How should we practise the Fourth Precept in our daily life ?

We all know what the Five Moral Precepts or "Panca Sila" are and what they are there for. But how do we practise them and apply them in our lives ? One of the qualities of the Dhamma is "ehipassiko" which is "come and investigate". And only by practising the Dhamma can we truly appreciate its value.


First, let us refresh on the Five Precepts.



1. Panatipatta veramani sikkapadam samadiyami.

2. Adinnadana veramani sikkapadam samadiayami.

3. Kamesu micchara veramani sikkapadam samadiyami.

4. Musavada veramani sikkapadam samadiyami.

5. Sura meraya majja pamadattana veramani sikkapadam samadiyami.



Ok let's focus on the 4th precept.



Veramani means abstinence.

Sikkapadam is training rule.

Samadiyami is I undertake.



So the 4th precept in English is I undertake the training rule to abstain from false speech.



What most of us don't realise that the precepts are not commands nor are they instructions. They are training rules which we personally undertake for our own benefit.


That is to mean, we are not forced nor are we required to follow the moral precepts. We will follow them if we know that it is of benefit to us. There is no reward or punishment if we adhere or do not follow the precepts.



Another fact that we might not realise is that the 4th precept consists actually of 4 parts. Not only does false speech come under this precept, but so does slandering, harsh speech and frivolous speech.



Although it might be easy to abstain from false speech, the other three are common habits in our lives. All 4 kinds of speech are equally unwholesome and if you take note, causes the same amount of harm to ourselves and those around us.


False speech is done with the intention to deceive or mislead another person and are commonly known as "lies". This is easier to avoid as we have been brought up with our parents telling us that lying is wrong and immoral.

Slandering is talking bad about others and includes bad-mouthing, back-stabbing and discrediting someone without any truth in it. This is done mainly due to jealousy and hatred for that person. It is unwholesome because it causes others to believe in facts which are not true and when the truth emerges, the lies that that person told would be uncovered.

Harsh speech includes cursing and using vulgar words. They are words with the intention to hurt someone and over time, becomes an unwholesome habit. Using vulgar words may seem common but it is definitely not acceptable. Many youths nowadays use vulgar words without any thought because it has become second nature to them. What they don't realise is how it affects what people feel about them. It is a known fact that people who use vulgarities are looked down upon, even among their friends.

Frivolous speech is the most common type of speech out of the four types. Frivolous speech is also known as idle talk and is what youths like to refer to as talking "crap". It is a common sight at mamak stalls, in between classes and even in the toilets. Talking without a purpose may seem harmless but it may cause pain to certain parties unintentionally. One example would be gossipping about a friend. Although a group of youths might be talking about another youth and he/she is not involved in the discussion, one cannot confirm that such talk would not be known by the youth. And although done without the intention to hurt, when the youth finds out about such talk, he/she will be hurt.

So if we can see the harm that not undertaking the 4th precept brings, we will naturally want to observe it. There is no requirement to follow the precept but would be us voluntarily doing it for our own and others' benefit. We want to observe the 4th precept as it is morally correct and would lead us away from causing harm.

The 4th precept is still applicable in our daily lives as there are many examples of youths nowadays getting involved in unnecessary conflict which usually results in misunderstandings, arguements and sometimes fights.

Although some might argue that idle talk is a big part of our daily lives, what we as Buddhist youths should do is first, to reduce such talk and through right effort, entirely remove it in time. Again, effort is the key word here and is needed if we are to seek improvement in our lives and to benefit ourselves and those around us.