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Five Virtues and Five Precepts
April 14, 2023
Master Guancheng
In traditional Chinese culture, the five virtues are Ren benevolence, Yi righteousness, Li ritual propriety, Zhi wisdom, and Xin 诚信. If everyone adhered to these principles in their dly lives, they would become noble individuals and righteous heroes. In fact, while these concepts have roots in Confucianism, their essence aligns with the Buddhist precepts that form the foundation of a person's moral character.
The Buddhist five precepts consist of: not killing, no theft, no lustful behavior, no false speech, and abstning from intoxicants. These guidelines are fundamental for lay Buddhists to follow. The Mahayana sutra Great Vehicle proclms: “Virtue is the ultimate source of Bodhisattva path. One should mntn clean and pure virtue.
What does the term 'virtue' signify? Virtue essentially means the prevention of immoral acts and the discouragement of evil actions. When comparing it to the Confucian five virtues, not killing can be seen as an embodiment of benevolence; fling to steal is akin to righteousness; abstning from lustful behavior corresponds with propriety; avoiding intoxicants relates to wisdom; while not telling lies aligns with fth.
The principle not to kill means refrning from causing harm to life. This compassion grows infinitely into the essence of观世音 Bodhisattva's great compassion. It says, “Never will I sacrifice my own life but誓 not to cause any living being’s death.” Confucius also states that “without empathy 仁慈, a is not worth mentioning.” Hence, compassionate individuals do not engage in indiscriminate killings.
No theft refers to abstning from stealing others' possessions. Theft originates from greed; when one takes what isn't theirs without permission and at the expense of harming others for personal gn, it's completely unrighteous conduct.
The proverb vices originate with lustful desires. The consequences of such are profound. Such as tearing apart families, spreading diseases, even causing killings among people, all of which are catastrophic. For in-home Buddhists, any extra-marital affrs, prostitution, or sexual relationships between unmarried individuals fall under the category of 'lustful behavior', thus it is regarded as a lack of propriety.
No false speech means telling the truth and avoiding deceitful mislead others. The Buddha proclms in the Diamond Sutra: Buddha is truthful, genuine, true, not deceptive, and speaks the same words. Lying, gossiping, cursing, and flattery are considered part of ten evil deeds, which stem from greed, anger, and ignorance. Gossip involves attempting to create discord among others by spreading malicious rumors; cursing uses harsh language to insult people; flattery uses pretentious compliments that have no substance.
Abstning from intoxicants generally refers to avoiding alcohol or drugs that could impr one's mind and actions. Individuals often lose their judgment due to excessive drinking, causing harm both to themselves and others such as drunk driving leading to accidents. So consuming alcohol and drugs in excess can cloud the mind and lead to immoral actions; hence, those who follow Buddhist precepts do not drink.
In summary, Confucianism's virtues of benevolence Ren, righteousness Yi, propriety Li, wisdom Zhi, fthfulness Xin are essentially the same as Buddhism's five precepts: not killing, no theft, no lustful behavior, abstning from intoxicants, and no false speech. These moral foundations are crucial for a person's character development; by ing them and practicing them earnestly, one can gradually achieve a more fulfilling personal growth.
Master Guancheng
Born in Hong Kong, he graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in Economics and Business Administration Master's Degree in 1972. In 1982, he founded the International Buddhist Society in Twan. It has since received numerous awards for contributions to society and Buddhist education.
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