• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Apple Podcasts
  • Spotify Podcasts
  • Google Podcasts
  • Amazon Music
  • iHeart Radio
  • YouTube
Happy You Are Here

Happy You Are Here

Tools, Techniques, and Ideas for Fulfilling Lives

Happy You Are Here Banner
  • Home
  • Articles
  • Podcast
  • About Craig
  • Support The Show
  • Happy Songs for Tough Times

The Five Precepts of Buddhism [List & Wallpaper]

November 4, 2020 by Craig Inzana

Five Precepts Wallpaper

In this post, I am going to share some high level concepts from the Five Precepts of Buddhism. To help practice these, there is also a Five Precepts Wallpaper to act as a reminder of moral conduct.

Many may find Buddhist teachings to be full of rules and lists. This perception was something that initially kept me from learning from these teachings.

Over time, with the help of some great teachers and references, I’ve come to realize that Buddhism is full of invitations. Invitations to practice and to experience for yourself. A helpful way to see these lists may be as prompts, but instead of journalling, they can be acted out in the practice of life.

Before I got further into any context, let’s list here directly. This translation is based on Edward Conze’s translation of Buddhaghosa’s teaching.

The Five Precepts

1. abstain from taking life

2. abstain from taking what is not given

3. abstain from sensuous misconduct

4. abstain from false speech

5. abstain from intoxicants clouding the mind

The Five Precepts specifically are intended for the lay practitioner of Buddhist principles and are referred to heavily in Secular Buddhism. As mentioned above, they can act as an invitation. This invitation is to spend time with each precept and see if the quality of your life improves.

Personally, I’ve practiced for years with all five. I used to write them on the whiteboard behind my front door. That way every day before I left the house I was reminded of these moral guidances.

What I soon found out was that each precept has more depth to it than it initially seems– which is true for just about every teaching in Buddhism.

The goal here isn’t to say: don’t do this because it’s bad.

The goal here isn’t to say: don’t do this because it’s bad. It’s to say, if you abstain from these things, it will lead to less suffering in your life. It also will lead to less suffering in the lives around you. However, even for purely selfish reasons these conducts are likely to improve your wellbeing.

One of the forms of depth I discovered while practicing with these precepts is how easy it is to go overboard. There is a wisdom in understanding the balance to living a life. Understanding that there is inherent reactions to just being alive.

I was struggling at one point about diet. Not killing. That did not only resonate with me as not killing animals and therefore having a vegetarian diet, but also not killing plants. That thought process leads to fruitarianism. A Dharma teacher, from the Mindfulness Outreach Initiative in Omaha, pointed out that even that is in a way enslaving those plants to produce for you.

The point not being that you shouldn’t eat at all and die. The point being that there is a certain amount of discernment required to know where that middle path exists. This is something that only can come with practice.

To aid in practicing with the Five Precepts, I’ve created this wallpaper for my phone. I am making this post and sharing it here in case this would be helpful for any of you as well.

Five Precepts Wallpaper for Your Phone

Click here to download full resolution.

Filed Under: Articles, Mindfulness

About Craig Inzana

Craig Inzana is the host of the Happy You Are Here Podcast. He is a mindfulness practitioner, multi-disciplinary artist, and marketing director.

Primary Sidebar

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Popular Posts

Information Diet Image

Stop Being Brainwashed! How to Deal with Modern Information Overload

November 7, 2019 By Craig Inzana

Goal Setting with Melissa Jirovec

Reaching Goals And Making Strong Decisions with Melissa Jirovec [Podcast]

November 19, 2020 By Craig Inzana

Podcast Episodes

Sandy Irwin SAND Portrait

Evolving While Staying Loyal to the Community 🎀 with Sandy Irwin of SAND [PODCAST]

Kelsey Kowalski Omaha Artist Painter

🎨 Giving the World More Color with Kelsey Kowalski 🎨 [Podcast]

Past Life Regression Jillian Schrack Mesmerise Hypnosis

✨ How Multiple Past Life Regressions Weave A Bigger Lesson with Jill Schrack ✨ [Podcast]

Craig Inzana in 2021

Sharing from Deep Authenticity – The Return of Happy You Are Here [Podcast]

Hannah Stainer

The Keys to Mental Wellness with Hannah Stainer [Podcast]

Iram Gilani Trauma Survivor

Reacting to Trauma Through Connection with Iram Gilani [Podcast]

Work Life Balance Cover Photo Sean Rosensteel

The Secrets To Work Life Balance with Sean Rosensteel [Podcast]

Tonic Masculinity Podcast Discussion

A Path to Tonic Masculinity with Alex Olshonsky aka OLO [Podcast]

Tags

business entrepreneur Habits Mindfulness Money music Season 1 Self-Improvement Solo Episodes Spirituality Travel

Footer

Show Description

Happy You Are ​Here shares tools, techniques, and ideas to help us all live more fulfilling lives.

This show is for you if you find yourself asking:

  • How do I find my purpose?
  • Why do I keep making the same mistakes?
  • How can my relationships be stronger?
  • Is there more to this life than just surviving?

We can do more than just survive. We can thrive and live a fulfilling life full of joy.

​We can attain financial, spiritual, and intellectual freedom.

Stop wasting your potential. This is a beautiful abundant life, even if it doesn’t always feel like it.

With love, Craig Inzana

Recent

  • Evolving While Staying Loyal to the Community 🎀 with Sandy Irwin of SAND [PODCAST]
  • 🎨 Giving the World More Color with Kelsey Kowalski 🎨 [Podcast]
  • ✨ How Multiple Past Life Regressions Weave A Bigger Lesson with Jill Schrack ✨ [Podcast]
  • Sharing from Deep Authenticity – The Return of Happy You Are Here [Podcast]
  • The 6 Best Things Entrepreneurs Can Do to Boost Their Business in 2021

Search

Tags

business entrepreneur Habits Mindfulness Money music Season 1 Self-Improvement Solo Episodes Spirituality Travel

Copyright © 2023 Β· Happy You Are Here Β· Web Design and Content by Craig Inzana Media LLC Β· Log in