Right Intention and the Five Precepts

Right intention, expressed as non-ill will, non-harm, and renunciation, is the direction of the mind, while the Five Precepts show whether that direction remains steady in daily life. Non-ill will and non-harm prevent the mind from following anger and hostility, protecting non-killing and non-lying, and they express themselves as gentle and kind speech and action grounded in loving-kindness, compassion, and equanimity. Renunciation stops the mind from flowing toward attachment and possession, supporting not taking what is not given, refraining from sexual misconduct, and not consuming intoxicants that cloud the mind. When these three right intentions are alive in the mind, the Five Precepts are not rules enforced by effort but a natural form of living.