SILA

'Śīla' (Sanskrit) or 'sīla' (Pāli) is usually rendered into English as "behavioral discipline", "morality", or ethics. It is often translated as "precept". It is an action that is an intentional effort. It is one of the ''three practices'' (sīla - samadhi - paññā) and the second pāramitā. It refers to moral purity of thought, word, and deed. The four conditions of 'śīla' are chastity, calmness, quiet, and extinguishment, i.e. no longer being susceptible to perturbation by the passions.
Sīla refers to overall (principles of) ethical behaviour. There are several levels of sila, which correspond to 'basic morality' (five precepts), 'basic morality with asceticism' (eight precepts), 'novice monkhood' (ten precepts) and 'monkhood' (Vinaya or Patimokkha). Laypeople generally undertake to live by the five precepts which are common to all Buddhist schools. If they wish, they can choose to undertake the eight precepts, which have some additional precepts of basic asceticism.

Contents

Five Precepts

Eight Precepts

Ten Precepts

Patimokkha

Mahayana Precepts

See also

External links

Five Precepts

Main articles: The Five Precepts

The five precepts are not given in the form of commands such as "thou shalt not ...", but are training rules in order to live a better life in which one is happy, without worries, and can meditate well.
# To refrain from taking life.
# To refrain from taking that which is not freely given (stealing).
# To refrain from sensual misconduct (improper sexual behavior).
# To refrain from lying.
# To refrain from intoxicants which lead to loss of mindfulness.

Eight Precepts

Main articles: The Eight Precepts

In the eight precepts, the third precept on sexual misconduct is made more strict, and becomes a precept of celibacy.
The three additional rules of the eight precepts are:

6. To refrain from eating at the wrong time (only eat from sunrise to noon).


7. To refrain from dancing, using jewellery, going to shows, etc.


8. To refrain from using a high, luxurious bed.

Ten Precepts

Main articles: The Ten Precepts

Novice-monks use the ten precepts, which are the basic precepts for monastics: people who have left the home-life and live in monasteries.

Patimokkha

Main articles: Patimokkha

Vinaya is the specific moral code for monks. In includes the Patimokkha, a set of 227 rules in the Theravadin recension. The precise content of the vinayapitaka (scriptures on Vinaya) differ slightly according to different schools, and different schools or subschools set different standards for the degree of adherence to Vinaya.

Mahayana Precepts

Main articles: Bodhisattva vows

In Mahayana Buddhism, there is also a distinctive Vinaya and ethics contained within the Mahayana Brahmajala Sutra (not to be confused with the Pali text of that name) for Bodhisattvas, where, for example, the eating of meat is frowned upon and vegetarianism is actively encouraged (see vegetarianism in Buddhism). These precepts are, however, not present in the strictest moral code of the Theravadin Patimokkha, and are generally understood to have come in existence at least 500 years after the Buddha.

See also

★ Vinaya

★ Buddhist ethics

External links

★ Sila as explained in the Buddhist Encyclopedia.

★ Digital Dictionary of Buddhism (log in with userID "guest")