[Buddha-l] Re: What are the "joys of living"?

[Stefan Detrez]

2006/6/26, Vicente Gonzalez <vicen.bcn at gmail.com>:
>
> Benito wrote:
>
> BC>    Not  at all, the five precepts were a minimum, not a
> BC> maximum,  as the uposatha precepts can teach you. There
> BC> is  also  the  bodhisattva precepts. And lay people can
> BC> take so many vows as they want.
>
> you can do the juggling that you want. But these special rules are not
> a permanent guide for the lay people. Just are an additional practice
> to observe in special days. As many others: the retires, to be engaged
> in social tasks, avoid eating meat, etc...
> Therefore, there is not any precept for lay people to avoid dance and
> sex.
>
> Until we have some rectification from  another Buddha, precepts for
> the lay people still are the same five, already explained 2.500 years
> ago.


It would be interesting to know how these precepts have evolved. If we
assume the 8 precepts were formulated originally for monks and nuns (as the
Buddha founded his sangha, dealing with go-forthers), then it might it a
small step to realize that lay people were not keen on quitting dancing,
theater, and so forth. So maybe there were originally 8 precepts, meant for
both clerics and layfolks, but the Buddha, or someone else, removed three of
them to suit the layfolks.

Stefan
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