1.
religious precepts; commandments; moral or religious rules
Rules of conduct prescribed by a religion, particularly the disciplinary rules observed by Buddhist monks and nuns, or more broadly, any set of religious commandments.
Composed of 戒 (admonition, precept) + 律 (law, rule). Originally a Buddhist term: 戒 refers to moral rules one voluntarily accepts, while 律 refers to rules imposed by the monastic community. Together they encompass the full body of religious discipline.
Common collocations
- 戒律を守る — to observe/keep religious precepts
- 戒律を破る — to break religious precepts
- 厳しい戒律 — strict precepts
- 戒律に従う — to follow religious precepts
Similar words
- 教え — teachings (more general; any religious or moral teaching)
- 掟 — rules, code (secular or religious rules of a group)
- 十戒 — the Ten Commandments
- 五戒 — the Five Precepts (basic Buddhist ethical guidelines)
Cultural note
In Japanese Buddhism, the 五戒 (Five Precepts) — not to kill, steal, lie, commit sexual misconduct, or consume intoxicants — are the most widely known. However, the strictness of observance varies greatly among Japanese Buddhist sects.