The precepts
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Three Collective Pure Precepts
• Shōritsugikai 摂津儀戒: The precept of avoiding all evil acts or embracing moral codes • Shōzenbōkai 摂善法戒: The precept of doing all good acts or embracing all good dharmas • Shōshujōkai 摂衆生戒: The precept of embracing and benefiting beings Ten Major Precepts 1) Not killing 2) Not stealing 3) Not indulging in sexual greed 4) Not speaking falsehood 5) Not selling intoxicating liquor 6) Not talking of the faults of others 7) Not praising oneself or slandering others 8) Not begrudging the Dharma or material things 9) Not giving rise to anger 10) Not ignorantly slandering the Three Treasures Ten Clear-Mind Precepts 1) Protecting, cultivating and encouraging life 2) Giving generously, honoring the gift not yet given 3) Respecting others, remaining faithful in relationships 4) Communicating truth 5) Remaining clear, polishing clarity for self and others, seeing and dispelling delusion 6) Speaking kindly and creating wisdom from ignorance 7) Maintaining modesty and extolling others 8) Sharing understanding and freely giving of self 9) Dwelling in equanimity, forgiving, cultivating kindness 10) Respecting the Buddha, unfolding the Dharma and nourishing the Sangha Texts on the ten major precepts
1) not killing
Kyojukaimon By not killing life, the seeds of the Buddha are nurtured, and one is enabled to succeed in the Buddha’s life of wisdom. One should not kill life. Bodhidharma’s Comments on the One-Mind Precepts Self-nature is wondrous and imperceptible. Within the everlasting dharma, not arousing the view of extinction is called the precept of not killing. Bonmokyo A disciple of the Buddha must not kill by himself, encourage others to kill, kill with expedient means, praise killing, or react with delight upon witnessing killing. He must not employ any method whatever, not even mantras, to kill any living beings. Further, a bodhisattva must not involve himself in the causes, conditions, methods, or karma or killing any living creature. A bodhisattva should always give rise to an eternally abiding mind of kindness, compassion, and filial compliance. Thus he should devise skillful means to rescue and protect all beings. Hence, if a bodhisattva kills with indulgence or evinces delight in killing any being, he thereby commits a bodhisattva parajika offense. 2) not stealing
Kyojukaimon When mind and object are in thusness, the gate of liberation will open. Bodhidharma’s Comments on the One-Mind Precepts Self-nature is wondrous and imperceptible. Within the ungraspable dharma, not arousing the thought of gaining is called the precept of not stealing. Bonmokyo The Second Major Precept prohibits stealing. A disciple of the Buddha must not steal by himself, encourage others to steal, facilitate stealing, steal with mantras, or involve himself in the causes, conditions, methods, or karma of stealing, to the extent that he must not deliberately steal the possessions of ghosts, spirits, or any other beings, all valuables and possessions, including such objects as small as a needle or a blade of grass. A bodhisattva should give rise to a mind of filial compliance, kindness, and compassion toward the Buddha-nature. Thus, he should always aid people to produce blessing and happiness. If instead a bodhisattva steals another’s valuables or possessions, he thereby commits a bodhisattva parajika offence. 3) Not indulging in sexual greed
Kyojukaimon When the three wheels (body, speech, and thoughts) are pure, there is nothing to be desired. All Buddhas are walking in the same path. Bodhidharma’s Comments on the One-Mind Precepts Self-nature is wondrous and imperceptible. Within the dharma that is free from attachment, not arousing a desire to attach oneself to anything is called the precept of not having sexual greed. Bonmokyo The Third Major Precept prohibits sexual conduct. Disciples of the Buddha must not themselves deliberately engage in sexual conduct with any member of the opposite sex, or encourage others to do so, nor may they involve themselves in the causes, conditions, methods, or karma of sexual conduct. This prohibition extends to sexual conduct with animals, gods or goddesses, ghosts or spirits, other forms of lustful behavior, and all perverse types of sexual conduct. Bodhisattvas should give rise to a mind of filial compliance. Thus they should rescue all beings and instruct them in the dharmas of purity. If, instead, bodhisattvas engage in promiscuous sexual conduct with any person, with animals, their mothers, daughters, sisters, or any other of the six types of close relatives, their behavior is utterly devoid of compassion, and they thereby commit a bodhisattva parajika offense. 4) Not speaking falsehood
Kyojukaimon Since the Dharma-wheel has been turning from the very beginning, there is neither too much nor too little. When a drop of sweet dew moistens things, Reality and Truth become revealed. Bodhidharma’s Comments on the One-Mind Precepts Self-nature is wondrous and imperceptible. Within the inexplicable dharma, not speaking a single word is called the precept of not speaking falsehood. Bonmokyo The Fourth Major Precept prohibits false speech. A disciple of the Buddha must not himself engage false speech, encourage others to do so, facilitate false speech, nor may he involve himself in the causes, conditions, methods, or karma of false speech, to the extent of saying that he has seen what he has not seen, or that he has never seen what he has actually seen, or lying through physical or mental deeds. A bodhisattva should always maintain proper speech and proper views and lead all other beings to maintain them as well. If, instead, he causes all beings to give rise to deviant views and deviant karma, he thereby commits a bodhisattva parajika offense. 5) Not selling intoxicating liquor
Kyojukaimon Not selling intoxicating liquor, no grasping and no violating. This is truly the great brightness [of wisdom]. Bodhidharma’s Comments on the One-Mind Precepts Self-nature is wondrous and imperceptible. Within the intrinsically pure dharma, not being blinded by ignorance s called the precept of not drinking intoxicating liquor. Bonmokyo The Fifth Major Precept prohibits dealing in intoxicants. A disciple of the Buddha must not himself deal in any type of intoxicants whatever, encourage others to do so, or involve himself in the causes, conditions, methods, or karma of dealing in intoxicants, for intoxicants are the causes and conditions for all manner of offenses. A bodhisattva should influence all beings to give rise to bright, penetrating wisdom. If, instead, he influences beings to give rise to upside-down thinking, he thereby commits a bodhisattva parajika offense. 6) Not talking of the faults of others
Kyojukaimon No talking of the fault of others. Within the Buddha-dharma, we all approach the same way, learn the same dharma, realize the same verification, and carry out the same practice. Do not discuss about the faults of others. Do not cause disorder in the way. Bodhidharma’s Comments on the One-Mind Precepts Self nature is wondrous and imperceptible. Within the flawless dharma, not speaking of other’s faults is called the precept of not speaking of the faults of the four kinds of members of a sangha. Bonmokyo The Sixth Major Precept prohibits discussing the faults of the four types of sangha members. A disciple of the Buddha must not discuss the faults of any sangha member, bodhisattva, layperson, bhikshu or bhikshuni, nor may oneself encourage others to do so or involve oneself in the causes, conditions, methods or karma of speaking of the faults of the four types of sangha members. Whenever a bodhisattva hears an evil-minded non-Buddhist or evil exponent of the small vehicles speak of practices which are not in accord with the dharma and not in accord with the precepts within Buddhism, he or she should always feel pity for such detractors, instruct them, and lead them to a wholesome belief in the Great Vehicle. If, instead, a bodhisattva discusses the faults of those within the Buddhadharma, the person thereby commits a bodhisattva parajika offense. 7) Not praising oneself or slandering others
Kyojukaimon Buddhas and ancestors attain realization with the whole sky and the great earth. When the great body is manifested, there is no inside and outside in the sky. When the dharma body is manifested, there is no inch of ground on the earth. Bodhidharma’s Comments on the One-Mind Precepts Self-nature is wondrous and imperceptible. Within the non-discriminating dharma, not distinguishing oneself from others is called the precept of not praising oneself nor slandering others. Bonmokyo The Seventh Major Precept prohibits praising oneself and disparaging others. A disciple of the Buddha must not praise himself and disparage others, encourage others to do so, or involve himself in the causes, conditions, methods, or karma of praising himself and disparaging others. A bodhisattva should be willing to stand in for all beings in undergoing slander and insult. A bodhisattva should accept unfortunate situations and let others receive favorable ones. Hence, if a bodhisattva boasts of his own virtue and conceals the good works of others, thus causing them to be slandered, the person thereby commits a bodhisattva parajika offense. 8) Not begrudging the Dharma or material things
Kyojukaimon Not begrudging the dharma or materials. Even one phrase or one verse of dharma is nothing but the expression of the reality of the myriad phenomenal beings and the hundred grasses. One dharma and one realization are buddhas and ancestors. One should give them whenever requested, never begrudging them. Bodhidharma’s Comments on the One-Mind Precepts Self nature is wondrous and imperceptible. Within the dharma that is the all-pervading true reality, not arousing greed is called the precept of not begrudging the dharma or materials. Bonmokyo The Eighth Major Precept prohibits stinginess and insult. A disciple of the Buddha must not act in a stingy manner, encourage others to do so, or involve oneself in the causes, conditions, methods or karma of stinginess. When a bodhisattva encounters any poor or destitute people who have come to beg, he or she should give those people anything they need. Hence, if a bodhisattva directs evil or hateful thoughts at such people or refuses to give them even a penny, a needle, or a blade of grass, or to speak even a sentence, a verse, or a dust mote’s worth of dharma for those who seek dharma, and if the bodhisattva further scolds and humiliates such people, the person thereby commits a bodhisattva parajika offense. 9) Not giving rise to anger
Kyojukaimon Neither withdrawing nor setting forth, neither being real, nor being void. There in you will see the ocean of bright clouds, the ocean of magnificent clouds. Bodhidharma’s Comments on the One-Mind Precepts Self nature is wondrous and imperceptible. Within the egoless dharma, not reifying the ego is called the precept of not being angry. Bonmokyo The ninth major precept prohibits deliberate hatefulness and refusal to accept repentance. A disciple of the Buddha must not become hateful, encourage others to do so, or involve himself in the causes, conditions, methods, or karma of hatefulness. One should always maintain a mind of kindness, compassion, and filial compliance. If instead a bodhisattva abuses sentient or insentient beings by using harsh speech, going so far as to attack them with his fists, knife, or club, by continuing to maintain relentless hatred, or by refusing to set aside his grudge even when the object of his enmity with sincere words confesses, repents, and seeks forgiveness, the person thereby commits a bodhisattva parajika offense. 10) Not ignorantly slandering the Three Treasures
Kyojukaimon Not slandering the Three Treasures. The Buddha manifests his body and expounded the dharma. These Three Treasures are the crossing point of the world. The virtue of the Three Treasures returns to the ocean of all-knowing wisdom and are immeasurable. We should respectfully accept, attend, and serve the Three Treasures. Bodhidharma’s Comments on the One-Mind Precepts Self nature is wondrous and imperceptible. Within the dharma which is the undivided reality, not arousing a dualistic view of sentient beings and Buddha is called the precept of not slandering the Three Treasures. Bonmokyo The Tenth Major Precept prohibits slandering the Three Treasures. A disciple of the Buddha must not oneself slander the Three Treasures, encourage others to do so, or become involved in the causes, conditions, methods, or karma of slandering the Three Treasures. Whenever a bodhisattva hears non-Buddhist or evil minded person direct even a single slanderous word at the Buddha, he experiences pain like that inflicted by three hundred spears piercing one heart. How then could a bodhisattva possibly utter slanderous words himself or fail to maintain a mind of faith and filial compliance? Hence, if a bodhisattva fails to produce a mind of faith and filial compliance, or assists evil people or people of mistaken views in slandering the Three Treasures, the person thereby commits a bodhisattva parajika offense. |
Okumura Roshi on the bodhisattva precepts
We receive the precepts from a preceptor, but they really come from the Buddhas and ancestors. The preceptor is a person between the recipient and Buddha. Our traditional belief is that the precepts are transmitted from Bibashi Buddha, the first Buddha, from the very beginning. The reality to which Buddha awakened is the source of these precepts. That's our faith. I can't "give" the precepts to anybody. They aren't my possessions; they were transmitted to me from my teacher, and his teacher transmitted them to him. The recipient does not become "my" possession either. Even Buddha said that he had no disciples. -- Shohaku Okumura
Hoko on practicing with precepts
Precepts and peacemaking
When I was in grad school, I encountered a book called Bowling Alone. Maybe you’re familiar with it; it’s about 25 years old now, written by Robert Putnam. It’s an investigation into the breakdown of community in the 20th century. We’ve gone from being a nation of joiners to a nation of loners. It was useful to me as I was trying to understand sangha as a community in North America at the time, and of course Putnam has gone on to write other books since then. The main finding of Putnam’s years of research is that Americans’ sense of community forms an inverted horseshoe. It was at a low point in 1900, with the Gilded Age and robber barons vs factory workers, political polarization, economic inequality, and little sense of interconnectedness or that we’re all in this together. Things improved for the next 60 years, as people became more trusting. More people get married, more joined clubs, and there was less social isolation. He says it’s no coincidence that the civil rights movement came into its own in the 60s. Then it all goes back downhill until we reach today, which he calls a second Gilded Age. Once again, there’s little feeling tht we ought to be looking out for each other, or that there’s a benefit in getting to know people who may be different from ourselves. Now, why am I considering this? Because Putnam went looking for causality, and that’s something we know about as Zen practitioners. Cause and effect is huge for us. Things don’t arise from nothing; the cause has to be there, and the conditions have to be right. What are the underlying causes and conditions for this inverted horseshoe? What’s at the root of this complicted rise and fall of community? Putnam's answer is morality, a sense that we have some responsibility toward other people, that we’re connected to each other in some way, and we’re not going to start dealing with polarization and inequality until we understand that we have some obligation to take care of each other. For us as practitioners, our teachings about ethics and morality are right there in the eightfold path, in right livelihood, right speech and right action, and one important way we practice with that is by taking the precepts. We vow not to kill people or take their stuff or misuse our relationships for our own gain, and thirteen other things. We might not think this makes much of a difference in midst of world on fire, a few people deciding to pay attention to what they’re doing with body, speech and mind, in the nation with the highest level of political violence in the industrialized world. However, one of the things a bodhisattva gives as a result of taking vows is fearlessness. When I behave ethically, I stop being a threat to your life and property and we can develop some sense of trust, because we become trustworthy. Putnam notes that joining anything -- a running club, a sewing circle, a neighborhood cleanup day -- how about a sangha? -- begins to form the bridges and connections with others that we need in order to investigate trustworthiness, and that individual activity is the basis of creating national systems that are trustworthy. Yes, it’s indirect, but you can’t turn things around just by deciding you’re going to revamp the government or revamp society from the top down. It has to be based on individuals living in such a way that what they’re doing with body speech and mind is wholesome and skillful. When I read about Putnam’s latest work at just about same time as the precept ceremony in 2024, I saw how really important Sanshin is as a container for holding peace and stability and making those available to people, and how important our practice is in this world on fire. There aren’t a lot of places these days where you can go and do some deep discernment with others about morality and interconnection. Sanshin’s mission is in fact to enable the investigation of interconnectedness as it manifests in community, and we do that by engaging in the six points of Soto Zen practice that you can read about on this website. By simply following precepts and doing our practice, we’re actually doing something concrete to release ourselves and other beings from suffering. We’re learning how to give fearlessness and become trustworthy so that those can be the building blocks of larger, peaceful systems. There’s a psychologist named John Bowlby who says that all of life is a series of daring explorations from a secure base. As a practitioner, that makes so much sense to me. This is what taking refuge is about. When we take precepts, we take refuge in the Three Treasures as our secure base. We aspire to see the way Buddha sees, to understand emptiness and the way the universe actually functions in this moment of reality. We know that yes, the historical three treasures aren’t here anymore, but the maintaining and absolute versions of the three treasures are still available to us. We can take these things as reliable guideposts for our practice and our lives, and we can return to them over and over -- this is our secure base. From there, we go out and lead our lives as karmic individuals with unique circumstances and interests and abilities. We can do the daring exploration without being a threat to others because we can feel confident that we’re supported by all beings, and that this small self isn’t all there is. We can see the commonalities with other people and deal with them wisely and compassionately following the precepts. We need to live with a balance of secure base and daring exploration, Rather than being a lot of no, no, no, the precepts describe the life of the bodhisattva. The point is not to cut off exploration by imposing a lot of restrictions, or to make everyone the same as everyone else. Precepts aren’t there to quash our creativity or our innovation or independent thinking. We’re allowed to explore, and to be as daring as we want to be, but without precepts, we run the risk of the community becoming unwholesome and chaotic because in our individual exploration we can forget that we have some responsibility toward others and some responsibility to be trustworthy. Precepts remind us that we have a community in the first place, and that we’re not isolated and disconnected, even if we sometimes feel that way. Bodhisattvas can’t maintain the fabrication that they’re cut off from others or from the broadest possible view because if they’re only looking at part of the picture, and only getting partial information, they can’t do their job. Their job is to create bridges. Yes, they can enjoy bonding with others like themselves who share interests and backgrounds and experiences, but they can’t stop there. They have to reach out to everyone if they’re going to keep their vows and keep the precepts, because morality and isolation can’t coexist. As soon as you take precepts, your life is all about connection. You can’t take precepts and then carry them out by going to practice by yourself in a cave forever. Every one of those precepts is about how we enact our relationships with others. We can see that taking the precepts is a vitally important act of peacemaking, and we need to help and encourage each other in that practice, - because Sanshin is an oasis, and the world nees all the help it can get.
More resources on practicing with the precepts
Precepts and bodhisattva vows
Practicing in community, including information on teacher and student The manner of receiving: jukai-e I Vow with All Beings: Seeking initiation taking the precepts at sanshin
An aspiration to receive lay precepts arises from a steady and well-established practice with a sangha. It's good to have been practicing regularly and consistently at Sanshin or within the Sanshin network for at least a year before considering making a commitment of this kind. You will want to know that Soto Zen practice really is meaningful for you and that you wish to continue to maintain a steady practice after receiving the precepts. You should also have begun to get a sense of the basic teachings of Buddhism and Soto Zen, and started to attend sesshin, even if for only a day at a time. Jukai-e is not a reward for time served, an elevation in rank, a stamp of approval on your practice so far or any kind of end in itself; it's only the beginning of a committed lay practice. Neither is it a badge of membership in Sanshin's sangha or a commitment to any preceptor or teacher. You remain free to practice anywhere and with anyone. Your commitment is to Buddha and the practice. When you receive lay precepts you will receive one dharma name. At Sanshin, laypeople sometimes use their dharma names as middle names. Novices and teachers have two dharma names and often use one of them as a first name while practicing with the sangha. Your lay rakusu will be blue, while novices wear black and transmitted teachers wear brown or other colors in accordance with the tradition of our denomination. Since we are direct descendants of Kodo Sawaki, one of the leaders of the 20th century nyoho-e movement, our rakusu do not have rings. If you live outside of Bloomington and it's possible to take precepts with a teacher in or closer to your hometown, please engage with and support that group rather than traveling to Sanshin to do so. You need your local or regional sangha, and it needs you. Continuing your practice of living with the precepts is much more difficult without in-person practice with a sangha, even if it's only a few times a year. As long as you receive the precepts from a qualified, transmitted teacher, the lineage doesn't matter and one is not better than another. As mentioned above, as a layperson you're not committing to any particular dharma family or style of Zen practice. You're simply making a public commitment to live in Buddha's way. Due to the amount of work and preparation required, a maximum of six practitioners may receive lay precepts at Sanshin each year. Full in-person attendance at the July precepts retreat as well as the April rakusu sewing retreat is required for recipients; neither partial attendance nor virtual participation is an option. See this page for complete information on requesting the precepts and attending the retreats. |
