Pancha Sila: Five Precepts of Buddhist Morality
by Dr. Ari Ubeysekara
Introduction
Lord Gautama Buddha, who lived in India during the sixth and fifth
century BC, gained enlightenement as a Samma Sambuddha having realized
the four Noble Truths by His own efforts.
The four Noble Truths
- Suffering or unsatisfactoriness (dukkha sacca)
- Arising of suffering (samudaya sacca)
- Cessation of suffering (nirodha sacca)
- The path leading to the cessation of suffering (magga sacca)
The path leading to the cessation of suffering as discovered by
Gautama Buddha is known as the Middle Path or the Noble Eight-fold Path.
The Noble Eight-fold Path
- Right view (samma- ditthi)
- Right thought (samma –sankappa)
- Right speech (samma- vaca)
- Right action (samma- kammantha)
- Right livelihood (samma- ajiva)
- Right effort (samma- vayama)
- Right mindfulness (samma –sati)
- Right concentration (samma- samadhi)
From the standpoint of practical training, there is a threefold division contained within the Noble Eight-fold Path, namely,
- Training in moral discipline (sila), consisting of right speech, right action and right livelihood
- Training in concentration (Samadhi), consisting of right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration
- Training in wisdom (panna), consisting of right view and right thought
The Buddhist moral discipline (sila)
In the Buddhist spiritual path of liberation towards Nibbana, the
state of complete freedom from all suffering, moral discipline (sila),
is considered to be the basic foundation upon which the other two
aspects of concentration and wisdom can be developed. Without proper
morality, right concentration cannot be developed and without right
concentration, wisdom cannot be developed. Moral discipline can be
described as the avoidance of unskillful or unwholesome actions and
engagement in skillful or wholesome actions. In Buddhist teachings,
unwholesome actions are physical, verbal and mental actions in which the
intention behind a particular action is based upon negative qualities
of greed (lobha), hatred (dosa) and delusion (moha)
resulting in negative or harmful consequences to oneself, to others or
to both. Wholesome actions are those in which the intention is based on
positive qualities of generosity (alobha), loving kindness (adosa) and wisdom (amoha) with positive or beneficial consequences to oneself, to others or to both.
In Buddhist teachings, there are different codes of moral discipline
for the lay community and for the monastic community of Buddhist monks
and nuns. For the lay community, the minimum code of morality expected
of them is what is known as Pancha-sila, or five precepts,
which they are expected to practise on a regular basis. The five
precepts are the basic code of moral discipline in both of the two major
traditions of Buddhism known as the Theravada and Mahayana traditions.
There is also a higher code consisting of eight precepts which lay
Buddhists may practise on special religious days such as the full moon
day or the new moon day of the month and also during some meditation
retreats. Those who enter the Buddhist monastic life are expected to
observe ten precepts with 227 additional rules of discipline for
Buddhist monks and 311 additional rules of discipline for Buddhist nuns.
In the Theravada tradition of Buddhism practised mainly in Sri Lanka,
Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos, the Buddhist teachings are
preserved in the original language of Pali which is believed to have
been the language spoken in those parts of India where Gautama Buddha
lived and preached, and hence the different codes of morality are also
preserved and recited in the Pali language.
The Five Precepts
- Panatipata veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami
I undertake the training rule of abstaining from killing any living beings
- Adinnadana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami
I undertake the training rule of abstaining from taking that which is not given
- Kamesu micchacara veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami
I undertake the training rule of abstaining from sexual misconduct
- Musavada veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami
I undertake the training rule of abstaining from telling lies
- Surameraya- majjapama-datthana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami
I undertake the training rule of abstaining from alcohol and intoxicants which lead to delay and carelessness
Refuge in the Triple Gem of Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha
Before taking the above five precepts, most practising Buddhists will
take refuge in the Triple Gem, namely the Buddha, the Dhamma and the
Sangha, again in the Pali language. Within this
context, Buddha means the “Awakened One” or “Enlightened One,” the
Dhamma refers to Buddha’s teachings and the Sangha represents the
monastic community of monks and nuns who have either attained the full
liberation or are aspirants of the higher spiritual path. Refuge in the
Triple Gem is taken by reciting the following formula:
Buddham saranam gachchami
I go for refuge in the Buddha
Dhammam saranam gachchami
I go for refuge in the Dhamma
Sangham saranam gachchami
I go for refuge in the Sangha
The five precepts, which refer to four bodily actions and one verbal
action, are the minimum ethical code for lay Buddhists to develop the
skillful virtues of bodily and verbal actions which they should ideally
observe throughout their lives. They are not rigid and inflexible rules
or commandments from God or any other higher divine authority with due
punishments if not strictly adhered to or rewards for observing them
correctly. They are guidelines or training rules that lay Buddhists
adopt voluntarily and on their own initiative with an understanding of
the benefits to both themselves and others. In Buddhism, each individual
is responsible for his or her own happiness and suffering resulting
from their actions based on the universal law of cause and effect. Those
who observe the five precepts regularly and sincerely will be able to
maintain their morality and develop their spiritual practice towards
attaining ultimate liberation from human suffering.
When one becomes a Buddhist for the first time, in addition to going
for refuge in Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha, one will also recite and
undertake to observe the five precepts. The five Buddhist precepts are
usually taken by practising Buddhists either by repeating them following
recitation by a member of the Buddhist clergy or by reciting them in
front of an image or a statue of the Buddha. They are expected to renew
these precepts whenever they can and some do renew them regularly
through their daily recitations. The purpose of the renewal is to remind
oneself of the significance of observing them for their own good in
both this life and in future lives, for the good of others as well as to
facilitate their spiritual journey with a purified mind.
Observation of the five precepts merely in order to avoid social
disrespect or for fear of punishment for breaking the existing laws of
the land or of God or other higher divine authorities will not bring any
moral or spiritual benefits to the practitioner. Some Buddhists do
recite the five precepts on special occasions or even on a regular basis
with little intention of observing them, but this will not bring any
benefit whatsoever to either themselves or to others. The precepts by
themselves possess no magical powers to confer any benefit upon those
who recite them but do not observe them properly. In most Buddhist
countries, it is customary to recite the three refuges and the five
precepts prior to the commencement of any religious event. The presence
or absence of the intention in carrying out a physical or verbal action
included in the five precepts is the deciding factor in determining
whether a particular precept is violated or not rather than the action
itself.
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