Breaking of five precept

Question

Breaking of five precept would generate bad consequences from the evil deeds or from being not able to keep the precepts itself? The so called breaking of the body of precepts? some traditions say that if one break the 5 precepts one observes, one will not only has to face the evil consequences of bad deeds, but has to suffer even more severe from breaking of the body of sila. He suffers doubles?

Answer 1

E.g. you are a thief.

• you get punishment from the law - this can be karma (dittadhammavedeniya) or sometimes not
• karmic consequences results after one dies - breakup of the body

So 1 results in this life and another in the next.

Thereforeyou get 2 results.

What is mentioned is the break up of the body and not body of sila.

Answer 2

From AN 11.1:

Then Ven. Ananda went to the Blessed One and on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to the Blessed One: "What is the purpose of skillful virtues? What is their reward?"

"Skillful virtues have freedom from remorse as their purpose, Ananda, and freedom from remorse as their reward."

The five precepts are the most basic training rules for cultivation of skillful virtues. The next level is Right Speech, Right Action and Right Livelihood.

So, if you don't keep the five precepts, you may experience remorse from your lack of virtues, for e.g. remorse from telling a lie, remorse from stealing etc.

What's more? If you committed yourself to undertaking the training rules of the five precepts and you don't keep to it heedfully, you may get additional remorse.

So, it's about double remorse, and the rest of the sutta shows how freedom from remorse leads to liberation from suffering.

Answer 3

Householder sunanda, interested

Breaking of five precept would generate bad consequences from the evil deeds or from being not able to keep the precepts itself?

Both, yes.

(although the possible misunderstanding of 'breack up of the body', explained by Upasaka Sirinath, might have been the reason of the question; standing alone, it's a good question, actually)

One thing is that one as given condition for a future bad experience by intentional harm. Something one can no more change but only work to be able to bear the consequences.

But one can not progress in mind training when the precepts are broken. What does it mean that the precepts are broken? One does not recognize the fault, or if, denies responsibility for it. So one makes no amend. One does not resolve to abstain from this wrong doing in further after amend.

This is called "fallen into a transgression", which is like having fallen into a hole. One is not capable to escape and caught by blatant or subtle remorse.

One having undertaken the ritual of cleaning by making amend, renew ones asking for precepts and resolve to keep them, one becomes rehabilitated, "pure" again.

While monks have detail procedure and ritual for "Uposatha", cleaning, there are non formal given to lay people. But traditional lay people do such likewise in, if possible, approaching monks, "having in mind their faults", ask for forgiveness and to renew the precepts.

One more in training would speak with ones teacher, make amend and renew ones precepts. Good Householder therefore approach weekly the monasteries and renew their refuge (ask for forgiviness and for refuge) and their precepts (asking for them).

The amend and renew of resolve should be alway made toward someone pure and never toward someone who has fallen into the same transgression. That is why householder do not approach other householder, since there are really less who have no broken Silas. If not finding someone without same fault, good to seek for, or at least resolve to make amend once meeting a pure one in this regard.

So in this way the breaking of the precepts has two impacts. One that it blocks one from going on and progress, and one that the action will bear it's fruits as effect of the action.

Worthy to read also the different between the Jains idea of Kamma and that of the Buddha in the Devadaha Sutta: At Devadaha

And at least, precepts are observed for freedom of remorse and with it the possibility to escape from the bond of suffering, not for the sake of themselves, but as a means. Once reached the path, pure conduct becomes natural till perfection at Arahatship and ending of kamma at all.

(Note that this is not given for trade, exchange, stacks, entertainment and akusala deeds, but as a share of merits and to continue such for release)