He who does not observe the Five Precepts ruins himself

Whoso in this world destroys life, tells lies, takes what is not given, goes to others’ wives, and is addicted to intoxicating drinks, such a one digs up his own root in this world. - Mala Vagga - The Dhammapada

The Five Precepts from a wider perspective

A question often associated with killing is whether it is more sinful to kill a man than a mosquito. Some people are of the view that they are equal. Others think that killing a lower level animal is less sinful than killing a higher level being such as a man. In trying to find an answer to this question I would like to recall the statement 'cetanaham bhikkave kammam vadami' which means it is the thought that causes the kamma or the sin.

by A.J. Gunawardene

Many writes on the Five Precepts take a very highly traditional view and refer to them as abstention from killing, thieving, sexual misconduct, telling lies and taking intoxicants.

They also add causing harm to life, earning undue wealth, using rude speech, etc., as additional aspects to be included therein. The way they do it, makes one feel that they are externally imposed, though not directly included. Some have stated that the five precepts embrace the totality of the criminal behaviour of man while interpreting the five precepts in the above manner, thus producing an apparent inconsistency.

Hence one may be inclined to think that certain actions, which are offences in the eyes of the law, can be committed by people without violating the five precepts. A critic or even a cynic can argue that situations such as causing grievous hurt or permanent disablities to people or animals, abortion, rearing wild animals, setting houses on fire, ragging in educational institutions, taking bribes and inappropriate commissions, harassing one's spouse, harassing children in different ways, engaging in child abuse, using foul language, carrying tales, which are true statements and a host of other offences which are crimes or violations of the law of the land or are socially harmful are not included in this set of five precepts.

The first three

Because of this inadequacy, a set of precepts known as Ajivaka atthamaka sila (Lifelong eight precepts) has been coined. They are the first three of the five precepts, and abstention from lying, use of frivolous words or gossip, harsh words and carrying tales and a wrongful livelihood.

This goes to support the view that the fourth precept only refers to lying and hence the use of the other three types of wrongful speech does not make or violate the five precepts!

All these have taken place not because of the deficiency in the five precepts but the deficiency in their interpretation. What these campaigners have done is to just state the standard superficial interpretation of the five precepts.

This unhappy state of interpretation took my mind to an incident that occurred about fifty years ago, when at a Dhamma discussion, sponsored by the All-Ceylon Buddhist Students' Union (now defunct), Lionel Lokuliyana, a scholar of repute and central school principal gave an interpretation much wider than the above statement.

Five Precepts in a wider sense

Also recently I happened to listen to a discourse in a tape-recorded cassette of Venerable Bandiyamulle Vipassithissa Thera, who also expresses some ideas akin to those of Lokuliyana.

Though the latter is an attempt to interpret the Five Precepts in a wider sense than generally accepted, there are many points on which I am unable to agree. I do not wish to bother the reader with a commentary on it. However, I feel that Mr. Lokuliyana's interpretation was much wider and really carries all aspects that are ailing today's society.

In reporting a talk given about fifty years ago purely from my memory, I am bound to make errors, omissions, exaggerations and distortions.

Further the discussion took place in Sinhala. Hence there can be inaccuracies in the translation. However, I would like to place the following points which are a mixture of his views and mine for the consideration of the readers during this month of Vesak.

He began his explanation with an interpretation of the common ending of the five precepts, viz. veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami. Sikkhapadami is a statement of discipline. Samadiyami means I undertake to observe.

In veramani, ramani means enjoy or take pleasure in. Hence veramani means avoid or refrain from taking pleasure in. Thus the total phrase means that I undertake to observe the statement of discipline on not taking pleasure in. Thus it would be seen that what the Five Precepts contain is not just the abstention from committing the wrong acts concerned, but also refraining from taking pleasure in the deeds concerned.

Three main practices

Here I may add that there are three main practices in Buddhism. They are dana, sila and bhavana or generosity, disciplining or morality and meditation. In generosity, we learn to develop an attitude of detachment to our material wealth. In morality, we learn to control our words and deeds. In meditation we learn to control our minds.

But it should be remembered that mind is the forerunner of all these practices. Hence what is dealt with here is concerned with words and deeds and the thoughts connected with them. But not the total control of the mind which is dealt within Bhavana.

Now let us look at each precept to see what deeds and words are included in them. In the word panatipata, pana means life or a living being. Pata means suffering and atipata means suffering inflicted (by an outsider) on a person or a being. It is generally recognized that all living beings undergo suffering in their normal lives. So if these sufferings are caused by another, it amounts to panatipata. Hence a person who inflicts suffering on someone else is violating the first precept.

What are the different types of suffering one can inflict on another? They are soka, parideva, dukkaha, domanassa, upayasa. The English equivalents used by Bhadanta Ananda Kausalyayan are suffering, lamentation, grief, sorrow and despair.

Whatever shades of meaning the English words could have, according to the Maha Satipatthana Sutra, or the Way of Mindfulness, the respective Pali words have been interpreted to mean suffering caused by loss of property, lamentation over the loss of dear ones, suffering through injury to oneself, sufferings caused by mental states such as not being able to get the things desired and state of despair where one does not see how to get out of a situation one has fallen to.

More sinful thoughts

Thus if any one inflicts any of these on any living being, with volition, he then violates the first precept. If he continues to ponder over it, with pleasurable thoughts, he acquires more sinful thoughts.

Here I think a word should be added about the eating of flesh of animals. It is well known that the Buddha did not prohibit the monks to partake of flesh. As the monks have to depend on the food given by others, he did not want the monks to be choosy.

Further, once the monks have weakened their lobha and dosa, or desires and hatreds and therefore, moha or delusion, the possibility of their rejoicing in the killings that have been committed does not arise. Hence there is no violation of the first precept. But as for us, who relish the fish and the meat we eat, the first precept is definitely violated.

Another question often associated with killing is whether it is more sinful to kill a man than a mosquito. Some people are of the view that they are equal. Others think that killing a lower level animal is less sinful than killing a higher level animal such as a man. In trying to find an answer to this question I would like to recall the statement 'cetanaham bhikkave kammam vadami' which means it is the thought that causes the kamma or the sin.

Killing a man

Thus if having killed a mosquito you enjoy it, in the sense that every time you think of it, you get pleasurable thoughts, then you acquire more sin than when you regret it. Thus it is just not the act that matters as much as the thought associated with it. Even in law, the intention is considered to be important. Here it should be added that killing a man is more sinful as being born as a human being is a very rare occurrence and not allowing him to get full benefits of it is a sin. Further it is only the human beings, who are capable of attaining higher stages of the mind.

Adinnadana, the second precept refers to taking what is not given. The word 'given' here should be understood as what one is 'entitled to'.

So if you take anything you are not entitled to, you are violating the second precept. Venerable Vipassithissa says that the monks, who pretend to be pious and get the offerings given by the people, also violate this precept. The same is true of the laity, who undertake to observe the eight precepts, on the Poya Days and neglect it and take the food given by others.

Family members or fiends

Further if you are employed anywhere, the salary you are paid is for the work you do and if you do not discharge your duties properly, you are taking what is not given. Even if you do not commit the offence yourself, but feel happy that somebody else is doing it, you are liable. Thus the family members or fiends, who instigate and encourage others to avoid the discharge one's duty properly, also violate the second precept.

Here the list could be extended to cover making of undue profit, deceiving people to make contributions for false purposes, collecting commissions, which sometimes is recognized as fair, false travelling claims and many other such things, which are accepted today to be harmless or innocent. Lokuliyana's explanation is best where he comments on the third percept. Many people find it difficult to explain it to small children because they limit it to sexual behaviour.

But the way he put it, even a small child can understand it within his experiences and once he is mature enough could extend it to sexual behaviour.

The first question we should ask is what is kama? It refers to the five types of sensual pleasures enjoyed through the five senses, viz., eyes or seeing, ears or hearing, nose or smelling, tongue or tasting and body or feeling.

Sensual pleasures

What is Micchacara? It is wrongful indulgence. Since we, a human beings, indulge in these sensual pleasures, the wrongful indulgence has to be explained. Any type of indulgence which can harm or cause mental or physical harm to any one including the doer, is wrongful.

Now let us see what could happen in the case of each sensation. We see pictures, drama, dances and different types of funny behaviours and feel happy. Some of these are things done to provide entertainment. Sometimes we look at others to cause them embarrassment, wilfully. If such seeing or looking causes you to waste your money or time or make you miss something which you should have given priority to, then you have violated this precept.

In the same way if we spend too much of time listening to music or different talks, neglecting other important work, then this precept is violated. Further if you enjoy loud music and compel others, who do not like it, to listen to it, again you are violating the precept.With respect to smells, spending of money on perfumes beyond the reasonably tolerable limits is blameworthy.

Some of the strong perfumes used by some people can be even offensive to others. The use of such perfumes also can be a violation of this precept Emission of offensive smells from factories, I think, should come under the first precept.

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Irrespective of the divisions they entered the Sasana

by J. Gunadasa Jayawickrema

Braking the ageold tradition of ordaining the family members with very close blood relationship and to pass on the temple administration to a bhikkhu within the certain family circle, Ven. Halmillawawe Pemarathana Thera has admitted 15 young boys into Buddha Sasana outside the Govigama caste. Five of them are from the Tamil community.

The Thera took this bold and brave step as the deputy head of Rangiri Dambulla Uyanwatte Purana Viharaya with the blessings of his master then Chief incumbent late Ven. Halmillawewe Jinarathana Thera.

A brief ceremony was held at the temple premises on May 21st to mark the second anniversary of this event which took place on January 30th 2003. Most Ven. Inamaluwe Sumanagala Maha Nayake Thera of Rangiri Dambulla Chapter of Siyam Maha Nikaya donated a new computer for the use of young novices.

Ven. Pemarathana Thera issued an open appeal to the local as well as foreign Buddhists to strengthen his hand to expand this project, a very timely step taken in view of the current movement for national reconciliation. The Thera issued the copies of the appeal to the press. His objectives are well explained in the document as follows:

"I took over the management of this temple on October 6th 2004 after the demise of my teacher Ven. Halmillawewe Jinarathana Maha Nayake Thera. He was my uncle with very close blood relationship. My teacher also became the incumbent of this temple from his uncle .. who was my grand father.

The administration of this temple has been passed onto the bhikkhus in this pattern maintaining blood relationship as well as the trust.

I wanted to break this tradition, because I felt it would be more reasonable and just to open the Buddha Sasana to all, irrespective of caste nationality and religion.

According to the education I received I have been convinced that upholding the policy and the tradition of the Buddha is the best thing I could do to serve the Buddha Sasana as well as the humanity.

The Buddha ordained all, irrespective of the so-called divisions existed in Indian society.

This policy paved the way for the Buddha Sasana to take roots in different countries.

It was introduced to Sri Lanka also during the reign of King Asoka in India.

Our King in Sri Lanka at that time Dewanam Piyatissa was his friend. If the Buddha cared for caste and creed Buddhism would not have come to this island.

Ven. Pemarathana Thera is yet to overcome several problems.

The most pressing problem is to provide accommodation conducive for the education and development of the young novice priests.

Providing the requirements for education is the other challenge.