(ENV-01300200)-The Ten Precepts of Virtues of Samanera-(1-16)-bklt

THE TEN PRECEPTS OF VIRTUES OF SAMANERA

people have the feeling of esteem, honor and
respect. Only the Holy demeanor of the precepts
can help you to let go of desire and evilness, as
precept is the method of anasrava3. Do you know
this? You should take belief in the teachings of the
Buddha and strictly follow the precepts, then your
mind of anasrava will be in operation in daily life,
as such, your life of practice following Buddhism
will not be wasted at all.

“Precepts give birth to Concentration” was taught
by the Buddha in the old days, anyone who goes
against this teaching is Duratama Mara4 which
undermines Buddhism, making Buddhism to
degenerate, burying Buddhism under the impure
mud, uprooting Buddhism... Do you understand?

Going against the above teaching of the Buddha
brings you no benefit, rather it makes you commit

3 [translator] Anasrava (Sanskrit) means the state
without any suffering i.e. the state without craving, anger and
ignorance. It is also the state of Nibbana.

4 [translator] Demons of the sixth heaven (Duratama
Mara or Mara-papiman).

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By The Venerable Elder THICH THONG LAC

TEN PRECEPTS OF
VIRTUES OF SAMANERA

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THE TEN PRECEPTS OF VIRTUES OF SAMANERA

This book is respectfully for your free reading as
a gift, it's never for sale!

The electronic copy of this book is provided on
the website::

http://thuvienthaythonglac.net
Hope you all will live without creating
sufferings for yourselves, for others and for all living
beings.

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By The Venerable Elder THICH THONG LAC

be a monk/nun in the hierarchy of Bhadantas,
Venerables, Most Venerables?

Dear all!

As a Samanera, how could you violate, break and
crumble the precepts of Holy virtues of Buddhism?
You have made people disrespect Buddhism,
defame Buddhism…do you know that? The
teaching of the Buddha in the old days was: “If
my laws and precepts are maintained, Buddhism
is maintained, if my laws and precepts are lost,
Buddhism is lost”, so who have made the laws and
precepts lost? How can you have the heart to
crumble, break and violate the precepts, disrespect
the precepts, trample on these precepts of Holy
virtues and conducts???

Whether Buddhism is maintained or lost depends
on whether the monks/nuns keep the precepts or
not. Thanks to your strict following of the
precepts, your Holy demeanor is shown in daily
life and makes the Buddhist lay followers and all

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THE TEN PRECEPTS OF VIRTUES OF SAMANERA

that you have killed Buddhism, and that you have
buried Buddhism under the dirty mud...

Dear all! Do you know this?....Do you see this?....

The lay followers even go to pagodas to Observe
the Eight Precepts in a day and night to keep the
eight Holy virtues and conducts of a monk/nun.
So if you who have entered monkhood to become a
Samanera do not live in accordance with the Holy
conducts of a Samanera, what do you think? Do
you feel ashamed? Do you see the Buddhist lay
followers keep the eight precepts?

Dear the honorables!

Dear all the male and female lay followers of
Buddhism!

Dear all! At present, the honorables including
Bhikkhus, Bhadantas, Venerables, Most
Venerables do not live in line with the ten Holy
precepts of a Samanera, do the honorables feel
ashamed? Do you feel that you do not deserve to

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By The Venerable Elder THICH THONG LAC

BY THE VENERABLE ELDER
THICH THONG LAC

TEN PRECEPTS OF

VIRTUES OF SAMANERA

PART I OF

“THE CULTURE OF
THE BUDDHIST TRADITION

VOLUME I”

TRANSLATED FROM VIETNAMESE INTO ENGLISH
BY THONG HUE

PUBLISHED IN VIETNAMESE BY THE PUBLISHER OF RELIGION IN 2011

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THE TEN PRECEPTS OF VIRTUES OF SAMANERA

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By The Venerable Elder THICH THONG LAC

creating sufferings for themselves, for others and
for all living beings.

So as a human being, one should study, gain
knowledge, train oneself and accordingly become a
worthy human being, a disciple of the Buddha,
and later on will deserve to hold the torch of the
right method of Buddhism spreading the light to
others. In case of not being able to keep these ten
precepts of Holy virtues and conducts, please
kindly do not leave home to enter monkhood, do
not follow Buddhism, because if you do so, it is
merely useless, it is a waste of a life time, you
would not benefit either yourself or others, but
rather commit more sins and defame Buddhism.

Because leaving home to enter monkhood but
failing to live in accordance with these precepts of
Holy virtues and conducts, you have
unintentionally not fulfilled the duty of a
monk/nun disciple of the Buddha, it means that
you have defamed Buddhism as above mentioned,

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THE TEN PRECEPTS OF VIRTUES OF SAMANERA

they are not accepted to become the leaving-home
disciples of the Buddha2. As such the Buddha
taught: “Anyone wishing to follow my Method
has to live in solitude for 4 months, if one can live
in line with the standard virtues and conducts of
a monk/nun, I will accept the person as my
disciple, I do not force or induce anyone to follow
my Method, as the practice is for your own
benefits, not for mine”.

These precepts are the moral culture of humanity,
they are not exclusive for Buddhist monks/nuns,
they are the common assets of all mankind. It is
because they are the moral foundation which is
based on causality law, having human beings as
its core, and helping people to live without

2 [translator] “…the Buddha or ‘Awakened One’…was
Siddhattha Gotama (Sanskrit: Siddhārtha Gautama),
Sakyamuni, the ‘sage of the Sakya people’….lived and
flourished during the fifth century BCE in eastern India and
died some time around 400 BCE”. Source: Sayings of the
Buddha, New translations by Rupert Gethin from the Pali
Nikayas, Oxford World’s Classic, Oxford University Press,
2008.

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By The Venerable Elder THICH THONG LAC

[As a disciple of the Sakyamuni Buddha and
the Venerable Elder Thich Thong Lac, the translator
sees that this book is of utmost importance for
anyone who has set one’s mind on the path of
practice to seek liberation. Therefore, though with
limited first-hand experience in practice as well as
limited linguistic ability, the translator has made an
effort to translate this book from Vietnamese into
English. The translator would like to wholeheartedly
thank all the kind-hearted and enthusiastic friends
for their great supports during the translation of
this book. Though we have made every effort for the
translation, there are always chances for further
correction and this translation is still open for
further improvement. Therefore, all of you are most
welcomed to send us your constructive comments
and recommendations.]

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THE TEN PRECEPTS OF VIRTUES OF SAMANERA

In the six years of utmost austerity in the
Himalayas, the Sakyamuni Buddha kept the
precepts so strictly that no one could do it better
than him. Thanks to this, his mind completely let go
of desire and evilness and became unshakeable.
Therefore, when returning to the Four Noble
Concentrations within successive 49 days tirelessly,
he completed the Four Concentrations, carried out
the Three Insights and attained the Holy fruit of
Arhat. Such a human being, though with flesh and
bone like other people, is the extraordinary one.

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By The Venerable Elder THICH THONG LAC

PREFACE

T“ he Culture of Tradition of Holy Conducts -

volume 1” is a book introducing the virtues and
conducts of a person leaving home to enter
monkhood since childhood as well as of a person
in old age entering the path of practice following
Buddhism.
The first thing is the requirement (Precept of
prohibition) that they have to learn, practice and
train themselves to live and perform properly in
line with the virtues and conducts to be a Holy
Samanera1. If they do not agree to live in
accordance with these Holy virtues and conducts,

1 [translator] A śrāmaṇera (Sanskrit) or sāmaṇera
(Pali) is a novice male monastic in Buddhist context.
Srāmaṇerī / śrāmaṇerikā (Sanskrit) or sāmaṇerī (Pali) is a
female novice. In this book, the word “samanera” is used to
refer to both genders.

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THE TEN PRECEPTS OF VIRTUES OF SAMANERA

9. The ninth precept is not to eat more than one
meal per day = the Holy virtue of letting go of
desire.
10. The tenth precept is not to possess money
and valuables = the Holy virtue of letting go of
craving.

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By The Venerable Elder THICH THONG LAC

PART I:

TEN PRECEPTS OF
VIRTUES OF SAMANERA

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THE TEN PRECEPTS OF VIRTUES OF SAMANERA

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By The Venerable Elder THICH THONG LAC

INTRODUCTION
CULTURE OF TEN PRECEPTS OF

VIRTUES OF SAMANERA

1. The first precept is not to kill = the Holy virtue
of love and compassion for life.

2. The second precept is not to be greedy and
steal = the Holy virtue of letting go.

3. The third precept is not to have sexual desire
= the Holy virtue of purity.

4. The fourth precept is not to tell lie = the Holy
virtue of being honest.

5. The fifth precept is not to drink alcohol = the
Holy virtue of being sober.

6. The sixth precept is not to make up = the Holy
virtue of being natural.

7. The seventh precept is not to sing or listen to
singing = the Holy virtue of being quiet in dwelling
alone.

8. The eighth precept is not to lie on large and
elevated bed = the Holy virtue of being poor but
unsullied.

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