Forest Path - Amaravati Buddhist Monastery

about wat pa nanachat 231
The Five Training Precepts 7
Harmlessness:
Trustworthiness:
Chastity:
Right Speech:
Sobriety:
to refrain from intentionally taking the life of any
creature.
to refrain from taking anything that is not given.
to refrain from all sexual activity.
to refrain from false, abusive or malicious speech
and worldly gossip.
to refrain from using intoxicating drink or drugs.
The Three Renunciation Precepts
To refrain from eating after midday. The monastery practice is to eat
one meal in one bowl at one sitting.
To refrain from using entertainment such as music, dance, and
games and to refrain from beautifying or adorning the body. This
precept simplifies daily living, eliminates distractions, and inclines
the mind inward toward spiritual practice.
To refrain from using luxurious dwellings and from indulging in
sleep. As a positive expression this entails practising wakefulness
and mindfulness in all postures and in all activities throughout the
day.
In sum, these training precepts are guidelines for good conduct in
body and speech and provide a necessary foundation for the inner
work of mindfulness, clear comprehension and meditation in our
endeavour to cultivate the Noble Eightfold Path. The precepts serve
the dual purpose of restraining unwholesome speech and action
to promote harmony within the community and cultivating the
self-discipline necessary for spiritual development. It is important
not to see these guidelines as commandments imposed from
7 See also The Beauty of Sãla, page 57.