Five Percepts

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  • The Five Precepts
    • The five precepts are five guidelines for living which all Buddhist laity must keep to.
    • They are not laws.
    • They are followed in skilful and unskilful ways.
    • To follow them in skilful ways results in good karma, while following them in unskilful ways results in bad karma being generated.
    • Keeping them in a skilful way is also a good counter to the Three Poisons.
    • Buddhism emphasises intention, so thoughts and words matter just as much as actions.
    • A Precept can be broken in mind as well as in practice.
    • First Precept:
      • Abstain from harming sentient beings
      • Skilful example: Helping a homeless person by feeding them
      • Unskilful example: Murdering another person.
    • Second Precept:
      • Abstain from taking that which is not freely given.
      • Skilful Example: Being kind with one's possesions so as to share them with otherrs.
      • Unskilful example: Persuading someone to give you something when you know they dont want to really.
    • Third Precept:
      • Abstain from sexual misconduct
      • Skilful example: Being faithful in marrage
      • Unskilful example: Making unwanted sexual comments to someone.
    • Fourth Precept:
      • Abstain from false speech
      • Skilful example: Being honest but kind in speech
      • Unsjilful example: Telling lies about someone.
    • Fifth Precept:
      • Abstain from using intoxicating drinks and drugs causing heedlessness
      • Skilful action: Not drinking alcohol so as not to be unaware of actions
      • Unskilful action: Taking drugs not prescribed as medicines.

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