Chapter 37 Chapter 35 The Way of Nirvana - Precepts

Goodness governs the body, goodness governs speech, goodness governs the mind, goodness governs everything, restrains all bhikkhus, and liberates all suffering. —— Dhamma Sutra The Middle Way (majjhimapatipada) is the way to Nibbana, which is free from extreme self-mortification that weakens the intellect, and extreme self-indulgence that hinders moral progress. The middle path consists of the following eight elements: Right View, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration. The first two are classified as wisdom (panna), the third to sixth are morality (sila), and the last three are meditation (samadhi).

According to the order of development, precepts, concentration and wisdom are the three stages on the road to Nirvana. These three stages are expressed in a beautiful old verse: "Don't do any evil, do all good, and purify your mind, this is all Buddhism." (1) We reap what we sow.The result of evil is suffering, and the result of good is pleasure. Our pain and pleasure are the direct products of our good and evil actions. People with right views recognize this law of behavior and reaction, and voluntarily use their greatest strength to avoid evil and do good.He does this for himself and for others, and he considers it his duty to be a blessing to himself and to others.

He understands that life is precious to everyone and that no one person has any right to deprive another of his existence.Therefore, he extended compassion to all living beings, even the tiny animals that crawled on his feet, refrained from killing, and did not cause harm to any sentient beings. There is no rule that one life should be killed by another.However, it is the instinct of animals for the strong to brutally slaughter the weak and entertain themselves with their flesh and blood.Animals might be forgiven for doing this because they don't know what they're doing.But when sane and rational people engage in such atrocities, there is nothing to be forgiven.Whether for one's own taste or for entertainment, one should not kill or cause other beings to be slaughtered.If it is also wrong to kill animals, then it is a heinous crime to kill human beings, whether individually or collectively, whether in cruel ways or in so-called civilized ways, whether for peace, religion, or other similar good purposes.

Honesty, trustworthiness, and integrity are the characteristics of a person's right view.Such a person strives to abstain from all public and secret forms of theft; abstains from immorality that belittles the noble nature, strives to be pure and faithful; abstains from lies, bad words, double tongues, and gossips, and speaks only what is true, sweet, good, and beneficial.Because some alcohol and drugs cause people to lose their righteous thoughts and become dizzy, they should stay away from drinking, never let go, and clarify their views. These strict basic rules of conduct are fundamental to one's practice of the path to Nirvana, and they are designed to hold words and deeds in check.Violations of these words and deeds create obstacles that hinder one's moral progress on the right path.Following these norms means moving smoothly and steadily along the right path.

Buddhist practitioners are gradually advancing towards a higher level of morality, trying to keep a close eye on their senses. Control appetite, improve physical and mental vitality, eat less or fast at least once a month.These are all worthy of advocacy.A simple life is more desirable than a life of luxury, which makes a man a slave to passion.Celibate celibacy is admirable, for the precious energies thus preserved can be devoted to the intellectual and moral welfare of oneself and others.In this kind of life one is free from unnecessary worldly concerns which prevent moral progress.Almost all spiritual teachers seem to have taken care of their bodies seriously and carefully, strictly celibate, simple, self-sufficient, and self-disciplined.

If the diligent explorer advances gradually and steadily, his words and deeds are regulated, and his gratitude is restrained, his karma will force him to abandon worldly pleasures and live by holy deeds, and he will have the following thoughts: Home is like a nest of struggles, Full of bitterness and need; life of a monk, Like the sky, free and high. (2) So aware of the hypocrisy of sex, he voluntarily gave up all worldly things, put on the cassock of the Brahma, and strived to live with pure and holy Brahma. But it is not the outward appearance, but the inner purity and exemplary life that makes a man a saint.A person's change should come from within rather than outside.Retirement and austerity are not absolutely necessary to realize Nirvana.The life of a monk undoubtedly hastened and facilitated spiritual progress.But even lay people can attain holy fruit.

The lay people who face all temptations and can attain Arhatship are of course more praiseworthy than those monks who are free from external interference and devote themselves to practice and attain Arhatship. There was a minister who, when he was riding an elephant and wearing fine clothes, attained Arhatship instantly.To this the Buddha said: "Silence, self-discipline, self-confidence, purity, Neither harm nor harm everything you have, This person is a Brahmin, a hermit, a recluse. "(3) There are many lay people who have attained Nirvana without abandoning worldly life.Among them, the most pious and generous believers at home gave the solitude the fruit of Sitohan, the name of the Sakya family was the fruit of Yilai, the potter Gandikoro was the fruit of non-return, and King Jingfan passed the arhat fruit when he died.

There are four higher levels of morality that a monk is to observe, namely: The code of fundamental morality of Paratimuka, the various precepts that monks must abide by. Precepts Indriyasamvira si1a concerning mental training. Ajivaparisuddhi si1a concerning the path of pure life. The precept concerning the utilization of the necessities of life is Paccayasanisita sila. These four precepts are collectively called silavisuddhi, the first step in the seven stages of purification on the path to Nirvana. When a person becomes a monk and takes the upsampda, he is called a bhikkhu.There is no synonym in English that can accurately express the meaning of Pali Bhikkhu, and begging monk can be considered as the closest translation.But this does not refer to those who beg, but to those who live on offerings.

A bhikkhu has no vows at all, he is willing to become a bhikkhu, and he is willing to live by the holy deeds.At any time, he is free to leave the Sangha. Apart from a few minor precepts, a bhikkhu must observe two hundred and twenty precepts.The four precepts of completely cutting off lust, stealing, slaughtering, and failing to testify (falsely thinking that one has supernatural powers) must be strictly observed.If he violates any of these, he becomes a parajika and is automatically terminated as a monk.He can rejoin the Sangha as a samanera if he wishes.If he has committed other faults, he must make up for it according to the seriousness of the circumstances.

The salient features of a bhikkhu are: cleanliness, abstinence from prostitution, willingness to be poor, modesty, simplicity, selfless dedication, self-discipline, forbearance, compassion and harmlessness. In other words, the life of a bhikkhu who renounces worldly pleasures and desires is the only effective way to attain the fruition.But becoming a monk is not an end in itself. [Note] (1) "Dharma Sentence Sutra", verse 183. (2) "Jingji", the third chapter, the first sutra, "The Monk Sutra". V406. (3) "Dharma Sentence Sutra", verse 142.