Precepts are not commandments ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro
Precepts are not commandments. There is no commander. The motive for keeping precepts is not the desire for rewards or the fear of punishment. Precepts are objects of mindfulness that must be adopted voluntarily after clearly seeing the value of doing so. Keeping precepts promotes a safe, trusting environment and an inner freedom from guilt and remorse. In daily life, where the grey areas far outnumber the black and white, the recollection of the precepts gives clear guidelines for action and speech that cut through our tendency to follow our moods, and to rationalize our defilements. Keeping precepts keeps us safe from bad kamma and its results.
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