Śīla
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Śīla (Sanskrit) or sīla (Pāli) in Buddhism is virtue,[1] good conduct,[2] morality,[3] moral discipline[4] and precept.[5] It is an action that is an intentional effort. It is one of the three practices — sīla, samādhi and paññā and the second pāramitā. It is moral purity of thought, word, and deed. Sīla is overall (principles of) ethical behavior.
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Levels of sila
There are several levels of sila, which correspond to the basic morality of five precepts, the basic morality with asceticism of eight precepts, novice ordination's ten precepts and full ordination's vinaya or patimokkha. Laypeople generally undertake to live by the five precepts which are common to all Buddhist schools. If they wish, they can choose to undertake the eight precepts, which have some additional precepts of basic asceticism.
Five Precepts
The five precepts are not given in the form of commands, but are training guidelines to help one live a life in which one is happy, without worries, and able to meditate well.[6] They are:
- To refrain from taking life
- To refrain from taking that which is not freely given (stealing)
- To refrain from sexual misconduct (improper sexual behavior)
- To refrain from lying and deceiving
- To refrain from intoxicants, which lead to a loss of mindfulness.
In Buddhist thought, the cultivation of giving (dāna) and ethical conduct will themselves refine consciousness to such a level that rebirth in one of the lower heavens is likely,[7] even if there is no further Buddhist practice. There is nothing improper or un-Buddhist about limiting one's aims to this level of attainment, although by itself it does not gain one nirvāna or end suffering.[6]
Eight Precepts
On a higher level than the five precepts, the eight precepts specify the provision of an atmosphere for meditating by practicing celibacy and avoiding all other entertainments.
In the eight precepts, the third precept on sexual misconduct is made more strict and becomes a precept of celibacy.
The three additional rules of the eight precepts are:
- To refrain from eating at the wrong time (By only eating from sunrise to noon, one ensures that all food eaten in a day is digested before nightfall.)
- To refrain from all entertainments and decorations (e.g., dancing, wearing jewelry, watching movies, going to shows, etc. This especially includes entertainments that bring the viewer's mind to sexual imagery.)
- To refrain from using a high, luxurious bed, or beds that provide extraneous softness or comfort
Ten Precepts
Novice-monks use the ten precepts, which are the basic precepts for monastics: people who have left the domestic life and live in monasteries.
Patimokkha
Vinaya is the specific moral code for nuns and monks . It includes the patimokkha, a set of rules (227 for monks in the Theravādin recension). The precise content of the scriptures on vinaya (vinayapiṭaka) differ slightly according to different schools, and different schools or subschools set different standards for the degree of adherence to the vinaya.
Mahāyāna Precepts
In Mahāyāna Buddhism, there is also a distinctive vinaya and ethics for bodhisattvas contained within the Mahāyāna Brahmajala Sutra (not to be confused with the Pāli text of that name). Here the eating of meat, for example, is frowned upon and vegetarianism is actively encouraged (See: vegetarianism in Buddhism). These precepts are, however, not present in the strictest moral code of the Theravādin patimokkha and are generally understood to have come into existence at least 500 years after the Buddha.
See also
- Buddhist ethics
- Threefold Training
- Vinaya
Notes
- ↑ Gethin (1998), p. 170; Harvey (2007), p. 199; Ñāṇamoli (1999), pp. 3 passim; Nyanatiloka (1988), entry for "sīla"; Thanissaro (1999); and, Warder (2004), p. 100.
- ↑ Gethin (1998), p. 170.
- ↑ Gombrich (2002), p. 89; Nyanatiloka (1988), entry for "sīla"; and Saddhatissa (1987), pp. 54, 56.
- ↑ Bodhi (2005), p. 153.
- ↑ "Sīla" is particularly translated as "precept" in the context of the five precepts (pañca-sīlā), although even here Harvey (2007) uses the more literal translation of "five virtues."
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Stewart McFarlane in Peter Harvey, ed., Buddhism. Continuum, 2001, pages 195-196.
- ↑ Maha-parinibbana Sutta, section 24 (Chinese parallel found in the 遊行經 of Taisho Tripitaka Vol. 1, No. 1 長阿含經, CBETA
Sources
- Bodhi, Bhikkhu (2005). In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon. Boston: Wisdom Publications. ISBN 0-86171-491-1.
- Gethin, Rupert (1998). The Foundations of Buddhism. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-289223-1.
- Gombrich, Richard (2002). Theravāda Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benares to Modern Colombo. London: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-07585-8.
- Harvey, Peter (1990). An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History and Practices. Cambridge: Cambridge University. ISBN 0-521-31333-3.
- Ñāṇamoli, Bhikkhu (trans.) (1999). The Path of Purification: Visuddhimagga. Seattle, WA: BPS Pariyatti Editions. ISBN 1-928706-00-2.
- Nyanatiloka Mahathera (1988). Buddhist Dictionary: Manual of Buddhist Terms and Doctrines. Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society. ISBN 955-24-0019-8. Retrieved 2008-02-17 from "BuddhaSasana" at http://www.budsas.org/ebud/bud-dict/dic_idx.htm.
- Saddhatissa, Hammalawa (1987). Buddhist Ethics: The Path to Nirvāna. London: Wisdom Publications. ISBN 0-86171-53-3.
- Thanissaro Bhikkhu (1999). The Ten Perfections: A Study Guide. Retrieved 2008-02-17 from "Access to Insight" at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/study/perfections.html.
- Warder, A.K. (2004). Indian Buddhism. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 81-208-1741-9.
External links
- Sila as explained in the Buddhist Encyclopedia.
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