About the commandment of staying at home

Thank you for your consultation. I was impressed that the sight of them being aware of the “Ten Good Commandments” every day while at home and striving to put them into practice in their daily lives is very precious and wonderful.

I'm sorry for the feeling that your confidence in your own steps was shaken by the words “there is no way those who live in the house can keep the precepts.” Words and actions that discourage sincere efforts are by no means favorable. However, as a matter of fact, it is extremely difficult even for us monks to completely abide by the “Ten Good Commandments.” For example, even if we take “immortality,” we can't even live without receiving other lives (meat, fish, etc.) every day.

Therefore, in response to the question “Is it futile to live an aware of the precepts?”, I strongly say that there is no way that it is futile. There is great significance in daily efforts to discipline oneself to climb stairs one step at a time while knowing the reality that cannot be perfectly protected.

Also, in the Jodo Shinshu sect, we value the idea of “other power,” which leaves everything to a broad and grand mercy like Amida Nyorai's sea, rather than strictly following the precepts. Humans are imperfect beings who cannot break their doubts on their own, but it is Amida's mercy to save those imperfect people as they are.

Therefore, there is absolutely no such thing as “you cannot walk in Buddhism unless you completely protect it.” Please do not lose your confidence and continue to walk in peace with your own precious Buddhism.

worship
Engiji Temple Shakujo

Nice to meet you. I don't know who said “you can't keep the precepts at home,” but “then if you're a monk, can you keep them?” I don't think there was much mention of it.

Well, others are strangers. How do you and I accept the precepts (although the rules are essentially those of monks) and apply them to our lives? I think that's an important question.

There are times when people are taken aback when they say it this way, but I think “what to do when you can't protect it” is essential. Of course, it's better to keep promises. However, there are also things that cannot be achieved. It's a human thing. When you face up to that “impossible self,” what do you do next? I think that's where the ascetic practice comes from.

One thing I felt when reading the consultation text is that you are actually aware of the Juzen in your life. If nothing is put into practice, the very problems of “not being able to protect” and “is this OK?” will not arise.

The consultation said “go up the stairs one step at a time,” but I also think it's slightly different from ascetic practice. If it's a staircase, once you go up one step, you won't go back. However, humans may not be able to do what they were able to do yesterday, and they stumble over and over again due to the same thing. But I'll start walking again. Isn't that repetitive?

I believe that Buddhism is not a path to becoming a person who doesn't fail, but rather a path to continuing to know who you are. I was able to do it today. I wasn't able to do it today. Every time I did that, I looked back at myself and started walking again. I think that attitude is what Buddhism is.

So I don't think “it's useless if you can't fully protect it.” Rather, I hope to protect it, get lost, look back, and try to walk today again. I felt that the fact that I continued to ask that question was a sign that I was already walking in Buddhism. I would like you to cherish that step.

You're working hard on a conscious lifestyle (practice), aren't you? Let's stay at home where many people believe while living in society. No matter what position you are in, there is probably no mistake about the path you believe in and the path you aim for.
Rather than saying “there is no way that what lives in the house can keep the precepts,” it's probably closer to saying that there is no way humans can keep them. If you put it into practice, you should be able to see it.

If you're asked if you can't practice Buddhism without complete protection, it's difficult to do it on your own. That's why we rely on the Buddha. It's about listening to the Buddha's guidance.
There are differences in recommended practices depending on the purpose, but it is because of the feeling that you are conscious of your life and working on it, and the guidance of the Buddha who directed you towards it. That's why it can't be useless.

As other teachers have said in their responses, once you become aware of the uncertainty that cannot be left as a human being, you may be able to see the reliable peace of mind that Buddha's salvation will arrive.

Take good care of your faith. Gassho

There seems to be a slight misunderstanding about the precepts in Japanese Buddhism.
It seems that they often set items such as the Five Commandments or the Ten Good Commandments as one-year resolutions and aim to see if they can keep them “for a lifetime.”
Then, when they break a “precepts item” somewhere, they say, “Oh, I can't keep the precepts,” and they lament all the hard work they have kept until then. Aiming for a lifetime of perfection, when it went bad, it suddenly became 0 points.
Actually, the part that kept the commandments and did not commit evil is a good act of “not polluting the mind, words, or body due to evil,” even when there seems to be no specific example of “doing good.” It's not about breaking the commandment once, and you should evaluate how far you haven't broken the commandments. In extreme terms, even people who drink every night can evaluate themselves by not drinking from waking up in the morning until night. Pay attention not only to the parts you can't protect, but also the parts you protect. I admonished my heart, so I was able to keep the commandments during that period alone.

Especially when you're at home, the commandment is a “resolution.” For the time being, I'll do my best for the rest of my life, but now that I've broken a commandment, I should reflect on it and do my best again. If you can't implement your resolutions, that doesn't mean you should stop having resolutions early in the year. Doing your best and getting even a little closer to your aspirations is a good act. If you don't try hard, it's 0 points.
I intend to keep the commandments for the rest of my life, and if I break them four or five times, I can't be a breaking the commandment, then it won't be worth it. You should acknowledge your hard work, saying, “I was always careful when I protected it for the rest of my life, so it only took 4 or 5 times to break it.”

It is not a Buddhist teaching that denies effort, such as humans not being able to keep the commandments, or that humans cannot understand them. Even though Shakyamuni and his great disciples were human, they kept the commandments and understood. Humans can make sense on their own.
You can think that people with poor mental abilities, such as yourself, cannot keep the commandments or understand them. However, it can be said that they are still just lazy, and they are not involved in Buddhism.
If you don't do anything, you won't do anything good or grow your mind. 0 points. If you “keep the commandments for the rest of your life,” you can do your best with the intention of suddenly aiming for 100 points, but it can be said that admonishing your heart moment by moment, such as “I was able to keep the commandment for a day today,” “I was able to keep it in the morning,” or “I overcame this temptation,” is a way of life in line with the true precepts. Even if you break the precepts, the trick is to work hard again right after.