more than 8 precepts?

[befriend]

i loosely started following the 8 precepts, and have notice an incredible drop in my greed, from not focusing on beautiful things. i am curious, aside from the uposatha 8 precepts are there other precepts that monks take which are also very helpful for developing the mind that a lay person could follow? is playing sports considered a form of entertaining oneself, does it fit under the going to shows and singing and dancing? thank you metta Befriend.

[sattva]

In Zen, we usually have 10 precepts, but i have heard those who are ordained have more and nuns more than monks. I don't know what they are though.

i could be wrong though. i often am.

[Goofaholix]

i loosely started following the 8 precepts, and have notice an incredible drop in my greed, from not focusing on beautiful things. i am curious, aside from the uposatha 8 precepts are there other precepts that monks take which are also very helpful for developing the mind that a lay person could follow? is playing sports considered a form of entertaining oneself, does it fit under the going to shows and singing and dancing? thank you metta Befriend.

Did the precept reduce greed or did you? If you can reduce greed then you don't need a precept to prompt you and you don't need a precept to prompt you to modify your behaviour with other things.

For example if you don't want to be eating all through the day then don't eat after noon, if your lunchtime at work starts at noon and you're worried about the precept then you're screwed but if you see it as a practise to assist with renunciation then make it 1pm, what's the difference.

More than 5 precepts is for monastics, retreats, or observance days, but renunciation you can do anytime you choose.

[befriend]

no its not a uthopasaka is somone who follows the 8 precepts all the time isnt that right? its fine to follow 8 precepts all the time if you want. why would that be bad

[befriend]

no i defenitley need a precept. if i didnt have a precept of not watching entertainment, i would be more blaze about it. but if i take a pledge to myself in the morning I CANT watch tv. then i wont. vows are wonderful.

[Buckwheat]

no i defenitley need a precept. if i didnt have a precept of not watching entertainment, i would be more blaze about it. but if i take a pledge to myself in the morning I CANT watch tv. then i wont. vows are wonderful.

Gandhi made several failed attempts at celibacy. Then he made a vow to maintain celibacy and it worked. He said the vow gave him certainty. Instead of that inner struggle of "will I / won't I" it became: I can not. Period.

If you are already maintaining the 8 precepts everyday... kudos my friend. That is quite an accomplishment. I just started observing them on Uposatha days, and I also find it quite rewarding. The 10 precepts splits one rule into two and then adds "Refrain from accepting money." I can't see following that unless you are a fully ordained monk. Here are the full monk's rules: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... intro.html Most of these are very specific to the monastic life, but it's worth a good read.

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

A certain newly ordained bhikkhu was overwhelmed by the number of rules and regulations he was required to observe, and wanted to disrobe. When he told the Buddha about his intention, the Buddha asked him if he could observe just one rule. He replied that he could.

The Buddha advised him to Guard his mind well.

Precepts are, in essence, just a way to protect us from excessive greed, hatred, and delusion — to keep us mindful. If we practise mindfulness diligently, observing each and every activity of the body and mind throughout the whole day without a break, we will be completely free from defilements (like an Arahant, though not yet an Arahant), and we won't do or say anything unsuitable or unwholesome.

All action and speech begins in the mind with the intention to do or say something. If the mind is left to its own devices without training in mindfulness, our observance of the precepts will be a sham — just for show, for self-aggrandisment — sooner or later we will fall away from our strict observance, full of guilt and remorse.

Precepts are important, but without guarding the mind they are of limited benefit, and may even lead to an increase of defilements. For details, read the first chapter of the Visuddhimagga.

[Zom]

Yes, this is very important to look behind observing precepts onto the very motivation of keeping them.

By the way, in my practice I don't stick to all 8 precepts and don't follow "special uposatha days" but try to extend 5 precepts generally in day-to-day life as much as I can according to certain circumstances and present amount of effort. For example, I may keep 8 precepts for 15 days, then I shift to 7 precepts for 40 days, then to 5 for some days, then again to 8 and so on. So I don't pay much attention to "complete set" of precepts, but pay attention to mind development on the whole, because I see that 5 precepts are just not enough for deepening of my practice.