the five precepts

The Five Precepts

Instructor:

Ven. Dr. Giác Hạnh

GĐPT Chánh Hòa

Sunday, February 12, 2012

• Namo tassa bhagavato arahato

sammā sabuddhasssa

• Veneration to the Exalted One, the

One worthy of special veneration,

and the perfectly self-enlightened

One

• Nam Mô Bổn Sư Thích Ca Mâu Ni

Phật

The Five Precepts

• I. Pāṅātipātā veramaṅī sikkhapadaṁ samādiyāmi.

• (I abstain from killing any living beings.)

• II. Adinnādānā veramaṅī sikkhapadaṁ samādiyāmi.

• (I abstain from taking what is not given.)

• III. Kāmesu micchācārā veramaṅī sikkhapadaṁ

samādiyāmi.

• (I abstain from sexual misconduct.)

• IV. Musāvādā veramaṅī sikkhapadaṁ samādiyāmi.

• (I abstain from saying what is not true.)

• V. Surā-meraya-majja-pamādaṭṭhānā veramaṅī

sikkhapadaṁ samādiyāmi.

• (I abstain from taking in drinks and drugs that are

intoxicating and cause forgetfulness.)

I. Story Illustrating the Consequences of Killing Sentient Beings

• Once upon a time a housewife went to the market to buy meat in order to feast a special guest. As she could not get meat from any place, she killed a little sheep which was bred in her house. The guest and her husband were very satisfied with the meat. But when she died she was cast into hell where she had to suffer for a long time. After that she was born as an animal as many times as the number of hair on the little sheep she had killed. In every animal life she was killed being cut at the throat as she had killed the little sheep.

I. Story Illustrating the Consequences of Killing Sentient Beings

I. The consequences of

Killing Sentient Beings

• Whoever kills any living being will be reborn in one of the

four lower abodes. Even when he is freed from there and is

again reborn as a man, he will encounter following evil

consequences:

• Having physical deformities and disfiguments (tật xấu xígớm guốc của cơ thể)

• Being ugly

• Being pale and feeble

• Being dull and inactive

• Being easily frightened

I. The consequences of

Killing Sentient Beings(cont‟d)

• Being easily frightened when confronted with danger,

• Being killed by other or facing death in young,

• Suffering from many diseases,

• Having few friends, and

• Being separated from beloved ones.

• On the other hand the one who abstains from killing sentient

beings(sinh vật hay con người có tri giác) will enjoy the

benefits which are the opposite of the above consequences.

II. Story Illustrating the Consequences of Stealing Other‟s Properties

• Once upon a time, four women in Rājagahaamassed riches through malpractice of shortchanging and adulteration in selling their goods. They died in their prime life and became petas, miserable beings, outside the city. At night they entered the city looking for scattered food remnant or saliva or phlegm spat out by human beings. As they went along one street after another they came to their former houses and saw their husbands enjoying with the new wives. They felt so painful that they cried out, „we have been suffering miserably for having amassed wealth unlawfully while our husbands are enjoying to their heart‟s content with their new wives.”

II. Story Illustrating the Consequences of Stealing Other‟s Properties

II. The consequences of

Stealing

• Stealing includes taking other‟s things without asking for the

permission of the owner, and taking other‟s properties by

force or by cheating or by trick/deception. Whoever commits

stealing will be reborn in one of the four lower abode. Even

when as a man, he will encounter the following

consequences:

• Being poor

• Having to bodily and mental suffering

• Being tortured by hunger and starvation

• Having unfulfilled wishes

II. The consequences of

Stealing(cont‟d)

• Having unstable and easily perishable/decayable fortune,

• Having properties destroyed by the five enemies, namely flood, fire, thieves, bad inheritors and bad rulers.

• On the other hand the one who abstains from stealing will

enjoy the benefits which are the opposite of the above

consequences/aftermath, effect, outcome, result, result,

event, issue, upshot.

III. Story Illustrating the Consequences of Committing Adultery

• Ānanda, the younger brother of Gotama Buddha,

fulfilled the ten perfections for a hundred thousand

worlds. In one of his lives in this world, he became

a rich goldsmith‟s son. In this life he associated

with bad companions and committed adultery

several times.

• When he died he was cast into Roruva Hell where

he was tortured for many years. After that he was

born as a monkey who had its genital bitten off as

soon as it was born. After that life, he was born as

a goat and then as a calf which were castrated

when grew up.


• In the next existence he regained the

human life but was born as a sexual

pervert. After that he attained celestial

existences as female deities for five lives

with the support of wholesome kamma, but

he did not attain malehood because of the

unwholesome kamma of committing

adultery. Then he was born as Princess

Rucā in the human realm. Only after that,

he regained manhood.

III. The consequences of

Sexual Misconduct

• Whoever has sexual relation with any person other than

one‟s spouse is said to have committed sexual misconduct.

That person will be reborn in one of lower abodes when he

dies. Even when as a man, he will encounter following

consequences:

• Being disgusted/revolt by others

• Having many enemies,

• Lacking of wealth and prosperity,

• Being deprived/impoverish of happiness

• Being reborn as a woman,

III. The consequences of

Sexual Misconduct (cont‟d)

• Being reborn as a sexual pervert (người hư hỏng),

• Being reborn in the inferior lineage,

• Encountering disgrace,

• Having physical deformities,

• Being separated from beloved ones,

• Being inflicted (bắt chịu phải mất) with the loss of wealth.

• On the other hand the one who abstains from sexual

misconduct will enjoy the benefits which are the opposite of

the above consequences

IV. Story Illustrating the Consequences of Falsehood

• In the time of Kassapa Buddha, in Kimila, there

lived a male lay-devotee who was a Stream-

winner. He did the meritorious deeds of planting

trees, building bridges and monasteries, etc., with

his five hundred followers who were of the same

view. This group of lay devotees went to the

Buddha‟s monastery frequently to listen to the

Dhamma. Their wives also went to the monastery

occasionally to listen to the Dhamma and to make

offerings.


• The drunkard who lost the bet informed the leader

of the lay-devotees about the matter. And the

latter asked his wife whether she has committed

adultery. She lied that what he has heard was not

true. As her husband did not believe her, she

pointed to a black dog nearby and whose ears

were cut off and swore: “If I have committed

adultery with another man, may I be eaten by this

black dog in the next life.” Still, her husband did

not believe her and he inquired her companions.

Although her companions knew the truth, they

also swore: “We do not know. If this is not true,

may we become her slaves.”


• When they died, they all became miserable

beings near the lake Kannamunda in the

Himavanta Forest. Because of their meritorious

deeds in their past lives, they enjoyed the celestial

luxury in a very grand golden mansion in the day

time. But at night the leader of the group, in

accordance with her swearing to her Stream-

winner husband, she was eaten by a black dog.


• Her five hundred companions also became her

servants as they had sworn in lie in their past

lives. Moreover, although they could enjoy the

luxury of devas they did not get married. They felt

lonely and boring for being apart from men.

• Falsehood is greatest demeritorious deed while

truthfulness is the most beneficial meritorious

deeds.

IV. The Consequences

of Telling Lies

• Telling what is not true by gesture or words with malicious

intention is committing the action of falsehood. The gravity

of that offence corresponds to the amount of harm done on

others. The liar will have to suffer in the miserable realms

after his death. If he was to be reborn in the human world he

will be afflicted with the following defects (khuyết điểm):

• Poor pronunciation

• Uneven teeth

• Foul breath

• Unhealthy complexion

• Poor eyesight and poor hearing

IV. The Consequences of

Telling Lies (cont‟d)

• Defective appearance

• Lack of influence on others

• Harshness of speech, and

• Restlessness of the mind.

• On the other hand the one who abstains from telling lies will

enjoy the benefits which are the opposite of the above

consequences.

V. Story Illustrating the Consequences of Indulging in Intoxicants

• Once the Boddhisatta was born in a wealthy family possessing eighty crores of silver coins. He performed the meritorious deeds of giving charity and keeping good morality. When he died, he was reborn as Sakka, the king of devas, in Tavatimsa.


• His son squandered the wealth left behind by him

indulging in intoxicants. When the son had used

up the forty crores of silver coins, he dug up the

forty crores buried under ground. He built a liquor

house and led an easy life associating with

drunkards and indulging in intoxicants. When he

was drunk, he let acrobats and dancers entertain

them and presented one thousand silver coins to

each.

• Soon he had spent all the money and was

reduced to a poor beggar. Finally he died

miserably.

V. The Consequences of

Indulging in Intoxicants

• Intoxicants and narcotic drugs such as alcoholic, liquors,

opium, cocaine and heroin are addictive. Consuming any of

these leads to drunkenness, forgetfulness and lack of

common sense. These in turn lead to murder, lying and

adultery, etc. Moreover, the user of intoxicants or narcotic

drugs will enjoy poor health, die young and will be reborn in

woeful abodes. Even when he is free from there and is

again reborn as a human being, he will encounter the

following evil consequences:

• Lack of intelligent

• Being lazy

• Lack of mindfulness

V. The Consequences of

Indulging in Intoxicants (cont‟d)

• Being ungrateful,

• Lack of moral shame and moral dread,

• Insanity, and

• Tendency to commit all evil deeds.

• On the other hand he who abstains from consuming

intoxicants will enjoy the benefits which are the opposite of

the above evil consequences.

Conclusion

the five precepts

Spiritual