To begin with, we should make it clear that Buddhist precepts are not equivalent to commandments in that precepts are training rules that are voluntarily undertaken rather than edicts or commands dictated by a higher power and/or authority.

In essence, these precepts are undertaken to protect oneself, as well as others, from the results of unwholesome actions. Actions are considered unwholesome when they arise out of the mental defilements of greed, hatred and delusion. Continue reading →