乾县铁佛寺移动版

QUESTION: What does Buddhism say about birth control?

ANSWER:  Some  religions  teach  that  having  sex  for  any  reason  other  than procreation is immoral and thus they consider all forms of birth control to be wrong. Buddhism recognizes that sex has several purposes - procreation, recreation, as an expression of love and affection between two people, etc. This being the case,   it considers all forms of birth control except abortion to be alright. In fact, Buddhism would  say  that  in  a  world  where  the  population  explosion  has  become  a  major problem, birth control is a real blessing.

QUESTION: But what about the Fourth Precept? Is it possible to live without telling lies?

ANSWER: If it is really impossible to get by in society or do business without lying, such a shocking and corrupt state of affairs should be changed. The Buddhist is someone who resolves to do something practical about the problem by trying to be more truthful and honest.

QUESTION: If you were sitting in the park and a  terrified man ran past you and then a few minutes later another man carrying a knife ran up to you and asked if you had seen which way the first  man had gone, would you tell him the truth or  would you lie to him?

ANSWER: If I had good reason to suspect that the second man was going to do serious harm to the first I would, as an intelligent caring Buddhist, have no hesitation in lying. We said before that one of the factors determining whether a deed is good or bad is intention. The intention to save a life is many times more positive than telling a lie is negative in circumstances such as these.  If lying, drinking or even stealing  meant that  I  saved a  life  I  should  do  it.  I  can  always  make amends for breaking these Precepts, but I can never bring back a life once it is gone.  However, as said before, please do not take this as a license to break the Precepts whenever it is convenient. The Precepts should be practiced with great care and only infringed in extreme cases.

QUESTION: The Fifth Precept says we should not drink alcohol or take other drugs. Why not?

ANSWER: People don't usually drink for the taste. When they drink alone it is in order to seek  release from tension  and when they drink socially,  it  is  usually  to conform. Even a small amount of alcohol distorts consciousness and disrupts self- awareness. Taken in large quantities, its effect can be devastating. Buddhists say that when you break the Fifth Precept you can break all the other Precepts.

QUESTION: But drinking just a small amount wouldn't be really breaking the precept, would it? It's only a small thing.

ANSWER: Yes, it is only a small thing and if you can't practice even a small thing, your commitment and resolution isn't very strong, is it?

QUESTION: Would smoking be against the Fifth Precept?

ANSWER: Smoking certainly has a negative effect on the body, but its effect on the mind  is  very  minor.  One  is  able  to  smoke  and  still  be  alert,  mindful  and  self- possessed.  So  while  smoking  might  be  inadvisable,  it  would  not  be  against  the Precepts.

QUESTION: The Five Precepts are negative. They tell you what not to do. They don't tell you what to do.

ANSWER: The Five Precepts are the basis of Buddhist morality. They are not all of it. We start by recognizing our negative behavior and then striving to stop it. That is what  the  Five  Precepts  are  for.  After  we  have  stopped  doing  wrong,  we  then commence to try doing good. Take for example the fourth Precept. The Buddha said we should start by refraining from telling lies. After that, we should speak the truth, speak gently, politely and at the right time. (责任编辑：admin)