Precepts and Disciplines for Disciples

Five Precepts for lay disciples

No killing
No stealing
No sexual misconduct
No lying
Do not indulge in intoxicants

Ten Good Deeds

No killing
No stealing
No sexual misconduct
No lying
No divisive speech
No harsh language
No frivolous talk
No greed No hatred no delusion

Five Precepts and Ten Good Deeds are practices for self-cultivation. After taking refuge, one should follow the teachings of Buddhadharma, abide by the Five Precepts to cultivate the moral self in preventing missteps and mistakes, setting discipline for one’s body and mind, and move forward in the right direction.

The Ten Good Deeds are extended from the Five Precepts. They strengthen and expand the right behaviors from self to others, transforming from passively benefiting oneself to actively helping others.

Ten Behaviors and Qualities to Prohibit

Do not be attached to high achievements in your practice.
Do not be arrogant or boastful in your speech.
Do not be hypocritical in your actions.
Do not act without authorization.
Do not act arrogantly in front of others.
Do not obstruct virtuous and talented individuals.
Do not engage in harsh or deceitful business practices.
Do not indulge in sensual pleasures.
Do not deceive others or lie.
Do not violate Buddhist precepts.

Fourteen Behaviors and Qualities to Avoid

Do not take the Dharma lightly.
Do not speak falsehoods.
Do not break promises or vows.
Do not speak words of anger or hatred.
Do not harbor doubts or suspicions.
Do not act with a mind of deceit or dishonesty.
Do not harm others.
Do not cultivate evil or unwholesome intentions.
Do not give in to greed or avarice.
Do not rely on cleverness or scheming.
Do not be attached to love and desire.
Do not give rise to a mind of discrimination or jealousy.
Do not break the precepts after your vows.
Do not lose sight of the teachings in the midst of worldly affairs.

Self Encouragement

Love the land and the teachings, speak and act mindfully, discipline oneself and serve others, protect the nation and benefit the people.
Remove ambiguity of matters, acknowledge one’s success and failures, examine your merits and faults, distinguish between good and evil.
Be a role model, inspire others with your virtues, abandon bias and selfishness, examine one’s actions.
Study Buddhism to accomplish the Path, respect and follow the Guru, benefit oneself and others, guide and enlighten the connected beings.

Eight Reminders

One should have patience and tolerance, and be able to control their temper and refrain from raising their voice.
One should be cautious and careful in their actions and words, and behave appropriately in all situations.
One should be diligent and thorough in their duties, and avoid making excuses or procrastinating.
One should follow the guidance of their teachers, and be willing to accept tasks and assignments with joy.
One should be humble and respectful towards others, and avoid letting their social status get to their head.
One should treat everyone equally, regardless of their relationship or history with them, and view all situations from a broad perspective.
One should recognize their own worth and value, and avoid being frivolous or impulsive, while adhering to their principles.
One should maintain their spiritual practice continuously without interruption, in order to achieve ultimate success.

Seven Types of Pride

What is pride? It is to esteem oneself and despise others. There are seven types of pride:

Pride - believing that one's own merit, virtue, and wisdom surpass others.
Excessive pride - considering oneself equal to others in merit, virtue, and wisdom, but belittling others to show off one's superiority.
Pride beyond pride - although one's own merit, virtue, and wisdom are not as good as others, one still thinks of oneself as surpassing others.
Egotistical pride - clinging to the self-view, self-opinion, and self-conceit, and considering oneself to be of superior status, not accepting advice from others. This is the root of all types of pride.
Pride of false achievements - for example, when one reaches the initial stage of concentration, one mistakenly thinks that one has attained the fruit of an Arhat, even though one has only temporarily suppressed one's afflictions. One thinks that one has already obtained the final result when one's delusions have not yet been eliminated, and one's concentration is disturbed and scattered, leading to rebirth in the hell realm.
Humility disguised as pride - one considers oneself inferior to others, but does not ask for help from others and does whatever one wants without considering the feelings of others. This is called inferiority disguised as pride.
Deviant pride - one has no understanding of right and wrong, but clings to wrong views held by former teachers. One thinks that one has virtue, but in fact one does not, and insults and belittles all others. One does not believe in cause and effect, and hates good and slanders the wise. This is called deviant pride.

Ten Requirements

One's understanding and insight should be high, not low.
Have composure, do not be impulsive.
One's character should be upright, not deviant.
Maintain a righteous heart, not a biased one.
One's speech should be appropriate, not careless.
Handle matters with respect, not with arrogance.
Do not be ashamed to admit mistakes, do not give up.
Acknowledge one's faults, do not conceal them.
One's tolerance should be broad, not narrow.
One's moral character should be established, not defeated.

Ten Things to Avoid

Do not let your heart be too proud, keep it low.
Do not act impulsively, keep your temperament stable.
Do not have blind eyes, keep them scrutinizing.
Do not have a small heart, keep it broad.
Do not have soft uncritical ears, keep them firm and critical.
Do not be violent, keep yourself calm.
Do not show off your abilities, keep them hidden.
Do not speak rashly, speak mindfully.
Do not cling to your accomplishments, remain humble. Do not be rude, be gentle.

Ten Instructions

Be dignified and courteous, and never careless or rude.
Be meticulous in your conduct, and act appropriately in all situations.
Uphold moral integrity, and never give in.
Distinguish clearly between right and wrong, and avoid falling prey to demons and distractions.
Be vigilant against distractions and discipline yourself.
Adhere strictly to the teachings and traditions passed down by the masters.
Uphold the right teachings and principles, and reject false teachings and delusions.
Respect and follow the instructions of the Vajra Master.
Follow the established rules both inside and outside the temple.
Cherish the teachings and instructions given to you by your teacher, and keep them in your heart at all times.

Four Pieces of Precepts for Abstinence

First Piece

Not know the Great Path
Disrespect the honorable teacher
Disregard the lineage
Ignore your destined callings
Being fragile facing the trials of Māras
Not differentiate evil from good, and vice versa
Not follow rules
Not keep and maintain connections with connected beings
Not accept demotions or punishments
Being unfilial to one’s parents

Second Piece

Not accomplish anything
Distant to family
Disregard one’s assignments
Not soften one’s temperament and state of mind
Not agree with the great principle
Irresponsible with the consequences of one’s deeds
Unreflective with one’s faults
Not transforming one’s own ignorance
Cling to one’s selfish love
Cling to the cycle of life and death
Not remove the six desires
Not abstain from the seven emotions
Not eliminate the four appearances of a self, a person, a being, and a lifespan.
Not clear the three minds of past, present, and future
Not forget the two thoughts
Not let go of money and material possessions
Not follow the Three Teachings
Not requite the Four Kindnesses
Not understand the virtues of Heaven
Not assist sentient beings

Third Piece

Disregard one’s aspirations and vows, become distracted
Undecided with one’s direction, compare oneself with lesser beings
Unrealistic with reality, wrong the good people
Unopinionated and tend to be doubtful
Not mind the right matter, enjoy talking about trivial subjects
Indiscreet, enjoy illusory fame
Not accumulate speech virtue, attack on others’ weaknesses
Unable to be forbearing and conciliatory, love determining winning and losing
Not understand the words of the Buddha, enjoy learning from strange sources
Unreflective of the kindness of others, tend to hold grudges
Not listen to the respected elders, think highly of oneself constantly
Indifferent to great matters, do favors to others with expectation for returns
Not abide by precept, fall into the fire pit one made for oneself
Not subdue evils and demons, dwell in drowsiness and delusions
Not constrain the monkeys of one’s mind, have thoughts in disorder
Not eliminate one’s afflictions, compromise one’s path of cultivation
Not cherish the merits one has, waste resources and money
Not correct one’s mistakes, ruin one’s future
Not think of the consequence, ruin the root for one’s path
Disregard other beings, act wildly and freely

Extra Piece

Pave the wrong paths when one is establishing the temple
Mumble the words and sentences when one is chanting the scriptures
Mistake the words of the Buddha and miss the appropriate time
Not clean the offering vessels and objects, mutter offering prayers
Prostrate in an impolite manner, insincere in paying homage to Buddhas
Not follow the proper manner when one receives and sends off holy beings
Shift the responsibility onto others, withhold different thoughts from others Lazy and sluggish, not mind being a lesser being
Comply in public but oppose in private, constantly harbor one’s own selfish interest
Witness failures without interfering, shift the blame to sabotage others

Ten Right Paths

Be a role model to guide others
Respect those from above and connect with those from below to generate the dharma connection
Conform to Buddhist ethics and orders
Detach from worldly concerns to follow the Buddhist path
Avoid the degeneracy of a relationship
Avoid corruption and uphold the Buddhist virtues
Be critical when seeking talents
Be collaborative with the sangha to fulfill one’s duties
Uphold the Ten Right Paths and Buddhadharma
Achieve the Great Accomplishment and spread compassion to others

The Essential Guidelines for Spreading the Dharma

In the end of kalpa, the goal is to benefit all sentient beings in accordance with the Dharma; the heaven will provide the paths.
A disciple of the Buddha with the Great wisdom would be able to see the reality beyond worldly dust and beyond life and death in order to achieve the state of nonself.
The members of a family should cultivate themselves following the guru’s teaching to cultivate the compassion of a bodhisattva.
Craving for material wealth will increase one’s suffering and generate negative karma, making oneself drown in their karmic results.
There are thousands of wrong views and paths; the designated being will have support if they learn how to distinguish justice from evil.
A disciple of the Buddha should recognize and respect one’s ancestor and legitimate lineage; if they follow the devil they would also become a devil and fall into the abyss of suffering.
A disciple of the Buddha should be mindful about their internal and external mindfulness, following the Dharma and not to break one’s promises.
A true guru will have the power as vast as the sky, and would be a benevolent leader to help liberate all sentient beings.
A disciple of the Buddha should not be licentious or unstable, and should have the backbone to stand up with their own feet.
A disciple of the Buddha should be well-versed with the three teachings and have a clear understanding of one’s speech and behavior, and uphold one’s integrity.
A disciple of the Buddha should be able to correct oneself without willfulness.
A disciple of the Buddha should not be arrogant and see one as distinguished from others; putting oneself on a pedestal creates great pain, which can be dissipated through repentance.
A disciple of the Buddha must not have a selfish mind that creates troubles between sangha members.
A disciple of the Buddha should have loyalty and humility and be the role model to influence others.
A disciple of the Buddha does not misuse sexuality but rather cultivates and encourages honest and caring relationships.
A disciple of the Buddha does not hold onto one’s material wealth and take what is not given but rather cultivates and encourages generosity.
A disciple of the Buddha should have the self-awareness of one’s mistakes and the right effort to correct one’s mistakes to avoid misunderstanding and misrepresentation of oneself.
A disciple of the Buddha should have discretion with all tasks at hand to facilitate the effectiveness of one’s action.
A disciple of the Buddha should be diligent with one’s cultivation.
When the day of the Great Accomplishment has arrived, ten thousand lotuses will start blooming. On top of the Meru altar, great happenings will take place.

Eight Advices

The mind should be clear, knowing the ways to heaven and hell. External stimuli create traps of suffering. A disciple of Buddha, with the sword of wisdom, would clear all the obstacles and see the truth of the reality.
The intent should be determined, being able to break through the sky. With diligence, a disciple of Buddha would have great achievement on the path of Meru.
Learn the way of harmony and have the heart to embrace all phenomena. With kindness in heart, a disciple of Buddha would meet with a Buddha in front.
Learn the way of munificence. The ocean and the sky are boundless; the boundless compassion brings breezes.
Learn the way of selflessness, and connect with the guru to follow the Six Paths.
Learn to detach from material pleasures. What goes up will come down. With a pure virtuous heart and help from the guru, a disciple of Buddha would arrive at the lotus platform.
Cultivate oneself and transcend from oneself.
Help all sentient beings to reach the shore of enlightenment.

Eight Tenets

Abstain from living an ambiguous life; abstain from living a life as if one is dreaming without a day of awakenment. Be awakened and guided by wisdom.
Abstain from procrastinating or slacking. Every day is a new day, one should make effort with high spirit to reach the other shore and get out of the vicious cycle.
Abstain from being cunning with others. Learn to reflect on oneself and change one’s behavior.
Abstain from bragging about oneself. Be humble.
Abstain from craving for what is far from one’s reach. The heart is fulfilled when it is light.
Abstain from being unreasonable. The heart should be lively and the energy is equanimous.
Abstain from being selfish. Cultivate the Buddhas’ compassion to benefit all sentient beings.
Abstain from straying onto the wrong path. Follow the guru’s teaching and rejoice in the happiness that all have developed and strengthened.

Ten Sighs

One should sigh that the Path is unknown, and the whole world cannot understand this practice. Yet when one values humanity, one responds to all feelings and spends this one lifetime in confusion. Obsessed with one’s illusion without the true understanding of the reality, one experiences no synchronicity, being confused while awake. Thus, the advice for the practitioner is: open your eyes to proactively and attentively understand the Way and necessary deeds of this path.
One should sigh that the Path is not being respected, and can only be transmitted by a single predecessor from ancient times to the present. The search for the right sponsorship from a general and emperor covered ten thousand miles’ travel, yet no leader listened or noticed the significance. Thus, there are ghosts wearing kasaya, misrepresenting the Buddhist teaching and generating chaos in all avenues in this world. Thus, the advice for the practitioner is: good relationships should be cherished, because gold does not buy you good timing to encounter virtuous people.
One should sigh that the Path is blocked and the imperial phoenix has become a madness. There is resistance from the neighbors, kinship, and township, promoting the evils; there is no peace and relaxation. Thus, the advice for the practitioner is: there is no way to avoid being tested by the devil, but ninety-nine times of cultivating oneself would remove the blockages from the Way. Vajra disciple: with consistency, courage, and resilience, you will accomplish yourself.
One should sigh that the Path is not clear, and there is no distinction between the right and wrong paths. Furthermore, there is falsity everywhere - fake Buddha, fake ancestor, and fake Bodhisattvas. These branches and leaves form the devil’s party, luring the people to see them as their roots. Thus, the advice for the practitioner is: recognize the true lineage and make the connection, you will run straight to the Great path of Meru.
One should sigh that the Path is not high, yet it is difficult to liberate oneself from the shackles of fame and material pleasures. Those who have no pure heart and mind only want to be high-ranking officials call themselves rich men. Even if they have all the wealth in front of them, their lifetime goes by like a flash of lightning in the sky. Thus, the advice for the practitioner is: escape quickly from this happiness of suffering; get out of the karmic sea and go towards the sky.
One should sigh that the Path is not the direct answer, and there is so much suffering from worrying about one’s wife and children. Like a living dead, one troubles themselves with people matters, fetters, and all the impermanent; their seeking for balance and karmic debts prevents them from returning home. Thus, the advice for the practitioner is: with the sword of wisdom, you are able to sweep away all troubles and be freed from the suffering between life and death.
One should sigh that the Path is not singular, and the external three thousand powers would be required to accomplish oneself. Do not have divided loyalty, or create mistakes after mistakes. If you don’t practice diligently in this life, how can you get away with karma? Thus, the advice for the practitioner is: the practice of nonself and detachment from external stimuli will help you ascend to the Nine Lotus realm.
One should sigh that if the Path is not cultivated, there is no magic in the body and it blends with the common flow. If one is lazy to reflect and think, and always floats with the mundane world, one would not know of the right path and have no yield. The cultivation of bodhicitta requires diligence, attentiveness, and reasoning. Thus, the advice for the practitioner is: take refuge in the body, speech, and mind of the guru, transcend into emptiness and become the guiding light for others.
One should sigh that the Path is not constraint, and one can easily break one’s promises about the Buddhist ethics and orders. There are the Five Precepts and the Four Refuges; and any light violation of them is transgression. Purifying the Dharma body leads one away from hell; without thoroughness, one loses the opportunity. Thus, the advice for the practitioner is: act in accordance with the Dharma with a sense of thoroughness to be complete and dustless.
One should sigh that the Path is not standardized, yet the rules and regulations must be followed. The lower realms are for the arrogant who disrespect their teachers and slander their ancestors. Vajra disciple: cultivate yourself with the right effort and correspond to the body, speech, and mind of the guru, the lotus pond will appear.

Ten Happiness

One can be happy that the Path is opened, the fate of the Buddha without beginning and end descends to guide all sentient beings and sow bodhicitta seeds.
One can be happy that the wind from the Path is fragrant and is spread all over this realm, reaching the Four Seas and Three Rivers, and helping the connected being return home.
One can be happy that the Path is versatile, and provides diverse and different systems for a diverse crowd.
One can be happy that the Path is working in all four directions.
One can be happy that the Path leads to transcendence, purifying the heart and mind of karmic obstacles.
One can be happy that the faith in the Path is determined, and all delusions dissipate with such determination.
One can be happy that the Path is rich, and brings all four continents into one union.
One can be happy that the Path is compassionate, embracive, and inclusive.
One can be happy that the Path has harmonious energy.
One can be happy that the Path is fruitful, and clears and excels karma.

Guidelines for Spreading the Dharma for the Jinke Sangha

TJinke disciples:

To help liberate all sentient beings requires the great compassion to be open to all that are connected. This is a very good deed. In the end of kalpa, the fake is mixed with the real. With human eyes, how can a normal sentient being tell the difference? When you observe others, you should talk with them to evaluate their speech and behavior to see their mind and intention. This is how you can see clearly of a person. If a person’s Buddha nature is awakened, they would be attentive whenever they hear about the Dharma. If a person has less connection with Buddhism, they might stay away upon hearing about the teachings. If a person's mind is genuine, they are genuine. If a person has a hypocritical quality, they are hypocritical. When you know these about a person, you would know to what degree, in what way you can talk to them. If your effort is right, the merit will be accumulated. Otherwise, if you spread the dharma without screening your method and preach in the same way to all beings, it creates misunderstanding and negative seeds. If you do not behave and converse according to the Dharma and spread the Dharma with rumors and hearsay, you will make others feel doubtful and create misunderstanding. If you do not understand the importance of being on the Right Path, your actions will be fruitless.

Precepts and Disciplines for Disciples

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