AMIDA DHARMA - Fascicle 14. The twelve moral precepts

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1.Amida Dharma is neither an instrument to justify blind passions nor institutionalize them as normal behavior. Indeed, in its saving activity, Amida Buddha makes no distinction between virtuous and non-virtuous people. But making no distinction, out of Great Compassion, between them, saving them and leading them to His Pure Land  does not mean that He supports or encourages evil. It is extremely important to not confuse being saved as you are with the idea that all your actions are now worthy and good or that the Buddhas agree with them.

Amida saves us because we are incapable and miserable, destined to be reborn in hell or other lower realms of existence if we were left alone, at the mercy of the consequences of our deeds and because He has great compassion for all beings, but not because He agrees with our evil deeds! Instead of praising and justifying our blind passions, we should be ashamed of them and be grateful for the unconditional help offered by Amida Buddha.

2. Everybody should try, even if he does not succeed, to observe the twelve moral precepts. These show how all Buddhas would like us to behave towards other beings, whether they are human beings or in other forms of existence.

3.The first moral precept:

You should not yourself kill any being nor encourage others to kill, kill by expedient means, praise killing, rejoice at witnessing killing, or kill through incantations or deviant mantras. You must not wish somebody’s death and do not create the causes, conditions, methods, or karma of killing. You should not make abortion, do not praise abortion and do not encourage others to make abortions.

You should nurture a mind of compassion and filial piety, always devising expedient means to rescue and protect all beings.

4. The second moral precept:

Do not eat any kind of meat and do not encourage others to eat meat. Do not approve or praise meat-eating.

You must not create the causes, conditions, methods or karma of eating meat. This is because all beings have been, throughout past lives, our parents, brothers, and sisters and because the consumption of meat encourages the killing of even more beings. You should nurture a mind of filial piety towards all beings and encourage others to think the same.

5. The third moral precept:

You should not yourself steal, praise stealing, or encourage others to steal, steal by expedient means, and steal by means of incantation or deviant mantras.

Do not rejoice at witnessing the act of stealing.

You must not create the causes, conditions, methods or karma of stealing. You should not steal any valuables or possessions, even those belonging to ghosts and spirits or thieves and robbers, be they as small as a needle or blade of grass.

Be honest and encourage others to be honest and never steal.

6. The fourth moral precept:

You should not practice sexual misconduct nor encourage others to practice sexual misconduct. Do not cheat on your woman or man, do not desire the woman of another man, nor the man of another woman, do not have sex with the woman of another man, or the man of another woman. If you are born as a man, you may have sex only with someone who is a woman by birth and if you are born as a woman, you may have sex with someone who is a man by birth.

No one should have gay or lesbian sex.

Do not have sex with those below the normal age to start their sex life, with non-human beings, with your own parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, and first cousins. Do not have sex with those who have taken vows of sexual abstinence. Do not encourage prostitution and do not go to prostitutes.

Do not have sex in inappropriate places, that is, in temples, outside the house, near sacred objects, near bodies or in cemeteries. Don't have sex at the wrong time, that is, during the day. Do not have sex in the wrong holes, i.e. those that are not made for sex, such as mouth and anus. Do not have sexual relations that cause injury or in ways that are physically or mentally harmful.

Don't rape anybody. Do not rejoice at seeing any kind of sexual misconduct, and do not promote or approve sexual misconduct. Do not create the causes, conditions, methods or karma of sexual misconduct.

Encourage all beings to have a right sexual behavior and protect the normal union between man and woman.

7.The fifth moral precept:

You should not practice wrong speech nor encourage others to practice wrong speech. Do not create the causes, conditions, methods or karma of wrong speech.

Do not use untrue words, do not lie by any means, do not encourage others to lie, do not approve lying, and do not enjoy hearing lies. Do not lie indirectly by physical or mental means. An example of a lie by physical means is to lie by shaking your head or by other gestures of the body. An example of a lie by mental means is when someone who made a mistake is silent if asked who is guilty.

Do not lie about your spiritual attainments. Do not use aggressive and harmful language. Don't curse, don’t insult and don’t swear anybody.

Don't boast about yourself and don't denigrate others. Don't gossip, don’t engage in frivolous or idle talk. Open your mouth only if you have something useful to say, if what you say helps beings on the Path to liberation, if your intention is correct and unselfish, if you can speak kindly, and if it is the right time.

Encourage all beings to have a right speech.

8.The sixth moral precept:

Do not drink alcohol or consume any addictive intoxicants that blur your mind. Do not give or sell alcohol or any other addictive and intoxicating substances that blur your mind. Do not create the causes, conditions, methods or karma of the consumption and sale of any type of alcohol and intoxicants, because they can be the causes of all types of sins. Do not approve, encourage or praise the consumption of alcohol and intoxicants. Encourage beings to have a balanced life, and to keep their minds clear.

9. The seventh moral precept:

Do not to earn your living from hunting, fishing, breeding, killing or selling animals and humans, nor from slavery, prostitution, the production and sale of weapons or poisons, and from any activity that affects the mind and body of sentient beings. Do not create the causes, conditions, methods or karma of these activities. Do not encourage others to do these activities or earn their living from them. Do not approve them and do not praise them.

Advise all beings to earn their living without hurting others.

10. The eight moral precept:

Don't be greedy and stingy. Do not encourage others to be greedy and stingy. Do not approve or praise greed and stinginess.Do not create the causes, conditions, methods or karma of greed and stinginess.

Be generous, help others and encourage all beings to be generous and to care for one another in a true spirit of friendship and filial piety.

11.The ninth moral precept:

Don't be angry and don't hate anybody. Don't encourage others to hate and be angry. Do not create the causes, conditions, methods or karma of anger and hatred. Don't be aggressive with other beings and don't hit them.

Encourage beings to be calm, loving, and reconcile with one another.

12. The tenth moral precept:

Do not destroy your family and do not encourage others to destroy their families. Do not create the causes, methods or karma of destroying your family or other people’s families. Do not neglect your parents and elders in the family. Don't neglect your children. The man should respect his woman and the woman should respect her man. Parents should respect their children and children should respect their parents. Take care of your family, protect them, and provide them with food, shelter and everything they need. Offer them Dharma and help them to entrust themselves to Amida Buddha.

Encourage all beings to care for their family, to live in harmony with one another, and to have faith inAmida Buddha.

Think that all beings have been your parents, brothers and sisters in the course of countless lifetimes since the beginningless past.

13.The eleventh moral precept:

Do not denigrate your spiritual teachers and colleagues in the Sangha and do not encourage others to do so.

Look upon your spiritual teachers as your own parents and your colleagues in the Sangha as your spiritual brothers and sisters. If you are a teacher you should regard your students as your own children and as your spiritual brothers and sisters, and do not consider yourself to be superior to them.

You should not have negative thoughts towards Sangha teachers and colleagues and do not cause them any harm, neither in deed nor in word. Respect them and help them when needed. Contribute to the well-being of your spiritual family and ensure that an atmosphere of learning and devotion is preserved. Do not bring your worldly concerns, blind passions and personal opinions to the Sangha and do not create divisions within the community.

You should not have spiritual teachers who follow non-Buddhist paths and do not entrust in Amida. You should not encourage others to have this kind of teachers.

Do not create the causes, methods, or karma of the above sins against spiritual teachers and colleagues.

Encourage all beings to respect their teachers and colleagues in the Sangha.

14.The twelfth moral precept:

You should not follow and promote views that are against Buddhist teaching. Do not encourage others to follow or promote them.

Do not create the causes, methods or karma of adhering to visions that are against Buddhist teaching.

Regard the Buddhist teaching as supreme among all religions and teachings of the world, and in such a way you should present it to other beings. Never place the Buddha on the same level with other non-Buddhist spirits or deities. Don't put the sign of equality between Dharma and non-Buddhist teachings. Do not mix Buddhist teaching with elements of other religions and teachings. Do not slander and denigrate the Dharma. Do not encourage others to slander and denigrate the Dharma.

Encourage all beings to follow the Buddha-Dharma exclusively, to have faith in Amida Buddha, say His Name, and wish to be born in His Pure Land.

15.TheAmida Dharma follower should try to lead a moral life but never think that if he fails in this attempt he is abandoned by Amida Buddha. Also, he should not look down on those who break any of the twelve precepts because there is no one who is without error.

16. With great love and great compassion, Amida Buddha regards all beings as His own children and does not discriminate between the good and the evil, wishing to bring them all to His Pure Land. However, the only ones He cannot save, because they themselves close the gates of salvation, are those who deny His existence and the existence of His Pure Land, those who slander and denigrate the Dharma, who promote and adhere to non-Buddhist views in violation of the twelfth precept and the meaning of refuge in Buddha and Dharma, as well as those who cannot hear the true teaching because they do not listen to Buddhist teachers with faith in Amida but follow heretics or teachers of non-Buddhist religions, contrary to the instructions of the eleventh precept and the meaning of refuge in the Sangha. These people are not punished or excluded by Amida, but they self-exclude themselves, severing any karmic connection with Amida and His Dharma.

17. So, do everything you can in your daily life to live up to the twelve precepts, but do not feel discouraged if you are not a moral person. As long as you do not cut off your ties with Amida and do not close yourself to the true teaching, you will surely be born in the Pure Land through the saving power of Amida Buddha.

18.Do not think that if you behave well today you deserve more to be born in the Pure Land and if you failed at doing something this will be a hindrance to being born there. The Pure Land and the Path to the Pure Land were created by Amida Buddha and depend on the Power of Amida, not on your so-called moral abilities.

Do not think you are better than others, but humble yourself and believe you are the lowest of the low. Do not be proud, but throw yourself at the feet of Amida Buddha and thank Him for the unconditional salvation He offers to you.

19.Since Amida himself does not discriminate between the virtuous and the non-virtuous, there should be no such discrimination in the Sangha either. Anyone who comes to the temple must be welcomed if the reason for his coming there is to listen to the teaching and receive faith in Amida. The temple is not a courtroom, but a place of acceptance and faith. All those who attend the services and Dharma talks should be focused only on this, leaving aside any worldly concerns and non-Buddhist teachings. Also, they should be respectful of one another and maintain a spirit of brotherhood because they are all part of the same spiritual family.

20. There is no difference between Nembutsu said by a saint or Nembutsu said by a prostitute.

There is no difference between Nembutsu said by a virtuous person or Nembutsu said by a sinner.

There is no difference between the Nembutsu of the good and the Nembutsu of the evil.

There is no difference between the Nembutsu of the wise and the Nembutsu of the fool.

There is no difference between Nembutsu said by a god, spirit or demon and Nembutsu said by a human being.

There are no such differences because Nembutsu does not belong to them and does not depend on them. Nembutsu is the Name of Amida Buddha which is good in itself, virtuous in itself, perfect in itself, all-powerful and all-liberating.

The mouth that says Nembutsu does not defile the Name, but the Name blesses the mouth that says it.

21.Out of love for all beings, Amida offered His Name and invited everyone to say it in faith. Amida's Name is the invincible and indestructible ship with which we cross the endless ocean of repeated births and deaths.

22. The Name of Amida sounds good on anyone's lips because the Name does not exorcise, destroy, or judge, but accepts and saves everyone as it is.

23. All beings, without any discriminations of good and evil, moral or immoral, are equally saved by Amida if they entrust to Him, say His Name and wish to be born in His Pure Land after death.