Although initially my daily meditation was secular, it eventually lead me to Buddhism and evolved into a spiritual practice.
If I had to name its most challenging part, it would be following the five precepts. For example, a non-monastic life inadvertently leads to occasional alcohol use, white lies, and other morally questionable choices (no one is perfect).
Despite all of that, I believe that it’s the striving towards virtuous behavior that counts the most. We can improve and better ourselves through constant practice. Aristotle knew this when he wrote that “by doing just things we become just; moderate things, moderate; and courageous things, courageous.” And you too know this to be true or, at least, want it to be true in your own life. This is what Buddhist monk Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi explores in a portion of his masterpiece titled In the Buddha’s Words.
Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi writes:
Like other religious teachings, the Buddha’s teaching originates as a response to the strains at the heart of the human condition. What distinguishes his teachings from other religious approaches to the human condition is the directness, thoroughness, and uncompromising realism with which he looks at these strains. The Buddha does not offer us palliatives that leave the underlying maladies untouched beneath the surface; rather, he traces our existential illness down to its most fundamental causes, so persistent and destructive, and shows us how these can be totally uprooted.
However, while the Dhamma will eventually lead to the wisdom that eradicates the causes of suffering, it does not begin there but with observations about the hard facts of everyday experience. Here too its directness, thoroughness, and tough realism are evident. The teaching begins by calling upon us to develop a faculty called yoniso manasikara, careful attention. The Buddha asks us to stop drifting thoughtlessly through our lives and instead to pay careful attention to simple truths that are everywhere available to us, clamoring for the sustained consideration they deserve.
He continues by reminding us of a humbling truth that all of us try to forget:
One of the most obvious and inescapable of these truths is also among the most difficult for us to fully acknowledge, namely, that we are bound to grow old, fall ill, and die. It is commonly assumed that the Buddha beckons us to recognize the reality of old age and death in order to motivate us to enter the path of renunciation leading to Nirvana, complete liberation from the round of birth and death.
However, while this may be his ultimate intention, it is not the first response he seeks to evoke in us when we turn to him for guidance. The initial response the Buddha intends to arouse in us is an ethical one. By calling our attention to our bondage to old age and death, he seeks to inspire in us a firm resolution to turn away from unwholesome ways of living and to embrace instead wholesome alternatives. … He tries to make us see that to act in accordance with ethical guidelines will enable us to secure our own well-being both now and in the long-term future.
What do you think about Buddhist ethics and the five precepts after reading this excerpt from In the Buddha’s Words? Do you try to follow them in your daily life? Let me know in the comments down below about the most challenging precept for you.
Editor’s note: This article was updated in July 2023.
I’m a freelance writer and mindfulness advocate behind this blog. What you see here is the combination of my three favorite things: reading, writing, and mindfulness. While you’re here, subscribe to my blog updates and gain access to free mindfulness resources for stress relief.
