Moral liberal

The [Buddhist] Five Precepts

The Buddha is said to have taught the five precepts out of compassion, not out of any desire to control his followers, and so they are to be undertaken voluntarily rather than as commandments from a god. They are to be seen as guidelines to how one who is awakened lives, not as mere moral injunctions imposed from outside and to be obeyed literally at all times.

The Buddha said that undertaking the precepts is a gift to oneself and others. He also described the rewards of following the precepts and the bad consequences of breaking the precepts.

The following are the five precepts rendered in English (...).

1. I undertake the precept to refrain from taking the life (killing) of living beings.
2. I undertake the precept to refrain from stealing.
3. I undertake the precept to refrain from sexual misconduct (adultery, rape, etc).
4. I undertake the precept to refrain from false speech (lying).
5. I undertake the precept to refrain from intoxicants which lead to heedlessness.