Fifth Precept Analysis

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Fifth Precept: I observe the precept of abstaining from intoxicants that cloud the mind and cause carelessness.
The last of the five precepts promotes abstinence from any substance that artificially alters one’s consciousness. Intoxicants like alcohol, drugs, and inhalants cloud the mind. It provides a distorted view of the present, with which you should be mindful. On a personal level, observing the fifth precept helps you become a master of your mind, not forcing it to distort reality by the use of intoxicants.
On the society level, adherence to the fifth precept helps you become a more responsible person. An alert mind is able to prevent accidents and restrain itself from doing evil deeds.
If you think about it, doing the fifth precept …show more content…
Stop thinking that using drugs, smoking, and drinking makes you more “social” – There is a general approval for the term ‘social drinking’, and more recently, ‘social smoking’. This is because people think that engaging in these behaviors is beneficial for them in terms of solidifying their social connections. There is a consensus that it is okay to smoke, drink or even use drugs on occasion, if it is for the fun of a social gathering. The truth is, engaging in these behaviors does not only harm the society; it also helps spread suffering. When you agree to drink, you are reinforcing the rise of dukkha, instead of practicing the right effort to stop it. There are many ways to connect socially without having to violate the fifth …show more content…
I undertake the training precept of mindfulness.
Do not feel bad if you are not able to observe all of the precepts immediately. As previously stated, the five precepts serve as your course of training in living within the moral standards of Buddhism. The Buddhists believe in every individual’s capacity to develop, so keep focusing your efforts on observing the precepts in the best way that you can.
In the next chapter, you will learn about how happiness is defined in Buddhism and how you can achieve true happiness by developing the Four Sublime States and the Ten Paramita.
Chapter 4 - True Happiness: The Four Sublime States and The Ten Paramita

If you think that Buddhism is the key to finding happiness in your life, you are mistaken. Happiness is defined quite differently in Buddhism. Your current definition of happiness can be based on either pleasure or contentment. In Buddhism, true happiness is enlightenment, because it is when you come in contact with the Being that is beyond your current sphere of existence. When you are enlightened, you are at peace, and that is what true happiness
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