30 Reflections On Receiving And Upholding The Precepts Well
[1] ACCEPTING OF LOW STANDARDS?
Those who accept low standards of observing the Precepts
tend to remain at these low standards.
How then, do they progress as Bodhisattvas?
Those who aspire towards higher standards of observing the Precepts
tend to maintain and raise these high standards.
This is how they progress towards Buddhahood.
[2] SETTING OF HIGH STANDARDS
If you set low standards
for your observation of the Precepts,
when will you improve these standards?
Tomorrow, next week, next month,
next year, or next life?
Why not NOW,
since more than half of your life has transpired already,
and since the next life can suddenly arrive?
[3] GIVING OF ALLOWANCES
If the Buddha did not give ‘allowances’ on the Precepts,
who are we as his unenlightened disciples
to give them to ourselves,
and still claim to be his disciples?
[4] SELECTIVENESS OF PRECEPTS
The Brahma Net Sūtra’s Bodhisattva Precepts《梵网经菩萨戒》
are well known for not being selective
of who can commit to them,
but this is provided that we are
not selective in what Precepts to commit to.
【第三十五不发愿戒】:
[Thirty-Fifth (Light) Precept (Against) Not Giving Rise (To) Aspirations]:
若佛子！常应发一切愿， 孝顺父母师僧。愿得好师，同学善友知识，常教我大乘经律… 使我开解，如法修行，坚持佛戒。 宁舍身命，念念不去心。若一切菩萨不发是愿者，犯轻垢罪。
If [as] Buddhas’ [Bodhisattva] disciples, [they] should constantly give rise [to] all vows, [to be] filial [to their] fathers [and] mothers, teachers [and] monastics. Aspire [to] attain good teachers, [those] together learning, [and] good friends [with] knowledge, [to] constantly teach me [the] Great Vehicle’s Sūtras [and] Discipline… [to] enable me [to be] open [to] understanding, accord [with the] Dharma [to] cultivate practice, [and] firmly uphold [these] Buddha Precepts. Rather [to] relinquish [this] body’s life, [from] thought [to] thought [do] not leave [this] mind. If all Bodhisattvas [have] those [who do] not give rise [to] these vows, [they] commit [a] light defiled transgression.
[5] LIBERATION
General (Five or Eight) Precepts are about personal liberation;
not personal restriction.
Bodhisattva Precepts are about liberation of everyone;
not restriction of anyone.
[6] WEIGHTINESS
Every Precept carries significant weight,
even if there are Heavy and Light Precepts,
those heaver and lighter.
Even a Light Precept broken seriously
has heavy consequences.
[7] WWBD (What Would Buddha Do?)
If you cannot imagine the Buddha doing it,
it is probably wrong to do it.
If you cannot imagine the Buddha not doing it,
it is probably wrong to not do it.
We know this intuitively
because we have Buddha-nature,
and especially if you have
attained your Precepts’ Essence.
[8] SERIOUSNESS
There is nothing casual about committing
to perfecting your morality for all beings.
Along with taking the Threefold Refuge
and vowing to reach Pure Land,
committing to the Precepts for all lives
is the most serious commitment possible.
[9] UNDERSTANDING
The more you understand
the rationale of the Precepts,
the less will you even think of breaking them,
much more to actually break them.
[10] COMMITMENT
It is not so much that those
who have committed to the Precepts,
who break them after,
will create more evil karmas,
but that those who have committed to the Precepts
will break less of them,
thus creating less evil karmas.
[11] All OR NOTHING?
It is better to commit to one Precept than none.
It is better to commit to two Precepts than one…
It is best to commit to all Precepts than some.
[12] RISK
The Precept(s) omitted are not only at own risk,
but puts everyone else at risk.
For example, remember the case of the one
who did not commit to the Fifth Precept,
who thus broke all other Precepts when intoxicated.
There are many other ways to break other Precepts,
beginning from slighting one Precept.
[13] FALL LESS
Those who have high moral standards
will fall less, if they do fall.
Those who have low moral standards
will fall more, if they do fall.
[14] KEEP YOUR PRECEPTS
As in the Parable Of Killing A Herd Of Cows
from the Sūtra Of A Hundred Parables,
never give up on all your other ‘cows’ (Precepts)
just because you have ‘lost’ one.
[15] GRAVITY
Do not focus on how each Precept
can be broken with different grades of seriousness,
because what you focus on,
including ‘breaking of Precepts’, can increase.
Do focus on not breaking any Precept at all,
because what you focus on can improve.
[16] THOSE WITH PRECEPTS ARE SUPERIOR
The Sūtra On Bodhisattvas’ Necklace Of Their Fundamental Karmas《菩萨璎珞本业经》says, ‘Those with precepts, yet transgressing them, are superior to those without [precepts] and not transgressing them. Those with [precepts] to transgress are named as Bodhisattvas, while those without [precepts] to transgress are named as those of external paths [as they might stray away from Buddhahood if not committed to the right guidelines for moral perfection].’
This does not mean it is better to commit to Precepts and break them, as those truly committed to them are truly less likely to break them. If one is more likely to break them, one has yet to truly commit to them.
Those committed to the Precepts create more meritorious virtues, as they are committed to practising morality deliberately, while those not committed to the Precepts naturally create less.
Those committed to the Precepts are also superior as they create less evils karmas that lead to suffering (and repent to restrain themselves), while those not committed to the Precepts naturally create more, with the law of karma operating naturally for everyone.
[17] IF YOU CANNOT…
If you cannot even commit to avoid all evils,
how can you commit to do all good.
If you cannot even commit to do all good,
how can you commit to be pure?
– Stonepeace
[18] PRECEPTS’ ESSENCE
When there is complete resolution to uphold all the Precepts, there will be no hesitation to receive the entire Precepts’ Essence (戒体) without any sense of discount. Since there is no teaching or way to visualise receiving selective parts of the Essence, just go for all of it wholeheartedly to be ‘reborn’ a Bodhisattva.
With the Precepts’ Essence received properly with understanding, it becomes easier to intuitively know that is right or wrong, and harder to break the Precepts, because the Bodhisattva Precepts are from our Buddha-nature (佛性), which also help us to align to it.
[19] EXACT WAY
Even if there are alternative ways of practice proposed taken up, it is best to ALSO practise the exact way taught by the Buddha, for true peace of mind. Do not dare to propose that not taught by the Buddha. Even repentance methods should be based on that taught by the Buddha.
[20] LENIENCY
Moral laxity is for the less diligent,
whom we should not be.
– Stonepeace
[21] LEEWAY
The more leeway you give yourself, away from the Precepts’ expected criteria, the further away you will be from actual Bodhisattva practice, away from the goal of Buddhahood.
[22] INTERPRETATIONS
When teachers teach differently
on morality and truth,
listen to the teachings of the ultimate teacher –
the Buddha.
– Stonepeace
When encountering different interpretations upon enquiry, those closer to the spirit and letter of the Precepts will be more sound for following, for the physical and spiritual welfare of one and all.
[23] COMPLETE COMMITMENT
It is best to commit to ALL the Bodhisattva Precepts. Here is a worldly example why… If one marries another, but refuses to abide by an aspect of the marriage vows, is this person married properly? Of course not. Will the marriage feel secure to both parties? Of course not. If complete commitment matters even for such worldly matters, all the more does it matter for spiritual matters, for vows to be upheld for life after life until Buddhahood, for the welfare of one and all.
[24] DOUBTS
When in doubt about dos and don’ts, study the actual Precepts in the Buddha’s words again and again to contemplate on the Buddha’s actual intention, based on his perfect compassion and wisdom.
[25] STRICTNESS
We learn from the Buddhas
because they are the strictest teachers,
who inspire us to be the best students,
who thus become Buddhas too.
– Stonepeace
[26] BEST
We should do our BEST to observe the Precepts committed to, what more for life after life. Being unenlightened, we cannot observe them perfectly yet, but we can do our BEST. And keep doing BETTER.
[27] GOOD EXAMPLES
To your shock, you might realise that some (or even many) attending the ceremony for receiving the Precepts do not really understand or plan to live up fully to the moral commitments expected. Do NOT think that since there are those like that, it is alright to be one of them too.
It is NOT alright to follow bad examples. It is also NOT alright to become another bad example. Aspiring Bodhisattvas should always look to the Buddhas as the best examples to emulate; and not use imperfect lax Buddhists as guides.
[28] ALL ARE IMPORTANT
Do not study only the Heavy Precepts and neglect the Light Precepts. Although they are ‘light’, this is only relatively speaking. They are all important, or they would not have been taught by the Buddhas. Do NOT belittle or pay less attention to them.
For example, being veg(etari)an is a Light Precept, but it is ridiculous to think one is considered a serious Bodhisattva in practice if one is continually eating sentient beings, whom one is supposed to help and not harm. Our intentions should be aligned with our actions.
[29] QUALIFICATION
To qualify for the Bodhisattva Precepts, there should be understanding and agreement to commit to them. All should know what they are ‘signing up’ for, for life after life. Without complete understanding of that committing to, receiving of the Precepts’ Essence will be correspondingly incomplete.
[30] PROGRESS
Always aspire to be FULL wholehearted Bodhisattvas; not just ‘basic’ half-hearted Bodhisattvas. It is with this clear aspiration that there will be firm and steady spiritual progress towards Buddhahood. All Bodhisattvas should be utmost sincere, diligent and meticulous in continual learning and practice.
The ceremony for receiving the Precepts will be the most significant ceremony in your life for expressing the Bodhi Mind. With the Bodhi Mind properly given rise to and actualised, there can be attainment of High Grades of birth in Pure Land. Āmítuófó.
Related Article:
Is It Better To Not Observe Any Precepts?
https://thedailyenlightenment.com/2010/02/is-it-better-not-to-observe-any-precepts
Related Sūtra:
《梵网经菩萨戒》
Brahma Net Sūtra’s Bodhisattva Precepts
https://purelanders.com/pusa
