Teaching of the month - Aug 2026

UPHOLDING THE FIVE PRECEPTS IN DAILY LIFE

OM MANI PADME HUM
Serious practitioners of the Path will have to repeat the Five Precepts daily and do their utmost to uphold them. Those who have found meaning in these teachings over the years should be ready to observe these precepts, for they are an essential part of cultivation. All Buddhists must uphold these practices; otherwise, the chances of success in attaining a pure state of mind are rare.

Each day, having repeated these vows, one will be reminded not to kill, not to steal, not to engage in immoral conduct, not to tell lies, and not to acquire the habits of taking intoxicants of any kind, which will dull their minds and cause them to do foolish things. Many have expressed concern that keeping the first precept requires them to eat only vegetarian food—something they may not be ready for as householders—even though they know vegetarian food is much better in every sense than meat food. There is also the fear that they may either accidentally or through reflex actions kill insects, thus causing them to break the precept.

One should not worry unduly over these or other problems that cause doubts within the mind. It is permissible to take all kinds of food. One must survive, and foodstuffs in various lands are quite different, and food sources vary across different lands; therefore, observing a consistent diet all over the world may be impossible. In countries where vegetables cannot be grown, people have no alternative but to consume meat. It is due to past karma that people are born in such lands. One must use common sense in everyday living and should not hold onto a view without applying understanding and wisdom. Meat can be consumed by anyone when survival depends on it; otherwise, there would be no life, and cultivation would be impossible. Therefore, those who are not ready to change to a vegetarian diet should at least observe certain days when such diets can be observed.

Desire for food is always bad, even for vegetarian dishes. In desire, there is much discrimination and attachment, which practitioners must learn to drop. Eat for the sake of living a healthy life. Desist from desires for special kinds of food that cause life to be taken just for the pleasure of your palate. Avoid going to distant places just to eat live food or animals killed especially for you. This kind of desire causes pains to many lives. Those who chant prayers of compassion should henceforth change to a more sensible way of eating. However, it is allowed if food of any kind is served to you without your requesting it. When desire is absent, eating is simply a part of living a healthy life; then, any kind of food placed before you is pure in nature.

As for the accidental killing of insects, one need not grieve. When the intention to kill is absent, how can there be purposeful killing? It is the motivation behind an act that determines whether the act is wholesome or unwholesome. Even killing an animal for food is not considered wrong if there is no desire to select a specific animal and when it means that you will not live without food. But you will rarely find yourself in this kind of a situation, so you must not use clever arguments to justify moving away from keeping the first precept. Once the training begins, you will find it easy to change your attitude. You will be able to live without causing unnecessary harm to others or to yourself.

The other precepts are straightforward, except for the fifth, which may be difficult for many to accept. Intoxicants are consumed by many for medicinal or health reasons, and there are places in the world where wine is a substitute for water. Again, common sense must be applied. Unless you are born in such countries, you should live according to your present conditions. Knowing your limits, or better still, refraining from partaking intoxicants, is a form of discipline that one should be able to take up. The joys of drinking are short-lived. There is the tendency for those who over-consume liquor to do foolish things they would never think of doing in their normal state of mind. To avoid putting oneself in a state of dullness, one will not find this precept difficult to keep if the intention is to remain true to the Path.

Recite the five precepts daily and do your best to uphold them. Even when you occasionally break them, be patient with yourself. Resolve to be more aware of your actions of thought, speech, and body each day. Be glad that you are able to realise the wrongs, which otherwise would have gone unnoticed. This realisation alone is a sign that you are keenly trying to attain your goal of keeping the precepts. These precepts must be observed so that purity of mind and body is attained, forming the foundations for progress on the Path!

Monday, 12th September 1983 (8th Moon 6th Day)