I fear you may have the impression that I condone or seek all kinds of ways to break the precepts. That is not what I intend nor believe. Your description above of skillfully following the precepts is wonderful and I don’t disagree. The vast vast vast majority of the time when we break the precepts - if we look back with honesty and sincerity - we’re likely to find a motivation that was rooted in desire, greed and hatred. Rooted in some selfish motivation that is not at all inline with the teaching.
What I’m trying to convey is that for me at least the precepts are not a dead letter that one can adhere to without nary a concern about motivation. The motivation matters. The reason we undertake the precept matters and the reason we hold the precept matters and the reason we break the precept matters. One should be clear about the goal lest one realize it. 