TEN PRECEPTS!

1. Not killing

2. Not stealing

3. Not indulging in sexual greed

4. Not speaking falsehood

5. Not misusing intoxicants

6. Not talking of the faults of others

7. Not praising oneself nor slandering others

8. Not begrudging the dharma or materials

9. Not being angry

10. Not slandering the Three Treasures, the Buddha, the Dharma & the Sangha

Commentary by Sapan Rinpoche

These TEN PRECEPTS are also known as the "Pratimoksha Vows" in Mahyana Buddhism.

Buddha is the teacher, as Christ in Christianity, for example. The Dharma is "The Law" or the teachings of the teacher, Buddha, which were given and recorded (written down) in the Sutras. Or, for example, "The Holy Scriptures" - "The Holy Bible" of Christiantity. And the Sangha is the community of practitioners or participants in your spiritual group; or, again, in Christianity ... the Congregation. The Buddha, Dharma & Sangha are also most often referred to as "The Three Jewels." SANGHA thus has a very important function in Buddhism, one of its great recognitions ... the support and assistance of our fellow Brothers & Sisters. Our "Worldwide Interfaith Healing Circle" is a kind of Sangha, or Congregation. You can perhaps easily process all of this through any of your other personal Faith Groups.