“Mendicants, there are these eight kinds of overflowing merit, overflowing goodness. They nurture happiness and are conducive to heaven, ripening in happiness and leading to heaven. They lead to what is likable, desirable, agreeable, to welfare and happiness. What eight?
(1) Firstly, a noble disciple has gone for refuge to the Buddha. This is the first kind of overflowing merit …
(2) Furthermore, a noble disciple has gone for refuge to the teaching. This is the second kind of overflowing merit …
(3) Furthermore, a noble disciple has gone for refuge to the Saṅgha. This is the third kind of overflowing merit …
Mendicants, these five gifts are great, primordial, long-standing, traditional, and ancient. They are uncorrupted, as they have been since the beginning. They’re not being corrupted now nor will they be. Sensible ascetics and brahmins don’t look down on them. What five?
(1) Firstly, a noble disciple gives up killing living creatures. By so doing they give to countless sentient beings the gift of freedom from fear, enmity, and ill will. And they themselves also enjoy unlimited freedom from fear, enmity, and ill will.This is the first gift that is a great offering, primordial, long-standing, traditional, and ancient. It is uncorrupted, as it has been since the beginning. It’s not being corrupted now nor will it be. Sensible ascetics and brahmins don’t look down on it. This is the fourth kind of overflowing merit …
(2) Furthermore, a noble disciple gives up stealing. …This is the fifth kind of overflowing merit …
(3) Furthermore, a noble disciple gives up sexual misconduct. …This is the sixth kind of overflowing merit …
(4) Furthermore, a noble disciple gives up lying. …This is the seventh kind of overflowing merit …
(5) Furthermore, a noble disciple gives up alcoholic drinks that cause negligence. By so doing, they give to countless sentient beings the gift of freedom from fear, enmity, and ill will. And they themselves also enjoy unlimited freedom from fear, enmity, and ill will. This is the fifth gift that is a great offering, primordial, long-standing, traditional, and ancient. It is uncorrupted, as it has been since the beginning. It’s not being corrupted now nor will it be. Sensible ascetics and brahmins don’t look down on it. This is the eighth kind of overflowing merit …
These are the eight kinds of overflowing merit, overflowing goodness. They nurture happiness and are conducive to heaven, ripening in happiness and leading to heaven. They lead to what is likable, desirable, agreeable, to welfare and happiness.”
The Buddha introduces the five precepts as five gifts that one can offer to all beings. A development of confidence in the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha along with the five precepts form eight streams of overflowing merit. This is because training in ethical conduct not only promotes harmony and prevents bad rebirths, but it also forms a basis for attaining the higher goals of the spiritual life.
The precepts are not meant as commandments, rather they’re to be seen as guidelines. They’re not to be seen as black and white, rather there is a degree of grey area where one should be observing for minimization of harm being put out as a way to determine the correct action.
When there is a minimization of harm being put out, one should continue experiencing:
- Improved condition of the mind, and
- Improvements in personal and professional relationships
Observing for continued improvements in both of these areas forms a solid basis for avoiding stagnation and for progressing in the teachings.
Further developments:
Development of ethical conduct has further areas of development, rooted in the principles of promoting harmony.
(2) The second precept can be interpreted as not taking what is not given, and awaiting for something to be given. When developed in this way and cultivated to maturity, this precept promotes harmony with all beings, and keeping it in mind guards against seeing anything as belonging to me, as me, or seeing me in another.
(3) The third precept can be interpreted as having sexual contact only in a committed relationship, and with consensus. For ordained practitioners, this precept is modified as a practice of celibacy.
(4) The fourth precept can be interpreted as including all forms of modern communications -text based, picture/video based and voice based. In the other teachings, the Buddha shares on the following guidelines:
- Avoiding false speech: This is covered in the above teaching. One should in all cases avoid using false speech.
- Avoiding gossip (excitement): You may still exchange pleasantries with others, this is primarily about not taking excitement in talking, in texting, in any form of conversation, in the consumption of social media.
- Avoiding use of divisive speech: Speech that may be based in facts but one that divides a group of people, or is harsh should be not used.
- Speaking gently, with a heart of love: Speech should be spoken gently, maintaining politeness, friendliness and with a heart of love.
- Spoken at the right time: Disagreeable or agreeable speech should be spoken at the right time, while keeping all the other factors in mind.
“And what, bhikkhus, is right speech? Abstinence from false speech, abstinence from divisive speech, abstinence from harsh speech, abstinence from idle chatter: this is called right speech.
- SN 45.8
Note: The precept doesn’t imply sugarcoating. One may use disagreeable speech in the right context while considering all of the factors in mind, still being gentle, polite and maintaining a heart of love.
(5) The fifth precept can be interpreted as avoiding consumption of any substance that causes heedlessness, a decrease or loss of awareness of the mind.
One can consider building up their training of the higher mind through further developments, considering each practice as forming of a new habit, and focusing on it until it becomes easy, automatic and second nature. Read more on the science of habit ↗️
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