Five Precepts Or Advice Are Needed

The significance of the five precepts or advice in Buddhism

Precepts, or advice, are the basis of building faith or confidence, which is very important to take devotees into the higher teachings of the Buddha. In Buddhism, precept or advice is one of the three trainings (Tri-Sikkha); precept or advice, concentration, and wisdom.

The precepts or advice is the foundation of the practice of the Buddha dhamma until the attainment of enlightenment, the ultimate goal of Buddhism. There is a saying that a man who observes the precepts can be suitable for the ultimate goal of Buddhism, as in Samyuttanikaya Sagathavagga (15/17) says, “A practitioner of precept, with concentrated mind, and wisdom, can overcome the ocean of unsatisfactoriness, Samsara.”

Samsara means “round of rebirth” of living beings. It is compared to the ocean of unsatisfactoriness, because living beings, who were born in this world, suffer from cravings and attachments which tie them to this round of rebirth. It is likened to a man is in the middle of the sea, who is whirled round and round till he can find the bank, and only then he can be safe from going around again and again in the sea. The sea is likened to cravings or attachments and the bank of the sea is likened to enlightenment. “There are a lot of people who are in the sea, or Samsara, but a few can reach the bank of enlightenment”, the Buddha said, “The foundation is the precepts or the advice which can lead people to the shore of real happiness, or Nibbana.”

The precepts or advice concern the practice of behaviour, namely the acts of body and speech which are based on the mind. This concept, in Buddhism, places the precepts or advice first for its devotees to practise. This practice will lead the practitioners to the development of their lives, to the perfect life. If it is denied, the higher development cannot be expected. It means they miss an important process of the development of life.

The Buddha said, “My teachings are glorious at the beginning with precepts or advice, in the middle with concentration and mindfulness, and at the end with wisdom.” The precepts or advice come first because they are the starting point to bring about all wholesomeness. They do not bring any trouble to oneself or others.

In Ovadapatimokha, the Buddha said the core of his teachings, “Not to do any evil”, is the precept, the first one, “To cultivate goodwill”, this is the development of concentration and mindfulness, the second one. “To purify or train the mind”, this is wisdom, the training of the mind to see things as the ways they really are. Wisdom with regard to the condition of its arising one distinguishes 3 kinds of knowledge: wisdom based on thinking or reflection, wisdom based on learning or study from others, wisdom based on mental development or training.

The significance of five precept or advice to oneself