Precepts | 戒律

In Buddhist precepts, there are basic "Five Precepts" that newly initiated monks (nuns) and laymen must uphold. These five basic precepts are:

在佛教戒律中，有新受戒的出家人及在家居士必須遵守的基本「五戒」。這五項基本戒律是：

No killing (refraining from taking life).

不殺生（不奪取生命）。

No stealing (refraining from taking what is not given).

不偷盜（不取非所給予之物）。

No misusing sex (for monks and nuns, refraining from sexual words and deeds; for laymen, refraining from sexual misconduct).

不邪淫（出家人須戒除淫穢言行；在家居士則須戒除不當的性行為）。

No engaging in false speech (refraining from false/wrong speech).

不妄語（不說謊言或錯誤之言）。

No indulging in intoxicants (refraining from substances or activities that lead to unhealthy psychological dependence, like gambling, inappropriate use of psychiatric medications or of alcohol, etc.).

不飲酒（避免接觸會導致不健康心理依賴的物品或活動，例如賭博、不當的使用精神科藥物或酒精等）。

It is possible for laymen or monks to observe advanced or higher level precepts, as their mental cultivation improves. These higher-level precepts are extensions and more detailed explanations of the Five Precepts. For example, the "Ten Virtuous Deeds" include the "three deeds of bodily" (no killing, no stealing, and no sexual misconduct), the four deeds of speech" (no false speech, no slanderous speech, no harsh speech, and no frivolous speech); and the three deeds of mind" (no greed, no ill will, no wrong views).

隨著心性修持的進步，在家居士或出家僧侶皆有可能持守更高階的戒律。這些更高階的戒律，是「五戒」的延伸與更詳盡的闡釋。例如，「十善」包括「身三業」（不殺生、不偷盜、不邪淫）、「語四業」（不妄語、不誹謗、不惡口、不瑣語）以及「意三業」（不貪、不瞋、不邪見）。

If we have an understanding of karma and cause and effect, we can see that observing each precept allows us to avoid the corresponding suffering. For example, observing the precept against “no killing” allows us to avoid retaliation that might result from harming others. However, when police officers are on duty, they may, in order to minimize harm to the public as a whole, inflict necessary harm on—or even kill—a specific individual. As long as the police officers do not abuse their authority to use force and are not motivated by personal interests while performing their duties, this will not be considered a violation or breach of the precept, this is just an exception of the precept.

如果我們理解業力與因果，就能明白遵守每一條戒律都能幫助我們避免相應的痛苦。例如，遵守「不殺生」戒律可以避免因傷害他人而遭受的報復。然而，當警察執勤時，為了最大程度地減少對公眾的傷害，他們可能會對特定個人造成必要的傷害，甚至將其擊斃。只要警察在執行公務時沒有濫權，也沒有出於個人利益的動機，這就不算犯戒（違反戒律），只是開戒（容許不守戒的例外情況）。

Precepts are not rigid, unbreakable restrictions or laws, but rather flexible guidelines based on the laws of karma and cause and effect. We are able to observe the precepts flexibly (observance or exception to the precept appropriately) , and to promptly repent and make amends when we inadvertently violate them, all within a framework of mutual trust and respect, is a manifestation of our capacity to take charge of our own lives.

戒律並非僵化、不可違反的限製或法則，而是基於因果因果法則的靈活指導原則。我們能夠靈活地遵守戒律（根據情況適當地持戒或開戒），並在無意中違反戒律時及時懺悔並彌補過失，一切都建立在相互信任和尊重的基礎之上，這就體現了我們有掌控自身生活的能力。