Ahhh, the Five Precepts… the bread and butter of Buddhism 🍞🧈

Are they cut-and-dried rules or are there ‘loopholes’? What do you do if you break a precept? What’s the point of keeping sīla (morality) anyway? Is it EVER okay to lie? And will a tiny sip of alcohol really harm anybody?

In this episode Khema (@khema.1) and Nalanda (@nal.jakjan) share their practice of the precepts, stories of when their sīla practice was tested, and reflections on this simple but incredibly profound teaching. 😌

Timestamps

(00:49 ) Wim Hof Breathing

(04:16 ) Motivation for the episode

(04:48 ) Khema’s relationship with sīla

(07:39 ) Nalanda’s relationship with sīla

(09:37 ) Ajahn Dtun on sīla

(12:03 ) ‘Loopholes’ in sīla practice?

(14:00 ) It’s a training, not a performance

(15:40 ) Sīla as a lifestyle

(16:46 ) Gentleness when you make mistakes

(17:12 ) It ain’t a sin

(17:57 ) ‘I undertake this training…’

(19:01 ) Rising up to occasions that test your sīla

(20:13 ) ‘This is what normal people do’

(21:30 ) Sila = Brahmaviharas

(23:18 ) Story #1: Skilful speech (Valentine’s Day drama!!)

(30:50 ) Story #2: Copyrights

(33:37 ) Story #3: Alcohol in food

(41:14 ) Trusting the Buddha & wise shame

(42:25 ) Finding the middle

(43:06 ) What about swearing??

(45:18 ) Integrity uplifts the mind

(46:13 ) Sīla makes you a safe person

(47:11 ) The Five Precepts ARE the higher Dhamma

(48:43 ) Sīla is letting go of ego

(51:50 ) Going against the stream

(53:11 ) Thought experiment: Imagine if everyone kept the Five Precepts…

References

Damian’s breath group: Yarra Valley Breath & Cold
Connection

Wim Hof Method

Vinaya (Buddhist Monastic Code)

• https://accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/bmc1.pdf


• https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/bmc2.pdf?ref=opendharma.com

The Five Precepts (Access to Insight)

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This episode was recorded in 2023.

For any words said negligently or that may have caused offence, we ask the listener's forgiveness and take full responsibility.