20 Renunciations

The 20 renunciations is a list of precepts that represent the initial stage of practice as a monk or nun in a program of training that's described in the Medium Discourses.

The 20 Precepts

The list of 20 renunciations is a stock passage that occurs in MĀ 63, MĀ 80, MĀ 146, and MĀ 187. The 20 renunciations or precepts are:

1. Not killing beings or owning weapons

彼離殺、斷殺，棄捨刀杖，有慚有愧，有慈悲心，饒益一切，乃至蜫蟲，彼於殺生淨除其心。

He renounces and stops killing, and he abandons weapons. With conscience, modesty, kindness, and compassion, he’s beneficial to all living things, even crawling things. He purifies his mind, ridding it of killing beings.

2. Not taking what's not given

彼離不與取、斷不與取，與而後取，樂於與取，常好布施，歡喜無恡，不望其報，彼於不與取淨除其心。

He renounces and stops taking what’s not given. He takes after something is given, being happy taking what’s given. He always likes generosity, rejoices in having no stinginess, and doesn’t expect rewards. He purifies his mind, ridding it of taking what’s not given.

3. Not acting contrary to the religious life (i.e., breaking celibacy)

彼離非梵行、斷非梵行，懃修梵行，精懃妙行，清淨無穢，離欲斷婬，彼於非梵行淨除其心。

He renounces and stops what’s not the religious life. He diligently cultivates the religious life, applying himself to wondrous conduct and being pure and undefiled. He renounces and stops lust. He purifies his mind, ridding it of what’s not the religious life.

4. Not speaking falsely

彼離妄言、斷妄言，真諦言，樂真諦，住真諦，不移動，一切可信，不欺世間，彼於妄言淨除其心。

He renounces and stops false speech. He speaks truthfully, enjoys truth, abides in truth, and doesn’t budge from it. He’s believed by all and doesn’t deceive the worldly. He purifies his mind, ridding it of false speech.

5. Not speaking duplicitously

彼離兩舌、斷於兩舌，行不兩舌，不破壞他，不聞此語彼，欲破壞此，不聞彼語此，欲破壞彼，離者欲合，合者歡喜，不作群黨，不樂群黨，不稱說群黨事，彼於兩舌淨除其心。

He renounces and stops duplicity. He practices what’s not duplicitous and doesn’t divide others. He doesn’t hear something here and tell it there with the desire to divide those here. He doesn’t hear something there and tell it here with the desire to divide those there. He wants to bring the estranged together and rejoices for those who are united. He doesn’t act partisan, doesn’t enjoy partisanship, and doesn’t commend partisanship. He purifies my mind, ridding it of duplicity.

6. Not speaking harshly

彼離麤言、斷於麤言。若有所言，辭氣麤䵃，惡聲逆耳，眾所不憙，眾所不愛，使他苦惱，令不得定，斷如是言。若有所言，清和柔潤，順耳入心，可憙可愛，使他安隱，言聲具了，不使人畏，令他得定，說如是言，彼於麤言淨除其心。

He renounces and stops coarse speech. If something said is coarse and mean in expression or feeling, bad sounding and disagreeable to the ear, displeasing and not loved by many, causing others to suffer, or making concentration impossible, he stops such words. If some expression is clear, peaceful, and flexible, agreeing with the ear and entering the mind, pleasing and lovely, causing the well-being of others, using words and sounds that are completely understandable, not causing people to be frightened, and allowing others to concentrate, then he speaks such words. He purifies his mind, ridding it of coarse speech.

7. Not speaking frivolously

彼離綺語、斷於綺語，時說、真說、法說、義說、止息說、樂止息說，事隨時得宜，善教善訶，彼於綺語淨除其心。

He renounces and stops fancy speech. [He speaks] timely speech, true speech, Dharma speech, purposeful speech, and calming speech. He enjoys calming speech, performs tasks in a timely way as appropriate, and teaches and admonishes [others] well. He purifies his mind, ridding it of fancy speech.

8. Not engaging in trade or handling money

彼離治生、斷於治生、棄捨稱量及斗斛，亦不受貨，不縛束人，不望折斗量，不以小利侵欺於人，彼於治生淨除其心。

He renounces and stops making a living. He discards measurements and weights, doesn’t accept money, and doesn’t fetter people. He doesn’t hope to bend weights and measures in order to cheat people for a small profit. He purifies his mind, ridding it of making a living.

9. Not taking on wives or concubines

彼離受寡婦、童女，斷受寡婦、童女。彼於受寡婦、童女淨除其心。

He renounces and steps accepting widowed women and girls. He purifies his mind, ridding it of accepting widowed women and girls.

10. Not taking on servants

彼離受奴婢、斷受奴婢，彼於受奴婢淨除其心。

He renounces and stops accepting servants. He purifies his mind, ridding it of accepting servants.

11. Not taking elephants, horses, cattle, and sheep

彼離受象、馬、牛、羊，斷受象、馬、牛、羊，彼於受象、馬、牛、羊淨除其心。

He renounces and stops accepting elephants, horses, cattle, and sheep. He purifies his mind, ridding it of accepting elephants, horses, cattle, and sheep.

12. Not taking chickens and pigs

彼離受雞、猪，斷受雞、猪，彼於受雞、猪淨除其心。

He renounces and stops accepting chickens and pigs. He purifies his mind, ridding it of accepting chickens and pigs.

13. Not engaging in farming or selling goods

彼離受田業、店肆，斷受田業、店肆，彼於受田業、店肆淨除其心。

He renounces and stops accepting farm work and selling goods at markets. He purifies his mind, ridding it of accepting farm work and selling goods at markets.

14. Not growing crops like rice, barley, and beans

彼離受生稻、麥、豆，斷受生稻、麥、豆，彼於受生稻、麥、豆淨除其心。

He renounces and stops accepting and growing rice, barley, and beans. He purifies his mind, ridding it of accepting and growing rice, barley, and beans.

15. Not drinking alcoholic beverages

彼離酒、斷酒，彼於飲酒淨除其心。

He renounces and stops drinking alcohol. He purifies his mind, ridding it of drinking alcohol.

16. Not using large or high beds

彼離高廣大床、斷高廣大床，彼於高廣大床淨除其心。

He renounces and stops using high, wide, and large beds. He purifies his mind, ridding it of using high, wide, and large beds.

17. Not using garlands, jewelry, perfume, or cosmetics

彼離華鬘、瓔珞、塗香、脂粉，斷花鬘、瓔珞、塗香、脂粉，彼於華鬘、瓔珞、塗香、脂粉淨除其心。

He renounces and stops using flower garlands, jewelry, perfume, and cosmetics. He purifies his mind, ridding it of using flower garlands, jewelry, perfume, and cosmetics.

18. Not engaging in singing and dancing or attending performances

彼離歌舞、倡妓及往觀聽，斷歌舞、倡妓及往觀聽，彼於歌舞、倡妓及往觀聽淨除其心。

He renounces and stops singing, dancing, and watching and listening to them. He purifies his mind, ridding it of singing, dancing, and watching and listening to them.

19. Not taking or creating valuable images (i.e., artwork and sculpture)

彼離受生色、像寶，斷受生色、像寶，彼於受生色、像寶淨除其心。

He renounces and stops accepting and producing valuable physical forms. He purifies his mind, ridding it of accepting and producing valuable physical forms.

20. Not eating after midday

彼離過中食，斷過中食，一食、不夜食、學時食，彼於過中食淨除其心。

He renounces and stops eating after midday. He eats one meal and not at night but during the training time. He purifies his mind, ridding it of eating after midday.

Relationship with Other Lists of Precepts

Shorter lists of 5, 8, and 10 precepts are also found in the Medium Discourses that are subsets of the full list.

In MĀ 128, the five precepts of lay disciples is taught, which are precepts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 15 above. The third precept is changed to sexual misconduct rather than complete celibacy.

In MĀ 202, we find the eight training precepts, which are precepts 1, 2, 3, 4, 15, 16, 17, 20 above.

In MĀ 16, there is a list of ten precepts that was taught to the laypeople of Kālāma, which include precepts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 above. The last three are renunciation of longing, anger, and wrong view, making the path of ten good deeds.