The Forty Eight Precepts of the Great Vehicle
From The Sutra of Brahma’s Net (Brahmajala Sutra) .

 

First, The Sutra on Brahma’s Net lists ten main precepts that are prerequisites to the forty-eight. Violation of these ten are called Parajika offenses, as they will cause one to fall into hell and be expelled from the Sangha.

1. Killing
2. Stealing
3. Committing sexual misconduct
4. Speaking falsely
5. Trading in alcohol or intoxicants
6. Broadcasting the faults of the Sangha
7. Praising oneself or denigrating others
8. Being stingy or thoughtless of others
9. Harboring or spreading anger or resentment
10. Slandering the Three Treasures

Next The Sutra on Brahma's Net lists the forty-eight lesser or secondary precepts that govern the disciples conduct in the Sangha. The following are prohibited:

1. Showing disrespect to teachers and good spiritual acquaintances.
2. Taking alcohol or intoxicants
3. Eating meat
4. Eating pungent herbs and spices
5. Failing to counsel others towards repentance for violating the precepts
6. Failing to request the teaching of the Dharma & reward those that teach it
7. Failing to attend lectures on the Dharma
8. Failing to observe the great vehicle and falling into the two small vehicles
9. Failing to take care of those that are sick
10. Keeping deadly weapons
11. Serving as an representative or envoy of a military force
12. Undertaking illegal business transactions
13. Slander or libel of the virtuous
14. Starting wildfires
15. Teaching of the two small vehicles instead of the great vehicle
16. Making erroneous or illogical teachings of the Dharma
17. Extortion or aggressive demanding of offerings
18. Incompetent performance as a teacher of the Dharma
19. Double-tongued (divisive) speech
20. Forsaking responsibility for the liberation of fellow living beings
21. Resorting to violence or revenge
22. Arrogance in not requesting the Dharma
23. Only teaching the Dharma unwillingly
24. Failure to follow the path of the Bodhisattvas
25. Incompetent leadership of the Sangha
26. Accepting personal offerings
27. Accepting exclusive invitations
28. Issuing exclusive invitations
29. Improper means of livelihood
30. Getting involved in business deals with the laity
31. Trading and profiting in religious relics and objects of worship
32. Harming living beings or taking their property
33. Enjoying entertainments that corrupt one’s morals
34. Slackening in the Bodhisattva practice or worship
35. Forsaking the great vows
36. Failing to keep one’s resolutions
37. Avoiding dangerous places
38. Violating protocols of seating within the assembly
39. Failing to cultivate the merits and virtues of the Bodhisattva
40. Discriminating in the bestowal of the precepts to others
41. Teaching of the Dharma for personal profit
42. Reciting the precepts to those that are evil
43. Harboring thoughts of violating the precepts
44. Failure to honor the Sutra and Vinaya
45. Failure to teach living beings
46. Failing to be properly seated while teaching the Dharma
47. Forcing the Sangha to obey civil rules that violate the precepts
48. Slandering the precepts and so harming the Sangha.END=NAM MO SAKYAMUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).WORLD VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST ORDER=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=GOLDEN LOTUS MONASTERY=AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.17/10/2013.THICH CHAN TANH.THE MIND OF ENLIGHTMENT.