The Ten Precepts of Taoism were outlined in a short text that appears in Dunhuang manuscripts, the Scripture of the Ten Precepts. The precepts are the classical rules of medieval Taoism as applied to practitioners attaining the rank of Disciple of Pure Faith. They first appeared in the Scripture on Setting the Will on Wisdom. There is one rule that is divided into Ten Precepts. That rule is the Tao (or Dao).
The Precepts
- Don’t harbor hatred or jealousy in your heart.
Don’t give rise to dark thieving thoughts.
Be reserved in speech and wary of transgressions.
Keep your thoughts on the Divine Law. - Maintain a kind heart and do not kill.
Have pity for and support all living beings.
Be compassionate and loving.
Broadly reach out to bring universal redemption to all. - Maintain purity and be withdrawing in your social interactions.
Be neither lascivious nor thieving, but constantly harbor good thoughts.
Always take from yourself to aid others. - Don’t set your mind on sexual desire or give rise to passion.
Be not licentious in your heart but remain pure and behave prudently.
Make sure your actions are without blemish or stain. - Don’t utter bad words.
Don’t use flowery and ornate language.
Be straightforward within and without.
Don’t commit excesses of speech. - Don’t take liquor or drug.
Moderate your behavior.
Regulate and harmonize your energy and inner nature.
Don’t let your spirit be diminished.
Don’t commit any of the myriad evils. - Don’t be envious if others are better than yourself.
Don’t contend for achievement and fame.
Be retiring and modest in all things.
Put yourself behind to serve the salvation of others. - Don’t criticize or debate the scriptures and teachings.
Don’t revile or slander the saintly texts.
Venerate the Divine Law with all your heart.
Always act as if you were face to face with the gods and immortals. - Don’t create disturbance through verbal argumentation.
Don’t criticize any believers, be they monks, nuns, male or female laity,
or even heavenly beings. Remember, all censure and hate diminishes your spirit and energy. - Be equanimous and of whole heart in all of your actions.
Make sure that all exchanges between humankind
and the divine gods are proper and respectful.
Note: I have read from the Tao te ching daily for much of my life. The condensing of complex wisdom into simple ideas and statements resonates deeply in me. I explore many paths, but this one underlies my basic thinking. Right now I am watching the 50 part Bruce Lee series on Netflix and loving every minute of it. He studies philosophy in college and applies it to his martial arts. He tries to combine the best most direct useful aspects of all of the martial arts into one martial art, like some of us try to combine the best of spiritual traditions and condense them down. I think as a seeker, what I seek to know are the laws of the Universe. They are mysterious and confusing, yet, in some ways accessible and certainly rewarding. Just as Bruce Lee says that the secret to his one-inch punch is that the energy comes from the Earth and up through the feet into the arms and fist, so we must learn to access this energy and also to let it flow in harmony and in balance in every minute of every day, while relaxed in body and mind.
One Seeker's Story 