Panch Sila -The Five Precepts

In Buddha Dharma Panch Sila is a vow to which everyone is expected to abide by to the best of one's ability. 

Panch Sila is constituted of five precepts, the five principles of life.  It is the universal codes of conduct and ethic, the foundation of morality.  It is indeed the Path of Purity.

The Panch Sila laid down by Lord Buddha is:

“Kill not, for it gives confidence.

Tell not lies, for it builds trust.

Indulge not in lust, for it gives nobility.

Steal not, for it gives respect.

Indulge not in intoxication, for it gives wisdom.”

With reverence to Lord Buddha the followers of Buddha Dharma are expected to recite the following Panch Sila, as Buddha Vandana, every morning before starting daily routine work and while embarking on auspicious task, and reflected on it at the end of every day:

1...I will be mindful and reverential with all life; I vow not to kill, nor sanction or cause killing or injure other beings.

2...I will respect the property of others; I vow not to steal or appropriate things that belong to others and abstain from taking things not given.

3...I will be conscious and loving in my relationship; I vow not to indulge in sexual misconducts.

4...I will honour honesty and truth; I vow not to speak untruth.

5...I will take care of my body and mind; I vow not to eat or abuse intoxicating or harmful substance and abstain from heedlessness.

Panch Sila, as principles of life, sets standard of life by which one can ascertain that whatever one does in life is right.

The following elaboration, the essence of Panch Sila, is found across the teachings of Lord Buddha. 

1...Not to kill, nor sanction or cause killing or injure other beings.

Without killing, causing death or injury neither by thought, words or deeds to any living creature, one should be kind and compassionate towards all.

One should not kill a living being,

Nor cause it to be killed,

Nor should one incite another to kill. 

Do not injure any being,

Either strong or weak in the world.

                                       Sutta Nipata II.14

In Dhammapada Lord Buddha says; “If a person does not harm any living being and does not kill or cause others to kill, that person is a true spiritual practitioner.”

This first precept helps us to promote goodwill, compassion, and kindness. 

To the best of our ability, we should protect and support life and refrain from harming or killing living creatures, neither personally nor by being its cause.

2...Not to steal or appropriate things that belong to others.

One should refrain from stealing and be upright and honest in all dealings. Do not take what is not given freely.

This second precept teaches us to overcome the feeling of incompleteness that creates desire. 

One should not covet not only in material realm but also in the spiritual realm. 

One should live a simple and prudent life being aware of the suffering caused by taking things which belongs to others. 

This precept is more than just stealing.  It also implies to exploitation, oppression and social injustice for not to posses anything that should belong to others and prevent others from suffering.

This precept is instrumental in developing contentment and honesty, which we should practice to the best of our ability and destroy the feeling of incompleteness that gives rise to moral corruption. 

3...Not to indulge in sexual misconduct

One should abstain from sexual misconduct, which debases the exalted nature of man. 

Lord Buddha tells us to engage in devotional loving service. 

The devotional loving service is not causal and it does not create Karma for it has no intent. 

The devotional loving service is the best offering to Lord Buddha.

Being aware of the suffering caused by sexual misconduct one should not engage in sexual relation without love and long term commitment. 

Everyone should be morally responsible to protect the safety and integrity of young girls and women, families and societies. 

This third precept helps us to cultivate self-restraint, mastery over the emotions and senses, and control of sense desire. 

4...Not to speak untruth

One should shun from false and wrongful speech that creates negative impact on others and negative Karma on oneself. 

One should be truthful and rightful in speech.  One should not conceal truth and deceit others by telling lies. 

One should not express vanity and always endeavour for divine speech filled with humility. 

One’s speech should be right and timely. 

One should practice deep listening such that the two way communication establishes truth, loving kindness and compassion. 

Being aware of the suffering caused by un-mindful speech and inability to listen to others, one should refrain from incorrect or hurtful speech, telling the untruth, and spreading false rumours or in engaging in frivolous conversations.

One should cultivate loving speech and deep listening in order to relieve others from suffering and bring joy and happiness for all. 

Knowing that words can create happiness or suffering, one should be determined to speak truthfully, with words that inspire self-confidence, joy and hope. 

One should refrain from uttering words that can cause division, discord, threat or create animosity and oppression.

This fourth precept helps us to develop honesty, reliability, and moral integrity.

5...Not to eat or abuse intoxicating or harmful substance

One should avoid consumption of substances that diminishes the clarity of consciousness, cloud the mind, and promote heedlessness. 

Avoid pernicious drinks.  Ingest things that are good for body and mind, and promote joy and happiness. 

Being aware of suffering caused by eating, drinking and consuming harmful substances one should practice mindfulness in eating, drinking and consuming. 

Eat what is right for offering to Buddha. 

Do not eat things for sense pleasure that result in harmful reactions and blocks advancement in practicing Dharma. 

Eat sanctified food in right amount that enables and enhances mental and physical wellness. 

This fifth precept helps us to promote mindfulness, clarity of mind, and wisdom. 

Of the five, the first three pertains to bodily righteousness, the fourth to righteousness of speech and the fifth to the righteousness in thought. 

In essence the Panch Sila advocates three sets of purity: (i) Purity of body, (ii) purity of speech and (iii) purity of mind. 

Of the three purities, the purity of mind is paramount, as mind is the origin of all; the mind is the master and the mind is the cause.

If in the midst of the mind there is an evil thought, then the words are evil, the deeds are evil, and the sorrow which results from sin follows that man, as the chariot wheel follows the horse that draws it. 

A person with un-righteousness impure mind will not have peace in mind when he dies, and he dies with intense mental suffering, confused and troubled mind. 

The mind is the origin of all that is.  It is the mind that commands and it is the mind that contrives.

If in the mind there are good thoughts, then the words are good and the deeds are good, and the happiness that results from such conduct follows that man, as shadow accompanies the object.

To abide by Panch Sila, one should renounce five negative emotions: (i) Lust, (ii) Greed, (iii) Anger, (iv) craving, and (v) Ego.  These negative emotions poison our life and they must be destroyed the moment they arise. 

Lust is an obsessive addictive desire.  Lust consumes clarity, sensitivity, love and truth that exist in the true nature.  It consumes the dignity of true nature and destroys its innate potential and power. 

People spend their lives lusting for wealth and power forgoing inner peace and eternal happiness.

Greed creates a feeling of deprivation which leads to unrighteous and corrupt practices.  It makes a person fearful, dishonest and irresponsible.

A greedy person lacks a feeling of prosperity and he is always unhappy, worried and empty inside even in plenty. 

Greed not only makes one unhappy but creates disharmony among societies and damage nature. 

Anger blunts discernment and decision making power.  One cannot think and act rationally when angry.  Anger expresses itself into a destructive behaviour.  It makes us subservient to negative emotions yielding violence. 

Clinging is born out of the sense of feeling of belonging and being identified with a group of peoples, objects and roles.  Clinging keeps people entangled in the web of “mine” and do not let to come out.  It makes a person selfish, petty and narrow minded.  It creates a sense of false identity and it is the root of wrong understanding.  When the understanding is wrong, the perception of life will be wrong. 

Ego is the subtlest enemy.  When a person is in the influence of Ego, he is disconnected from true self.  An Egoistic person is always in delusion and feels worried, insecure and influenced by praise, and defamation.  Ego isolates a person and creates discord. 

Ego is a pseudo Self.  With Ego one fabricates and identifies himself with false self image, and lack self respect.  Considering Ego as Self is a big mistake.

When we fail to recognise our true nature, inherently present within, we remain vulnerable to commit negative Karma and we cannot understand Dharma and assimilate virtue.

In Buddha Dharma, the code of ethics describes ten evil Karmas: three pertains to body, four to mouth, and three to mind. 

The three evil Karmas of the body are: (i) taking life of another living being, (ii) taking what is not given freely, and (iii) adultery. 

The four evil Karma of the mouth are: (i) lying, (ii) deceitful speech, (iii) coarse language, and (iv) foul language. 

The three evil Karmas of mind are: (i) Covetousness, (ii) anger, and (iii) perverted views. 

Refraining from these ten evils leads to ten virtues and lays foundation for ten perfections. 

There are people who are Patit –downtrodden.  There are two types of Patits: the Patit who have standards and a Patit who have no standards.

A Patit who has no standard does not know that he has fallen.  Consequently he always remains fallen. 

A Patit who has standards tries to rise from his fallen state because he knows that he has fallen.  

What matters most is not so much the fall but the absence of any standards for regulating a man’s life.