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Precepts.
There are some situations when precepts are hard or even impossible to keep. What do you think ? And what kind of solutions can you give to these poor people( could be anyone ) who are forced to meet such conditions ?
1.For instance if you're in the army you're forced to kill animals for food or enemies even though you wish to keep the precepts intact.
If you're poor and lived in a poor country there are only few jobs which one could uptake such as being a fisherman or a butcher.
2. White lies. Lies said for the good of others. Does this violates the precept of not lying ?
3. Promises made but one doesn't mean it. For example making empty promises when one is drunk.
4. Promises that are harmful. For example someone promised to kill someone etc. This kind of promises are harmful and if one breaks it, it means the precept is broken. If it is followed another precept is broken. What a dilema...
Share your throughts
1.For instance if you're in the army you're forced to kill animals for food or enemies even though you wish to keep the precepts intact.
If you're poor and lived in a poor country there are only few jobs which one could uptake such as being a fisherman or a butcher.
2. White lies. Lies said for the good of others. Does this violates the precept of not lying ?
3. Promises made but one doesn't mean it. For example making empty promises when one is drunk.
4. Promises that are harmful. For example someone promised to kill someone etc. This kind of promises are harmful and if one breaks it, it means the precept is broken. If it is followed another precept is broken. What a dilema...
Share your throughts
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Comments
Precepts are not Laws but principles that form the Moral guidance of the path.
For example, white lies have their karmic payload irrespective of the good intentions behind them.
namaste
1. Don't join the army to begin with?
Poor people: would depend on the situation.
2. Depends on the situation. "Does this dress make me look fat?" No, it looks fine" comes to mind.
3. Don't make empty promises and don't get drunk?
4. Don't make harmful promises?
One of the skillful ways to keep the precepts is to not put yourself in a situation that would require you to break them to begin with.
2. Yes, that's a violation.
3. One wouldn't be drunk in the first place... so that's two violations.
3. Yes, making a promise to kill someone is unskilful... and there's intent to kill. Then through good intent you break the promise... that seems like a neutral action (cancels each other out), but the initial promise to kill would be bad karma to begin with.
Buddhist precepts aren't commandment... you're not going to hell for braking them. They're for your own good, so stick to them to the level that you can and want to.
And people are rarely forced to kill for food, there is usually some form of vegetation around. However if there are only animals, then I think it would be stubbornness to let yourself starve to death, a dead man can't reach enlightenment.
Sometimes situations are beyond our control. This fact needs to be accepted. However, as I said before there are almost always alternatives. The alternatives might be a lot harder than the obvious solution, and may involve a lot more work or hardship, but they are usually there.
Not in my opinion. Better yet though is to stay silent, or deflect the conversation into other areas.
Depends on the promise. Being intoxicated is no excuse for not keeping your word. But it depends on what that promise is.
That's not a dilemma. That's being stupid. Promising to kill someone is one of the daftest things I've ever heard, no one who endeavors even slightly to follow the precepts would do such a thing.
Yes, your right about that. Well, lets say right view and right intentions
Now I know more about the precepts.
answers will come easier with wisdom and especially patience.
1. Don't join the army/be a draft dodger/be court-martialed/become a "religious" and be a chaplain in the army/be a medic in the army ... oh, so many ways. ... I lived in the Ozarks for 3 years, living off the land, jobs were scarce and openings went to relatives ... I didn't have to resort to being a fisher or butcher.
2. A lie is a lie is a lie ... says my teacher (a monk since age 12, from the Dalai Lama's monastery). White lies are told for the good of our comfort ... misleading others (no dear, your butt doesn't look big) is not really doing them a favor. "Always tell the truth, but never tell an unkind truth" is a good way to live.
3. This is why Buddhists shouldn't drink ... so they can be fully aware and alert and not say things they don't mean (like, "yes, I'll still respect you in the morning" or is that a white lie?)
4. Again, don't make promises that are harmful.
None of the Precepts are impossible to keep. Yes, some are difficult to keep, and I'm sure it depends on the individual as to which ones are difficult. For me, it's not swatting mosquitoes.