Taylor du Pont
Multimedia Editor
Over the past few years, I have struggled to accept a religion into my life. I was brought up in a Congregational family, but as the years of my childhood flew by, I began to question my Christian faith. After my best friend was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor when I was in seventh grade, my skeptical religious views turned into agnosticism. When I was a sophomore in high school, she died, and I became a pessimist, turning to atheism.
When I told my friends that I was going to convert to Buddhism, most of them thought that I had jumped off the deep end. I was tired of living my life like a zombie: emotionless and hopeless. I needed something to hold onto. I needed to make a difference in the world around me and be a part of something that was bigger than myself. In the beginning of June last year, without any warning, I started taking my first steps towards becoming a self converted Buddhist.
When I first started researching the Buddhist practice, I misunderstood the purpose of the Buddhist precepts. There are Ten Precepts (rules and guidelines) in total, and they are often compared to the Ten Commandments. There is a key difference between the seemingly parallel “laws” however. When I first looked into Buddhism, I believed that all of the Ten Precepts were required (See the list below).
1. I undertake the precept to refrain from harming living beings.
2. I undertake the precept to refrain from taking things not freely given.
3. I undertake the precept to refrain from sexual misconduct.
4. I undertake the precept to refrain from false speech.
5. I undertake the precept to refrain from intoxicating drinks and drugs, which lead to carelessness.
6. I undertake the precept to refrain from eating at the forbidden time.
7. I undertake the precept to refrain from dancing, singing, music, going to see entertainments.
8. I undertake the precept to refrain from wearing garlands, using perfumes, and beautifying the body with cosmetics.
9. I undertake the precept to refrain from lying on a high or luxurious sleeping place.
10. I undertake the precept to refrain from accepting gold and silver.
Courtesy of “The Ten Precepts: dasa-sila”, edited by Access to Insight. Access to Insight, 26 May 2010, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sila/dasasila.html
And adapted from The Word of the Buddha, Niyamatolika, The Buddhist Publication Society, 1971, p xii.
I couldn’t fathom how I could possibly undertake all 10 of the practices. I understood that doing so would only benefit me and supposedly make me a happier and more fulfilled person, but the last five precepts seemed unrealistic. I wasn’t sure how I would follow them in our modern day society and culture. I felt as though I would never be able to become a Buddhist and follow my interest any further because I was not able to commit to all of the Ten Precepts.
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Even though becoming a Buddhist appeared to be a disappearing possibility, I decided to do a little bit more research into the precepts and Buddhism as a whole (Wikipedia only got me so far). What I found amazed me. The precepts are not as similar to the Ten Commandments as many people, including myself, believed them to be. Although both the Ten Commandments, and the Ten Precepts are both interpreted with varying opinion, the Ten Commandments are more like a set of biblical laws, whereas the Ten Precepts are suggestions as to how to achieve a fulfilling life, and ultimately reach nirvana. Only the first five precepts are required for all Buddhists (and when I say required I don’t mean life or death), while the other five precepts are mandatory for those who are preparing to become a monk or nun, or for devoted members who are not clergy.
Before I could fully commit to practicing all five of the mandatory precepts, I first had to interpret what they meant, and how they could be applied to my life. To me the first, second and fifth precepts were the most straightforward. I will not eat meat, kill animals, steal, drink alcohol, consume caffeine, drugs or any other types of intoxicants. The third and fourth precepts were a little bit more vague in description. Like many Buddhists, the third precept, to me, means that I will not partake in any harmful sexual relations (e.g. abusive relationships, relations without love, and relational betrayal such as cheating), as well as try to protect others from such relations. I interpreted the fourth precept as meaning that I will not lie or swear. This has been probably the hardest one to follow. I am still trying to break the habit of swearing in frustration and telling little white lies. I will get there eventually (let’s hope).
This brings me to the whole point of this blog post. I am not ready for enlightenment. That is not to say that I do not want to become enlightened. I have made these steps, and have become a Buddhist so that I will live a healthy and moral life, and will one day be enlightened. The fact that I am not able to commit fully to the Ten Precepts means that I am probably not going to become enlightened within this lifetime. And I am okay with that. I am comfortable with what I am practicing right now, and at this stage in my life, I don’t understand why I shouldn’t listen to music, eat past noon, and put a little bit of makeup on here and there. Maybe someday I will be able to embrace all of the Ten Precepts, but until then, I am going to enjoy my journey with Buddhism, and live life to the fullest.
