Acceptance of the Five Precepts, Eight Precepts, and Bodhisattva Precepts

Why is it necessary take acceptance of the Precepts

Taking Refuge with the Triple Gem is taking entrance into the learning of Buddhism; taking acceptance of the Precepts is putting into practice the learning. After having taken Refuge, a Buddhist follower should resolve to practice the Precepts, as they form the basis of all good deeds and moral acts. Although precepts are similar to regulations in a school or civil law in a society, they do differ in their basic nature. While school regulations and the law are externally imposed, precepts are totally self imposed. Just as violation of the highway code may lead to accidents on the motorway, transgression of the Precepts may lead to problems and danger on the path of life. A buddhist should therefore take acceptance of the Precepts. There are two kinds of Precepts : those for lay practitioners and those for the renounced. In Mahayana Buddhism, those precepts which pertain to lay practitioners are : the Five Precepts, the Eight Precepts, and the Bodhisattva Precepts.

The contents

1. The Five Precepts
2. The Eight Precepts
3. The Bodhisattva Precepts

Conclusion

Precepts are the origin of all merits and virtues. They are seen as our best teachers, guiding us on the way of life. They also serve as the track for us to follow in order not to wander off the right course of our deeds. They act as the fortress to fend off the predators of the Five Desires and the Six Kinds of Defilement. They are like the water that quenches our thirst in the heat of mental turmoil. They act as the light that shines to brighten our future. They act as the sword that is sharp enough to sever us from our lust and greed. They are also like precious jewels that adorn an honourable character and dignify good moral conduct. Finally, they actually constitute the raft that can carry us from this shore of birth and death to the shore of liberation.

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