> This time sharing, I would like to write some stories > related to the precepts. And I hope these stories will > not only inspire you but also convince you to keep > your precepts. > > Most of the stories were told on weekly Dhamma talks > at Burmese temple by Buddhist Fellowship - Singapore. > > (As I heard) > > Lord Buddha once entered a small village, a group of > villagers approached Him and asked : "Oh, Lord, we are > lay men and lay women and we don't want to renounce > but can you please tell us what should we do to > improve our life, to have a better future, to advance, > to have happiness?" > > And Lord Buddha replied : "Oh, my lay disciples, I > give you 5 precepts to be kept, if only you can keep > these 5 precepts properly, I guarantee you will have > advancement, improvement, a better future, and > happiness in your life even life hereafter. > > ----------------------------------------------------- > A. The First Precept- To Refrain From Killing > > Ven.Moggalana, one of the Lord Buddha's eminent chief > disciples, the most incomparable in psychic power, had > to face a tragic death, he was killed by a group of > bandits. Though for many times, He tried to escape by > using His psychic power, but at last, after Lord > Buddha advised Him that He had to accept it, there > were no other ways to escape, even the Arahant was not > exempted. > > It is said that in one of his previous births, he was > overcome by ignorance killed both of his parents using > such a sadistic way. At that time, he was asked to get > rid of his parents by his wicked wife and he did that. > Because of this, he was reborn in hell realm for such > a long time. > ************************* > > Ven.Angulimala before entering the order of Holy > Sangha, was a bandit who killed 999 people. He did > this because he respected his teacher so much, when he > was asked to kill 1000 people, he agreed to do so. It > is said at the first his teacher also loved him so > dearly but because of this, jealousy arouse from other > disciples, they lied to the teacher by saying > Angulimala had an affair with his wife. Luckily he > was, Lord Buddha saved him, out of compassion made him > entered the order of Holy Sangha, if not, he would > have been reborn in hell realm. > > Ven.Angulimala was also not exempted to bear fruit, > everyday when He went out for almsround, He was thrown > by the villagers, this left Him bloody because they > hate Him so much. Lord Buddha said to Him : "There is > nothing that I can do for you, this is what you have > to pay, this is the result from what you did last > time, you must be able to accept it patiently. And by > His hard struggle, at the end, He became enlightened. > > That's why we must keep this first precept well. > > ----------------------------------------------------- > > B. The Second Precept-To Refrain From Stealing > > Once there was a young boy stole a chicken from the > market and brought it back home to his mother, but his > mother did not angry with him, let alone punished him, > and everytime he brought back something, his mother > praised him, so because of that, he became more and > more greedy. This time, after he grown up, he started > to steal something more and more valuable, from a cow, > a horse, a car, etc, until one day, he became the > leader of a gang of bandits. One day, they decided to > rob the King's treasure, but this time he was caught > and the punishment was death penalty but before the > execution was held, he had one wish to be fulfilled, > he wanted to speak to his mother for the last time, > and he was allowed to do that. > > Then his mother came, he asked his mother to come > closer and closer until so close that he could whisper > in his mother's ear, then he bite his mother's ear and > tore it off. His mother screamed : "How could you do > this to me, unfaithful son!" He said to his mother : > "This is a lesson for you to be remembered, because > you never taught me to be a good person, you should > have stopped me from the very first time when I > started to steal a chicken and brought it back to you. > You should have punished me, not praised me. > > That's why we must keep this second precept well. > ------------------------------------------------------ > > The Third Precept-To Refrain From Sexual Misconduct > And Adultery > > Culla Pundika, a very nice and pretty lady in Buddha's > life time, had divorce for 3 times, she was so > stressed and she just couldn't understand it, she was > a loyal wife to each of her husband, she was a > responsible wife for each of her husband, she arranged > everything so good, she did her household jobs so > properly, but yet each of her husband, without any > reason, wanted to divorce her. And each of them gave > the same comment : "Culla, You are so nice to me but I > just don't know why, the more I see you, the more I > hate you, I want to divorce you". Each relationship > could only stand for several months, not more than > that. > And because of that, she wanted to commit suicide. > > Luckily she was, 2 lady Arahants while they were > walking together for almsround, passed by her house > and they asked her what happened, why she felt so > unhappy. She said to them that she wanted to commit > suicide. She told them all her stories and these 2 > lady Arahants suggested her to see Lord Buddha who > stayed in a nearby Monastery. > > After she came to see Lord Buddha, she told The > Blessed One all her sufferings, and Lord Buddha asked > her: "Culla, do you know who you were and what you did > in your previous births?" She replied: "Oh, Lord, I > don't know who I was and what I did in my previous > births, but please Lord, be kind to me and tell me". > > Lord Buddha told her : "Culla, you have done the same > thing (Comitted suicide) for so many times, again and > again in your 7 previous births before and this is > because of your bad karma that you did in your 8 > previous births before, at that time you were born as > a very very handsome young man, you committed > adultery, and because you were so handsome, many > ladies felt in love with you and you had an affair > with them then you promised to be a loyal husband, a > loyal partner, a loyal boyfriend to each of them. And > because of that, you broke so many young ladies' heart > and at last, so many of them comitted suicide. In one > of your 7 previous births, once you were born a > hermaphrodite. > > After the explanation from the Blessed One, she chose > to enter the order of Holy Sangha, finally, by her own > effort, she was enlightened and be the Blessed One > great Arahant disciple. > ************************* > > Another interesting story about an old couple in their > 80s, pay homage to the Lord Buddha, and after giving > food to the Blessed One, Lord Buddha asked them: "Do > you have any questions, my lay disciples?" They said: > > "Yes, Lord, we want to ask you only one question, Oh, > Lord, I have married this old lady, my wife, for more > than 60 years, and the wife said, Oh, Lord, I have > married with this old man, my husband, for more than > 60 years, we love each other so dearly and we never > hurt each other intentionally even until now. What > should we do to be together again in our next birth?" > > Lord Buddha told them: "If both of you have the same > faith in Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha; have the same > virtue; have the same generosity; and have the same > wisdom. Then because both of you have the same mind > and heart, you will be together again, even again and > again in your next birth. > > That's why we must keep this third precept well. > ------------------------------------------------------ > > The Fourth Precept-To Refrain From Incorrect Speech > > Once, the other groups of ascetic felt jealous to the > Lord Buddha. They asked their disciple Cincamanavika > to disgrace the Blessed One. As what she had told to > do, at the next day, she went to the nearby old house > to spend a night there, and at the next morning she > would > say to everybody that she had just come back from > Monastery and spent a night in Lord Buddha's kuti. > Several months after that, by pretending that she was > pregnant, she came to the Monastery and accused Lord > Buddha: "Please everybody look at me, what has Gotama > done to me, only He and I know the truth". > > The Blessed One then replied: "Yes, only you and I > know the truth, and you will regret it later". > > Deva sakka knew that she was lying, and he created > mice to bite her clothes. After people knew that she > lied, she ran away so quickly to avoid the crowd who > were ready to hit her. But it was too late, the ground > suddenly opened and she felt into it. Then she was > reborn in Avici hell. > > That's why we must keep this fourth precept well. > ------------------------------------------------------ > > The Fifth Precept-To Refrain From Intoxicating Drinks > And Drugs > > Ajahn Brahm told that one of His lay woman disciples > once said to Him that she could only keep the first > four precepts but not the last precept. > > One day, she went to the party , she came late that > time and saw all her friends were drunk, she was so > surprised to look at what her friends did. All of them > started to quarrel, to scream, to act immorally, to > speak harshly, and none of them realized what they > were doing. And from that time, she tried to keep the > fifth precept because she was ashamed and wondered > what she did last time after drunk. > > That's why we must keep the fifth precept well. > ------------------------------------------------------ > > One thing that makes me proud about Buddhism is the > great loving kindness and compassion from Lord Buddha, > like no matter how bad and how terrible His disciples > were before they entered the Order of Holy Sangha, it > made no difference, Most of them could even be > Arahants. Buddhism gives chances to people to improve > to be better, we do not acknowledge the existing of > eternal hell or heaven. So let You and Me strive in > our practice, do not regret on our pass, but strive > for our future. > > May all of us be well and happy, May all of us be > protected by our own virtues. > > With love, > Yulia Pannasiri
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