Stealing other people's wealth, property, or items that have been gifted to the three jewels is strictly prohibited. Theft can manifest itself in different ways, notably in a direct manner, that is to say that it is the practitioner himself who has the intention and the desire to appropriate the property of others either by force or by deception. It can also be indirect through others. In any case, the most serious of all thefts is that of the theft of objects offered to the Three Jewels.
Furthermore, lust is also a precept whose practice is forbidden. Adultery must therefore be avoided in Buddhism. A person devoted to religious life who has taken a vow of celibacy is also concerned by this precept. In addition, sexual union with a spouse is prohibited near a religious monument or temple. We must keep in mind that there is lust if the intercourse takes place with a person placed under the protection of a parent or in the case of someone who is already married. Religious people must avoid any intimate or sexual relations in Buddhism as in all other religions. The most serious offenses are incest and the rape of his mother.
Faults committed by the Word
Slander is one of the mistakes committed through the use of speech. Slander is unjustified and false criticism, invented with the aim of harming the reputation or honor of others. To be able to manifest, there must be at least two people united in friendship. Slander which causes a rift between Spiritual Master and his disciples or which destroys harmony in a monastic community are the two most serious cases of slander. Lying is not tolerated either, disfiguring the truth is already considered lying.
The act of lying is complete when the interlocutor has allowed himself to be persuaded and the value of this is variable. You must be aware that there are three groups of lies. First of all, we have the lies told by someone who claims to have reached higher states of consciousness, when this is not the case, and seeks to convince others of this. These lies lead to the fall, that is to say, to painful rebirths.
Then there are lies that are intended for personal gain at the expense of someone else. This is the most common form of lying. Finally, we talk about the lie which is neither for good nor for evil such as a wish, or a joke also called a benign lie. Anyway, lying about the Buddha, deceiving one's Master, one's father or one's mother is the most serious.
In addition, uttering insults or offensive words is also prohibited in the Buddhist community. The act is complete as soon as the interlocutor understands the meaning of the insulting words. There are different ways of insulting, namely face to face to humiliate the interlocutor or indirectly through a third person, so as to hurt the person to whom the insults are intended. The most serious offenses are insulting an arya or his father and mother.
Faults committed by the Spirit
Covetousness is counted among the faults committed by the spirit. It manifests itself in the desire and hope to possess the wealth or possessions of another. The act is accomplished from the moment one establishes a plan to seize these goods and one feels no feeling of shame towards oneself or towards others. The most serious form of coveting is that of property belonging to a religious community. Wickedness is the second fault committed by the mind.
It manifests itself when there is an intention to kill, beat or even destroy. Wickedness has three aspects. First of all, it is killing out of pure hatred or malice. Secondly, it is the act of thinking about the best way to harm your enemy in addition to establishing an evil plan. Ultimately, it is feeling hostility towards someone who has caused harm, but who has already apologized. Those who commit the following actions, namely killing their father, mother, an arhat, shedding the blood of a Buddha are immediately dragged into hell at the very moment of their death.
The last fault committed by the mind is having a false view, being blinded or being narrow-minded. The act is complete as soon as the man drowned in false views is himself convinced of the non-existence of good and evil. Then, a person also has a wrong view when he denies causality and has neither right view nor understanding. There are three classes of false views. First of all, the denial that everything that exists is without cause. Then, the fact of affirming that despite the existence of a practical path, obtaining Freedom is impossible. And finally, denying Buddha himself, that is, doubting that he is a being who obtained Enlightenment through his own efforts.
Observing and respecting these nine Precepts protects against actions that could result in bad karma.
The Noble Eightfold Path
Concentration, moral conduct and wisdom are also part of the precepts established by Buddha himself during his awakening. The goal is to remove suffering by seeking the causes, namely ignorance, attachment and aversion. To achieve this goal, the Buddha discovered, followed and taught a method that leads to success. This is the Noble Eightfold Path which can be divided into three stages.
These are refraining from harmful actions or ethical conduct, developing the ability to consciously direct and control one's own mental process, and finally purifying the mind. Anyone who wants to practice Dharma must begin by practicing the value of ethical conduct. So this is the first step.
We must therefore refrain from all actions, all words and all deeds that could hurt others. To avoid anarchy, every society requires this behavior. It should be noted that actions that harm others are necessarily caused by attachment, aversion and ignorance. Committing such acts also means taking two steps back and spoiling any progress towards the goal.
Three parts of the Noble Eightfold Path enter into the practice of Shîla, namely right speech, right action, and right life.
The Right Word
The word must be pure and beneficial. To achieve purity, one must remove grossness, and understand what impure words consist of. Such acts include lying. Having a fair word means not spreading rumors, gossip and slander, avoiding using harsh words that hurt others without having beneficial effects. Abstaining from all these impure words allows one to live in harmony in Buddhist society. Furthermore, it is said that the truth calms quarrels and encourages good understanding.
Right Action
The action must also be pure. Understanding impure action allows us to avoid its practice. Such acts include murder, theft and sexual misconduct. Avoiding these impure actions leaves only right action or beneficial action. Anyone who wants to practice the Dharma must follow 5 precepts, namely refraining from killing any living creature, refraining from stealing, not committing sexual misconduct, not uttering false words and finally not consuming drugs or drugs. 'alcohol. These five precepts are the essential minimum necessary for the moral rule.
The Right Life
Everyone must secure their resources in a fair and equitable manner. You must be aware that there are two criteria for having a right way of life. First of all, there must be no obligation to violate the five precepts in one's work, and therefore to avoid what would be harmful to others. Next, one should never encourage others to break the five precepts since this will also bring harm. Livelihood should neither directly nor indirectly involve any harm to another. Thus, any means of existence which involves killing, whether a man or an animal, is clearly not a suitable way of life.
Selling alcohol or other drugs can be very profitable and profitable. However, it is a roundabout way which aims to encourage others to use toxic products and therefore to harm themselves. Running a gambling house can be profitable, but everyone who comes to bet there is hurting themselves. Selling poisons or weapons, ammunition, guns, missiles can be a good business. On the other hand, it threatens the peace and harmony of the crowds. None of this constitutes a righteous livelihood. The same is true in the case of work which, even if it does not actually harm others, is done with the intention of causing others to suffer. Such is the case of the doctor who hopes there will be an epidemic or the merchant who expects a famine.
Moreover, each human being is logically a member of a society. The fulfillment of obligations towards this company is the fruit of the work carried out by it. It is therefore necessary that every action carried out by a human being must be useful to his fellow human beings in various ways. Means of subsistence can therefore be received in return for these good deeds. Even a monk or a recluse has his own work by which he earns the alms he receives. This work is to purify one's mind for the good of all. If he begins to exploit others by deceiving them, performing magic tricks, or falsely boasting of spiritual achievement, he will thereby give less importance to the precepts he swore to always uphold during the rite of passage for become a Buddhist. He will therefore have to repent and not try again in the future.
