The five precepts that Gautama expounded require the practitioner to abstain from pāņātipātā (taking of life), adinnādānā (taking that which is not given), kāmesu micchācārā (sexual misconduct), musāvādā (false speech) and surā-meraya-majja-pamādaţţhānā (consuming intoxicating substances). The reasoning behind providing these specific precepts is quite straightforward: all of these actions cause suffering. The goal of the precepts, then, is to aid in eliminating the unhappiness that we bring upon our selves and place upon others through poor actions. This is easily understood on a pragmatic level. For example, we won’t suffer from being sent to prison if we don’t drink too much and decide to rob a bank. Adhering to the precepts works to prevent this type of direct suffering.

The brilliance of the precepts is that they also work on a much more subtle level. The not so obvious benefit is that through our practice we are not only transforming externally by avoiding unskillful ways of acting but simultaneously transforming the internal structure of how we think about and react to certain situations. If I habitually give in to my cravings I will certainly suffer as a result because, as Mick Jagger pointed out, I can’t always get what I want. If I do not allow myself to be pulled around by these insatiable desires, though, I will become awakened to a new way of dealing with these feelings. I will begin to realize that I do not need to act on my lust for food or drink or objects. I will no longer be ruled by an endless cycle of grasping but rather simply take notice that I have certain desires and let them be. The precepts help to accomplish this.

During the beginning stages of practice, strict adherence to these precepts as rules is necessary. Like training wheels, the precepts guide the practitioner and aid in cultivating moral balance. The beginning stages of practice act as a sort of moral detox to rid us of our deeply embedded bad habits. This stage is often very difficult, which makes adhering to these principles as law crucial. Over time, we begin to break down our bad habits and the precepts become second nature.

As one’s practice continues to progress, however, certain problems with these rules will begin to arise. Situations will come up in which the precepts will not be able to answer the question, “What should I do?” The prescription that was once as clear as black and white becomes increasingly gray and the precepts fail us. When failure of this type occurs, it forces us to look deeper into the nature of the system. The problem with using any type of training wheels is that after a certain point, they can no longer help us progress. In order to get any further, we must take them off and learn to balance on our own. When the precepts fail to provide us with an answer, we need to find a more fundamental discriminating factor for moral action.

The failure of the precepts is not because of some fault of the practitioner but rather lies within the system itself. Buddhist ethics conspicuously lack an explicit meta-level analysis that describes how these rules should be applied. There is no talk of a maximizing factor, no hierarchy of duties or any universalisability clause. Without some kind of  roadmap to guide our application of these precepts we are left in the dark. The hope of a guiding light to illuminate our way comes from looking into Gautama’s ultimate goal: the cessation of dukkha and the realization of nirvana.

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Tags: 5 Precepts, Buddhist Ethics, Meditation, Practical Wisdom, Practice, Siddhartha

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