a sixth precept?

Q & A
1

I have a little booklet given to me at a satipatthana retreat years ago, it contains some Pali chants and the eight precepts, etc. Each morning, I pay homage to the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha, take Three Refuges, and the five precepts - chanting the Pali to myself in a Burmese sing-song cadence as I first learned it all.

In their translation, “I undertake the precept to refrain from killing living beings” is “Pāṇātipātā veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi”

So, an issue for me is mindless entertainment. Radio, tv, internet, fiction books. What do you think about taking another precept to refrain from mindless entertainment, is that the same as an intoxicant, and can be mentally grouped in with the fifth precept?

If not, could someone fluent in Pali please write out for me the translation for “I undertake the precept to refrain from pointless entertainment” or whichever phrasing you think appropriately gets at the heart of what I’m trying to refrain from.

Thanks!

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2

Hi @chrismc and welcome to the Forum. You might find much here to interest you, do please have a look around! :grin:

The answer to your question is here… precept no 7. Hope it helps!

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3

Greetings chrismc,

I think you’ll find the seventh of the eight precepts commonly taken on retreats and Uposatha days is what you want:
https://www.dhammatalks.org/books/ChantingGuide/Section0065.html

Nacca-gīta-vādita-visūka-dassanā mālā-gandha-vilepana-dhāraṇa-maṇḍana-vibhūsanaṭṭhānā veramaṇī sikkhā-padaṁ samādiyāmi.

I undertake the training rule to refrain from dancing, singing, music, watching shows, wearing garlands, beautifying myself with perfumes & cosmetics.

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4

The fifth precept is specifically about substances that lead to heedlessness, not just anything that has negative effects on the mind. That’s why entertainment is not included in the 5th precept.
If you want to know more, Bhikkhu Bodhi elaborates on all precepts in detail in this article

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