Śīla (Sanskrit) or sīla (Pāli) is usually rendered into English as "behavioral discipline", "morality", or ethics. It is often translated as "precept". It is an action that is an intentional effort. It is one of the three practices (sīla - samadhi - paññā) and the second pāramitā. It refers to moral purity of thought, word, and deed. The four conditions of śīla are chastity, calmness, quiet, and extinguishment, i.e. no longer being susceptible to perturbation by the passions. The Sanskrit language ( , for short ) is an old Indo-Aryan language from the Indian Subcontinent, the classical literary language of the Hindus of India[1], a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, and one of the 23 official languages of India. ... Pāli is a Middle Indo-Aryan dialect or prakrit. ... Pāramitā (Sanskrit) or Parami (Pāli): Perfection or Transcendent. In Buddhism, the Paramitas refer to the perfection or culmination of certain practices. ...

sīla refers to overall (principles of) ethical behaviour. There are several levels of sila, which correspond to 'basic morality' (five precepts), 'basic morality with asceticism' (eight precepts), 'novice monkhood' (ten precepts) and 'monkhood' (Vinaya or Patimokkha). Laypeople generally undertake to live by the five precepts which are common to all Buddhist schools. If they wish, they can choose to undertake the eight precepts, which have some additional precepts of basic asceticism. This article is about the Buddhist concept; see Pancasila Indonesia for the Indonesian state philosophy. ... The Eight Precepts are the precepts for Buddhist lay men and women who wish to practice a bit more strictly than the usual five precepts for Buddhists. ... The Ten Precepts (Pali: dasasila or samanerasikkha) are the precepts or training-rules for samaneras (male) and samaneris (female), also referred to as novice monks or nuns. ... The Vinaya (a word in Pali as well as in Sanskrit, with literal meaning discipline) is the textual framework for the Buddhist monastic community, or sangha. ... In Buddhism, the Patimokkha is the basic Theravada code of monastic discipline, consisting of 227 rules for fully ordained monks (bhikkhus) and 311 for nuns (bhikkhunis). ... Pancasila or pañca-sila is the fundamental code of Buddhist ethics, willingly undertaken by lay followers of Gautama Buddha. ... The Eight Precepts are the precepts for Buddhist lay men and women who wish to practice a bit more strictly than the usual five precepts for Buddhists. ...

Five Precepts

Main article: The Five Precepts

The five precepts are not given in the form of commands such as "thou shalt not ...", but are training rules in order to live a better life in which one is happy, without worries, and can meditate well. The five precepts (Pali: Pañcasīla, Sanskrit: Pañcaśīla Ch: 五戒 wǔ jiè, Sinhala: පන්සිල්) constitute the basic Buddhist code of ethics, undertaken by lay followers of the Buddha Gautama. ... This article is about the Buddhist concept; see Pancasila Indonesia for the Indonesian state philosophy. ...

1. To refrain from taking life.
2. To refrain from taking that which is not freely given (stealing).
3. To refrain from sensual misconduct (improper sexual behavior).
4. To refrain from lying.
5. To refrain from intoxicants which lead to loss of mindfulness.

Eight Precepts

Main article: The Eight Precepts

In the eight precepts, the third precept on sexual misconduct is made more strict, and becomes a precept of celibacy. The Eight Precepts are the precepts for Buddhist lay men and women who wish to practice a bit more strictly than the usual five precepts for Buddhists. ... The Eight Precepts are the precepts for Buddhist lay men and women who wish to practice a bit more strictly than the usual five precepts for Buddhists. ...

The three additional rules of the eight precepts are:

6. To refrain from eating at the wrong time (only eat from sunrise to noon).
7. To refrain from dancing, using jewellery, going to shows, etc.
8. To refrain from using a high, luxurious bed.

Ten Precepts

Main article: The Ten Precepts

Novice-monks use the ten precepts, which are the basic precepts for monastics: people who have left the home-life and live in monasteries. The Ten Precepts (Pali: dasasila or samanerasikkha) are the precepts or training-rules for samaneras (male) and samaneris (female), also referred to as novice monks or nuns. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into sangha. ... The Ten Precepts (Pali: dasasila or samanerasikkha) are the precepts or training-rules for samaneras (male) and samaneris (female), also referred to as novice monks or nuns. ...

Patimokkha

Main article: Patimokkha

Vinaya is the specific moral code for monks. In includes the Patimokkha, a set of 227 rules in the Theravadin recension. The precise content of the vinayapitaka (scriptures on Vinaya) differ slightly according to different schools, and different schools or subschools set different standards for the degree of adherence to Vinaya. [ In Buddhism, the Patimokkha is the basic Theravada code of monastic discipline, consisting of 227 rules for fully ordained monks (bhikkhus) and 311 for nuns (bhikkhunis). ... The Vinaya (a word in Pali as well as in Sanskrit, with literal meaning discipline) is the textual framework for the Buddhist monastic community, or sangha. ... In Buddhism, the Patimokkha is the basic Theravada code of monastic discipline, consisting of 227 rules for fully ordained monks (bhikkhus) and 311 for nuns (bhikkhunis). ... The Vinaya Pitaka is the first of three parts that make up the Tripitaka. ...

Mahayana Precepts

In Mahayana Buddhism, there is also a distinctive Vinaya and ethics contained within the Mahayana Brahmajala Sutra (not to be confused with the Pali text of that name) for Bodhisattvas, where, for example, the eating of meat is frowned upon and vegetarianism is actively encouraged (see vegetarianism in Buddhism). These precepts are, however, not present in the strictest moral code of the Theravadin Patimokkha, and are generally understood to have come in existence at least 500 years after the Buddha. Relief image of the bodhisattva Kuan Yin from Mt. ... Vairochana as described in the Brahmajala Sutta The Brahmajala Sutta is the first sutta of 34 suttas in Digha Nikaya, the Long Discourses of Buddha. ... Prince Siddhartha Gautama as a bodhisattva, before becoming a Buddha. ... In Buddhism, the views on vegetarianism vary from school to school. ... Theravada (Pali; Sanskrit: Sthaviravada) is one of the eighteen (or twenty) Nikāya schools that formed early in the history of Buddhism. ... In Buddhism, the Patimokkha is the basic Theravada code of monastic discipline, consisting of 227 rules for fully ordained monks (bhikkhus) and 311 for nuns (bhikkhunis). ...

The Mahayana precept against eating meat is specifically against the instructions of Gautama Buddha, who allowed monks to eat meat, making a distinction between eating meat and the act of killing. This he did in response to a request by Devadatta to forbid the eating of meat by monks. Standing Buddha sculpture, ancient region of Gandhara, northern Pakistan, 1st century CE, Musée Guimet. ... Devadatta was a Buddhist monk recorded as having attempted to create a schism in the sangha, or monastic community, by putting forward a modified set of rules (vinaya) for monks to follow. ...

See also

• Vinaya
• Buddhist ethics

The Vinaya (a word in Pali as well as in Sanskrit, with literal meaning discipline) is the textual framework for the Buddhist monastic community, or sangha. ... // Buddhisms ethical foundation for laypeople is the Pancasila: no killing, stealing, lying, sexual misconduct, or intoxicants. ...

External links

• Entry on Sila in the Buddhist Dictionary, a Manual of Buddhist Terms and Doctrines, by Nyanatiloka
• Sila as explained in the Buddhist Encyclopedia.
• Digital Dictionary of Buddhism (log in with userID "guest")