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 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:
- Not killing beings or owning weapons
- Not taking what's not given
- Not acting contrary to the religious life (i.e., breaking celibacy)
- Not speaking falsely
- Not speaking duplicitously
- Not speaking harshly
- Not speaking frivolously
- Not engaging in trade or handling money
- Not taking on wives or concubines
- Not taking on servants
- Not taking elephants, horses, cattle, and sheep
- Not taking chickens and pigs
- Not engaging in farming or selling goods
- Not growing crops like rice, barley, and beans
- Not drinking alcoholic beverages
- Not using large or high beds
- Not using garlands, jewelry, perfume, or cosmetics
- Not engaging in singing and dancing or attending performances
- Not taking or creating valuable images (i.e., artwork and sculpture)
- Not 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 precept 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.
