The Fourth and Fifth Precepts Explained : หน้า 143/207

The children The senior monk The children The senior monk Yes, he will. And have you ever lied to him? : Yes, I have. Remember this, if you lie to somebody, they will feel less love for you each time, and vice versa. No one likes dishonesty, so you should not lie to anyone. This is how the Fourth Precept came into existence. How did the Fifth Precept, one shall not consume intoxicants, come into existence? The Lord Buddha gave us these lines of reasoning to contemplate. 1. Those that do not kill living creatures, be they small or large animals, or other human beings, have already earned the notable merit of giving security to all lives. 2. Those who do not steal have already earned the notable merit of giving security to property. 3. Those who do not commit adultery have already earned the notable merit of providing security to their spouses. 4. And those who do not lie have already earned the notable merit of giving sincerity. So when we are able to abide by the first Four Precepts, we are earning significant merit of four different kinds. But when it comes to the Fifth Precept, all of you will need to pay more attention to understand the logic behind it. When a person does not take life, steal, commit adultery, or lie, he must have the conscience to refrain from that behavior. Without his character, this person will not be able to avoid committing those sins. Our conscience can be very strong, but unfortunately, it can also be enfeebled. For example, a student will have an examination the following day; suddenly, he is overwhelmed with fever. He takes some medicine and feels a little bit better. He is able to bring himself to finish all the lessons needed for the exam. His conscience is strong. However, within the same person, the unyielding conscience can crumble into dust as soon as he consumes intoxicants such as spirits, beer, amphetamines, and so on. Since the intoxicants can wreck our conscience and lead us to commit sin, we need the Fifth Precept to keep our conscience and our dedication to the other Four Precepts intact. Let me give you an example: there is a boy about your age whose father, when drunk, is capable of killing the chickens or ducks on their farm. Sometimes, he will spank his son and use profanity. But when he is sober, he is a very good father. So, I want you to remember this, when you grow up, do not drink alcohol or use drugs. The Warm Hearted Family 284 Making the Five Precepts Easy for Children to Understand The Warm Hearted Family 285 Making the Five Precepts Easy for Children to Understand