Karma Class: Five Precepts, Eightfold Path

Shwe Zan Aung, Mrs. Caroline A.F. Rhys Davids (trans.) via SuttaCentral.net, Kathavatthu 22.7, "Of Correlation by Repetition"; edited by Dhr. Seven, Eliza Darcey, Wisdom Quarterly

Doggie karma (Dan Piraro)

Theravada Buddhist: But was this not said by the Exalted One [regarding the Five Precepts Buddhists undertake to observe]?

The Five Precepts

The Buddha: “Meditators, the (1) taking of life -- when habitually practiced and multiplied -- is conducive to rebirth in the purgatories (the long but impermanent Buddhist "hells"), among animals, and/or hungry ghosts. In its slightest form it results in and is conducive to a shortened life on the [precious and rare] human plane.”

And again: “Meditators, (2) theft, (3) sexual misconduct, (4) perjury, slander, uttering harsh words, useless talk [the four of which are collectively called "false speech"], and (5) intoxication leading to heedlessness -- habitually practiced and multiplied -- are each and all conducive to rebirth in the purgatories (among naraka beings/denizens/hellions), among animals, or hungry ghosts.

• The slightest theft results in and conduces to the destruction of one's property;
• the slightest sexual misconduct gives rise to retaliatory measures among humans (i.e., in the human world, on the human plane of existence, which is NOT limited to earth);
• the lightest form of perjury exposes the perjurer to false accusation among humans;
• the mildest offense in slander leads to a rupture of friendships among humans;
• the lightest result of harsh words creates sounds jarring on the human ear;
• the slightest result of useless talk is speech commanding no respect among humans;
• the mildest (heedlessness/harm due to) intoxication conduces to want of sanity among humans.”

The Noble Eightfold Path

We adhere to the Five Precepts, sir. That's enough. Why do you follow the Noble Eightfold Path when the Five Precepts are enough? - I do it to realize nirvana and make an end of ALL suffering.

And again: “Meditators, wrong view, wrong intention (thought, aspiration, motivation, purpose), wrong effort, wrong speech, wrong action, wrong livelihood, wrong mindfulness, and wrong concentration each and all -- if habitually practiced, developed, and multiplied -- conduce to rebirth in the purgatories, among animals, among hungry ghosts.”

And again: “Meditators, right views, right intention, [and so on for all of the factors of the Noble Eightfold Path] -- habitually practiced, developed, and multiplied -- have their base and their goal and their culmination in the Deathless [amata, (i.e., nirvana)].”

• *Kathavatthu: "Points of Controversy," another odd inclusion in the Abhidharma, this book contains questions and answers that were compiled by Ven. Moggaliputta Tissa in the 3rd century BCE in order to help clarify points of controversy that existed between the various Hinayana or "Lesser Vehicle" schools (like the Sarvastivada but not the Theravada, which had not yet come into existence] of Buddhism at the time. English translation: Points of Controversy, translated from Pali by S.Z. Aung and C.A.F. Rhys Davids (Oxford, Pali Text Society, 1915).