Five Precepts:
1. No killing.
2. No stealing .
3. No sexual misconduct.
4. No lying .
5. No intoxicants.
Why should one keep the Five Precepts?
In order to:
Do no evil, yet.
Reverently practice good deeds.
Do not kill; do not steal; do not commit sexual misconduct; do not engage in false speech; do not take intoxicants. If you observe the Five precepts, you do not do these five kinds of evil deeds and you instead practice good acts.
"Why should one refrain from killing? It is because all living beings have a life; they love their life and do not wish to die. Even one of the smallest creatures, the mosquito, when it approaches to bite you, will fly away if you make the slightest motion. Why does it fly away? Because it fears death. It figures that if it drinks your blood you will take its life. From this you can see that all living beings love life and do not wish to die. Especially people. Everyone wants to live and no one wants to die. Although people sometimes commit suicide, ordinarily people do not seek death. Suicide is a special exception to the principle. That is why we should nurture compassionate thought. Since we wish to live, we should not kill any other living beings. That explains the precept against killing.
"Stealing. If you don't steal, no one will steal from you. Many of you have heard this verse I wrote:
If in this life you don't cage birds,
in future lives you will not sit in jail.
If in this life you do not fish,
in future lives you will not beg for food.
If in this life you do not kill,
in future lives you'll suffer no disasters.
If in this life you do not steal,
in future lives you won't be robbed.
If in this life you commit no sexual misconduct,
in future lives you will not be divorced.
If in this life you do not lie,
in future lives you will not be deceived.
If in this life you do not take intoxicants,
in future lives you will not go insane . . .
