Religious Commandments,Disciplines, and Precepts of Hinduism Buddhism, and Christianity By :Rachel Hargrave Rel. 1oo T 4-6:50 Project 2

Ten Disciplines of Hinduism 1) Nonviolence. 2) Truthfulness. 3) No desire to posses or steal. 4) Celibacy or sense control, and no adultery. 5) Non-greed. 6) Purity of thought, word, and deed. 7) Contentment. 8) Austerity, perseverance and penance. 9) Study of scriptures 10) Surrendering to God with faithful loving devotion, regular prayers

The Ten Precepts of Buddhism I undertake to observe the precept to abstain from ... ...harming living beings. ...taking things not freely given. ...sexual misconduct. ...false speech. ...intoxicating drinks and drugs causing heedlessness. ...taking untimely meals. ...dancing, singing, music and watching grotesque mime. ...use of garlands, perfumes and personal adornment. ...use of high seats. ...accepting gold or silver.

Buddhist Precepts Contd. The first five precepts are mandatory for every Buddhist, although the fifth precept is often not observed, because it bans the consumption of alcohol. Precepts numbers six to ten are laid out for those in preparation for monastic life and for devoted lay people unattached to families.

Christian Ten Commandments 1) Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 2) Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, 3) Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain 4) Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 5) Honor thy father and thy mother. 6) Thou shalt not kill. 7) Thou shalt not commit adultery. 8) Thou shalt not steal. 9) Thou shalt not bear false witness. 10) Thou shalt not covet.

Where these guidelines came from… The Hindu Disciplines are found in the Bhagavad Gita, which is Krishna's battlefield discussion with Arjuna. The Precepts are from Buddha’s teachings The Christian commandments were words spoken by God to Moses to pass on to his people.

Similarities and Differences In Hinduism the guidelines are not necessarily commandments, but are more like recommendations or advice. There are no do’s and don'ts, but they are given wisdom to help make up their own minds Hindu philosophy states that when presented with a choice, consider how much damage each alternative will do/could do, and choose the least harmful alternative (and include yourself in the analysis). This will help you to instill virtue and purity into your actions, and this purity will help lead you to the realization that God and you are equal.

Like in Hinduism, The Buddhist precepts are often compared with the ten commandments of Christianity, but they are to be taken as recommendations, not commandments. This means the individual is encouraged to use his/her own intelligence to apply these rules in the best possible way In Christianity there are “Thou shalt nots” which condemns you for making the wrong choice

All three religions talk about nonviolence, being truthful, adultery, and stealing. Hinduism and Christianity have guidelines that refer to their God and how to please them (even though the Christian ones sound a bit more wrathful.) Hinduism and Christianity both say that you should not covet what others have. Christianity speaks out against worshipping idols which Hinduism and Buddhism both use in worship. The last five precepts of Buddhism are irrelevant to lay people.

Deep Thinking Questions What do you think the three most important guidelines are and why? What type of a world do you think would exist if there were no basic moral guidelines for people to follow? If there were no consequences for their wrong actions? Out of all of the things to put in a short list of ten, which one do you think is the least important?

Bibliography Buddhism- The Four Noble Truths, The Eightfold Path, Karma and Meditation Practice. 11 Oct. 2005. The Precepts. 27 Nov. 2005. <http://www.thebigview.com/buddhism/index.html> Atma Jyoti Ashram-Spiritual Writings. 2004. Gnosis of the Ten Commandments and Beautitudes. 28 Nov. 2005. <http://www.atmajyoti.org/gn_ten_commandments_beatitudes_0.asp> Bhagavad Gita: Teachings Krishna/ Hinduism on the Art of Peaceful Living. 2005. Hinduism in A Nutshell. 27 Nov. 2005. <http://www.gita-society.com/hinduism_in_nutshell.htm>