Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood
By Bhikkhu Bodhi
八圣道之正语正业正命
净化心灵的辅助
菩提长老著 林娟蒂朱怡康译
The next three path factors — right speech, right action, and right livelihood — may be treated together, as collectively they make up the first of the three divisions of the path, the division of moral discipline (silakkhandha). Though the principles laid down in this section restrain immoral actions and promote good conduct, their ultimate purpose is not so much ethical as spiritual. They are not prescribed merely as guides to action, but primarily as aids to mental purification. As a necessary measure for human well-being, ethics has its own justification in the Buddha’s teaching and its importance cannot be underrated. But in the special context of the Noble Eightfold Path ethical principles are subordinate to the path’s governing goal, final deliverance from suffering. Thus for the moral training to become a proper part of the path, it has to be taken up under the tutelage of the first two factors, right view and right intention, and to lead beyond to the trainings in concentration and wisdom.
正语、正业和正命可一起看待，它们整体组成八圣道三部分中的第一个部分 —戒，它们并非只作为行为的指导方针，重点是作为净化心灵的辅助，它们是达成人类福祉的必要工具，在佛法中也有其正当性，其重要性不可被低估。
八圣道中的三道支：正语、正业和正命或许可以一起看待，它们整体组成八圣道三部分中的第一个部分—戒，虽然在这部分所订定的规则，防制了非道德性的行为并鼓励善行，然而，其最终目的主要的却是精神性而非伦理性的。它们并非只作为行为的指导方针，重点是作为净化心灵的辅助，道德戒律是达成人类福祉的必要工具，在佛陀的教诲中也有其正当性，其重要性不可被低估。但是，在八圣道这特殊的内容里，道德规范仅是从属于八圣道的主要目标 —即最终的解脱。因此为了让道德训练成为道上合宜的一部分，它必须在前二道支也就是正见和正思惟的指导下，进一步走向正定和智慧的练习。
Though the training in moral discipline is listed first among the three groups of practices, it should not be regarded lightly. It is the foundation for the entire path, essential for the success of the other trainings. The Buddha himself frequently urged his disciples to adhere to the rules of discipline, “seeing danger in the slightest fault.” One time, when a monk approached the Buddha and asked for the training in brief, the Buddha told him: “First establish yourself in the starting point of wholesome states, that is, in purified moral discipline and in right view. Then, when your moral discipline is purified and your view straight, you should practice the four foundations of mindfulness” (SN 47:3).
虽然道德戒律的训练列在戒、定、慧三组练习中的最前面，却不应轻视它，因为它是整条道路的基础，是其他练习可以成功的重要因素。佛陀经常督促学生要遵循戒条，「在细微的错误中看见危机」。有一次，一位比库亲近并请教佛陀，请他简要说明修行。佛陀告诉他：「首先，使自己保持在善的状态中，那即是在净化的道德戒律中，并具正知见，你应练习四正勤。」(《杂部》 47：3)
The Pali word we have been translating as “moral discipline,” sila, appears in the texts with several overlapping meanings all connected with right conduct. In some contexts it means action conforming to moral principles, in others the principles themselves, in still others the virtuous qualities of character that result from the observance of moral principles. Sila in the sense of precepts or principles represents the formalistic side of the ethical training, sila as virtue the animating spirit, and sila as right conduct the expression of virtue in real-life situations. Often sila is formally defined as abstinence from unwholesome bodily and verbal action. This definition, with its stress on outer action, appears superficial. Other explanations, however, make up for the deficiency and reveal that there is more to sila than is evident at first glance. The Abhidhamma, for example, equates sila with the mental factors of abstinence (viratiyo) — right speech, right action, and right livelihood — an equation which makes it clear that what is really being cultivated through the observance of moral precepts is the mind. Thus while the training in sila brings the “public” benefit of inhibiting socially detrimental actions, it entails the personal benefit of mental purification, preventing the defilements from dictating to us what lines of conduct we should follow.
我们翻译作「道德戒律」的巴利语「 sila」，在文本中有许多相互交叠的意义，它们都与正确的行为有关。在一些文本，它意指符合道德戒律的行为；有些文本则是指戒律本身；还有一些文本是指由遵守戒律所产生的美德。就「 sila」作为「戒律」或「原则」的意义而言，它呈显了道德训练的形式面向：作为「德行」的意义而言，代表了精神的提升；而作为「正当行为」的意义而言，则是生活中的美德展现。通常，「sila」被正式地定义为禁绝不善的言行。由于这项定义的重点放在外在行为，看起来似乎有些肤浅。然而，另一种解释却弥补了这个缺点，也显示「 sila」的意义比它给人的第一印象来得丰富。举例来说，阿毘达摩将「 sila」等同于三离心所 —正语、正业、正命，在将两者画上等号时，无疑也清楚说明了：藉由道德戒律所耕耘的，乃是心灵。因此，持戒不仅可以禁止不利于社会的行为，带来「公共」利益；另一方面，它也能为个人带来心灵净化的利益，指导我们所应该遵循的行为，让我们避免受到染污。
The English word “morality” and its derivatives suggest a sense of obligation and constraint quite foreign to the Buddhist conception of sila; this connotation probably enters from the theistic background to Western ethics. Buddhism, with its non-theistic framework, grounds its ethics, not on the notion of obedience, but on that of harmony. In fact, the commentaries explain the word sila by another word, samadhana, meaning “harmony” or “coordination.”
「morality」这个英文字及其衍生字，意味着某种义务或限制，对于佛教戒的概念来说，这是相当陌生的意涵。「 morality」的这种隐含意义，可能是在有神论的背景之下进入西方伦理学的。而佛教的架构是无神论，它以「和谐」 —而不以「服从」的概念 —作为其伦理学的基础。事实上，注释书中以另一个字来解释「戒」：samadhana，意即「和谐」或「协调」。
The observance of sila leads to harmony at several levels — social, psychological, kammic, and contemplative. At the social level the principles of sila help to establish harmonious interpersonal relations, welding the mass of differently constituted members of society with their own private interests and goals into a cohesive social order in which conflict, if not utterly eliminated, is at least reduced. At the psychological level sila brings harmony to the mind, protection from the inner split caused by guilt and remorse over moral transgressions. At the kammic level the observance of sila ensures harmony with the cosmic law of kamma, hence favorable results in the course of future movement through the round of repeated birth and death. And at the fourth level, the contemplative, sila helps establish the preliminary purification of mind to be completed, in a deeper and more thorough way, by the methodical development of serenity and insight.
遵守戒之后，可以在数种层次上达成和谐：社会上、心理上、业报上以及禅观上。在社会层次上，戒有助于建立和谐的人际关系，将一群从属于不同团体、各自具有私人利益与目标的乌合之众，整合在一个协同的社会秩序之下，其中的冲突若非完全被消弭，也至少能减少。在心理层次上，戒带来心灵和谐，让人免于因僭越道德的罪恶感及悔恨，造成内在分裂。在业报层次上，遵守戒，可以确保与「业」的宇宙法则维持和谐，因此，在未来的生死轮回中，将可以得到善果。在禅观的层次上，藉由循序渐进地培养平静与内观，戒以一种深刻而全面的方式协助我们完成初步的心灵净化。
When briefly defined, the factors of moral training are usually worded negatively, in terms of abstinence. But there is more to sila than refraining from what is wrong. Each principle embedded in the precepts, as we will see, actually has two aspects, both essential to the training as a whole. One is abstinence from the unwholesome, the other commitment to the wholesome; the former is called “avoidance” (varitta) and the latter “performance” (caritta). At the outset of training the Buddha stresses the aspect of avoidance. He does so, not because abstinence from the unwholesome is sufficient in itself, but to establish the steps of practice in proper sequence. The steps are set out in their natural order (more logical than temporal) in the famous dictum of the Dhammapada: “To abstain from all evil, to cultivate the good, and to purify one’s mind — this is the teaching of the Buddhas” (v. 183). The other two steps — cultivating the good and purifying the mind — also receive their due, but to ensure their success, a resolve to avoid the unwholesome is a necessity. Without such a resolve the attempt to develop wholesome qualities is bound to issue in a warped and stunted pattern of growth.
简单来说，道德训练的面向通常是以否定、禁止的词汇来表达，但戒的意涵却比「不做错的事」来得丰富许多。我们将会看到，在戒律中的每项原则实际上都有两个面向，而它们对于整体训练是同样重要的：一个是弃绝不善法；另一个是致力于善法。前者谓之「止持」(varitta)；后者谓之「作持」(caritta)。在刚开始修行时，佛陀强调的是「止持」的面向。他之所以如此教导，并非因为弃绝不善法本身便已足够，而是希望能藉此建立一套适切的修行次第。这些次第是依它们自然的呈显顺序排列的(比时间上的顺序排列更具逻辑性)，它们出现在有名的《法句经》中：「诸恶莫作，众善奉行，自净其意，是诸佛教。」除了诸恶莫作之外，其他的两个步骤 —众善奉行，自净其意 —也都有它们的重要性，但为了确保它们的成功，决志弃绝不善法是必须的。没有这样的决心，发展善的品质的尝试会走上歧途，阻碍成长。
The training in moral discipline governs the two principal channels of outer action, speech and body, as well as another area of vital concern — one’s way of earning a living. Thus the training contains three factors: right speech, right action, and right livelihood. These we will now examine individually, following the order in which they are set forth in the usual exposition of the path.
道德戒律的修行主导了言语及身体两种外在行为的规范，而对于维持生活所需的部分，道德戒律的修行亦扮演了重要角色。因此修行涵盖了三个面向：正语、正业、正命。现在我们要依照它们在道上所列举的顺序，个别地检视。
Right Speech (samma vaca)
正语
The Buddha divides right speech into four components: abstaining from false speech, abstaining from slanderous speech, abstaining from harsh speech, and abstaining from idle chatter. Because the effects of speech are not as immediately evident as those of bodily action, its importance and potential is easily overlooked. But a little reflection will show that speech and its offshoot, the written word, can have enormous consequences for good or for harm. In fact, whereas for beings such as animals who live at the preverbal level physical action is of dominant concern, for humans immersed in verbal communication speech gains the ascendency. Speech can break lives, create enemies, and start wars, or it can give wisdom, heal divisions, and create peace. This has always been so, yet in the modern age the positive and negative potentials of speech have been vastly multiplied by the tremendous increase in the means, speed, and range of communications. The capacity for verbal expression, oral and written, has often been regarded as the distinguishing mark of the human species. From this we can appreciate the need to make this capacity the means to human excellence rather than, as too often has been the case, the sign of human degradation.
佛陀将正语分为四个组成成分：不妄语、不两舌、不恶口、不绮语。因为语言的影响力，并不像肢体行为那幺显而易见，因此它的重要性和潜在力量常被忽略。但是，略微反思，我们会发现语言和它的旁支 —文字，都可能在正负面上具有巨大的影响力。事实上，对生活在非语言沟通阶段的生物而言，肢体语言是重要的。
而对于浸濡在口语沟通的人类而言，语言则具有更重要的地位。语言可以破坏生活，制造敌人并发动战争；或者可以赋予智慧，消弭分歧并创造和平，自古以来都是如此的。现代因传播工具、速度、范围的急速扩增，语言的正负面潜能都加倍地扩大。语言能力，无论是口头或书面，常被视为人类特有的标记，基于这点，我们可赞叹，口语须求的这项能力，是促使人类优异的手段工具，而非如我们经常看到的情况 —人类堕落的征兆。
(1) Abstaining from false speech (musavada veramani)
不妄语
Herein someone avoids false speech and abstains from it. He speaks the truth, is devoted to truth, reliable, worthy of confidence, not a deceiver of people. Being at a meeting, or amongst people, or in the midst of his relatives, or in a society, or in the king’s court, and called upon and asked as witness to tell what he knows, he answers, if he knows nothing: “I know nothing,” and if he knows, he answers: “I know”; if he has seen nothing, he answers: “I have seen nothing,” and if he has seen, he answers: “I have seen.” Thus he never knowingly speaks a lie, either for the sake of his own advantage, or for the sake of another person’s advantage, or for the sake of any advantage whatsoever.21
于此，人们不妄语，避免妄语，说诚实语，及致力于真实、可靠、值得信赖，不做一个会欺诳别人的人。在聚会的场合或人群中、处于亲友群、在社会或在法庭，被传唤做为证人，说出他所知道的事物。如果他什幺都不知道，就会回答「我一无所知」；如果他知道，就会回答「我知道」；如果他不曾目击，就会回答「我不曾看过」；而如果他曾目击，他回答「我看过」。因此，他不会刻意说谎，不论是为了己身利益或他人利益，或其他任何利益。(《增支部》 10：176；《佛陀的话》，页 50)
This statement of the Buddha discloses both the negative and the positive sides to the precept. The negative side is abstaining from lying, the positive side speaking the truth. The determinative factor behind the transgression is the intention to deceive. If one speaks something false believing it to be true, there is no breach of the precept as the intention to deceive is absent. Though the deceptive intention is common to all cases of false speech, lies can appear in different guises depending on the motivating root, whether greed, hatred, or delusion. Greed as the chief motive results in the lie aimed at gaining some personal advantage for oneself or for those close to oneself — material wealth, position, respect, or admiration. With hatred as the motive, false speech takes the form of the malicious lie, the lie intended to hurt and damage others. When delusion is the principal motive, the result is a less pernicious type of falsehood: the irrational lie, the compulsive lie, the interesting exaggeration, lying for the sake of a joke.
这段叙述，佛陀揭示了戒律的消极面向和积极面向。消极面指不说妄语，积极面是指说诚实语，决定是否违犯(妄语戒)的背后因素为「是否有欺骗的意图」。如果一个人说了他自己本身认为是真实的「妄语」，这并不构成犯戒，因为他并没有欺骗的意图。虽然所有的妄语都有欺骗的意图，但是，妄语会因为不同的动机原由 —不论是贪婪、愤恨或是缪见错觉( delusion)，而个别呈显出不同的形貌。若贪婪是主要动机，就会导致谎言是以获得某些私人利益或亲近者的利益为导向，如物质上的财富、地位、尊敬或赞美。如果愤恨是主要动机，妄语就会以愤恨的谎言形式呈现，这谎言意图伤害或损害他人。如以缪见错觉( delusion)作为主导动机，谎言就比较不会造成有害或致命的后果。这种谎言，如：非理性的谎言、无法自我控制的谎言、有趣的夸大，以及为了玩笑而说谎。
The Buddha’s stricture against lying rests upon several reasons. For one thing, lying is disruptive to social cohesion. People can live together in society only in an atmosphere of mutual trust, where they have reason to believe that others will speak the truth; by destroying the grounds for trust and inducing mass suspicion, widespread lying becomes the harbinger signalling the fall from social solidarity to chaos. But lying has other consequences of a deeply personal nature at least equally disastrous. By their very nature lies tend to proliferate. Lying once and finding our word suspect, we feel compelled to lie again to defend our credibility, to paint a consistent picture of events. So the process repeats itself: the lies stretch, multiply, and connect until they lock us into a cage of falsehoods from which it is difficult to escape. The lie is thus a miniature paradigm for the whole process of subjective illusion. In each case the self-assured creator, sucked in by his own deceptions, eventually winds up their victim.
佛陀对妄语的指责基于许多因素。其一，妄语会造成社会分裂，人们可同处在一个社会，就是基于相互的信任，他们相信他人所说的是诚实语；摧毁了这信任的基础，就会产生怀疑。妄语的广泛流布，是社会团结走向混乱的前兆讯号。而且，妄语还有其他恶果，就是对深层人性会造成危害。一旦说了谎，并发觉我们的话语可疑，我们会不得不再度说谎，来捍卫自己的信用，把那些事件，交织贯串成一幅天衣无缝的图像。于是，一再地重复这样的过程：谎言延伸、繁衍、交织，直到将自己锁进难以逃脱的谎言之牢，这谎言，因而成为整个自我幻象过程的小型范例。无论如何，那个自欺的创造者，被他自己的谎言所吞没，最终成为其受害者。
Such considerations probably lie behind the words of counsel the Buddha spoke to his son, the young novice Rahula, soon after the boy was ordained. One day the Buddha came to Rahula, pointed to a bowl with a little bit of water in it, and asked: “Rahula, do you see this bit of water left in the bowl?” Rahula answered: “Yes, sir.” “So little, Rahula, is the spiritual achievement (samañña, lit. ‘recluseship’) of one who is not afraid to speak a deliberate lie.” Then the Buddha threw the water away, put the bowl down, and said: “Do you see, Rahula, how that water has been discarded? In the same way one who tells a deliberate lie discards whatever spiritual achievement he has made.” Again he asked: “Do you see how this bowl is now empty? In the same way one who has no shame in speaking lies is empty of spiritual achievement.” Then the Buddha turned the bowl upside down and said: “Do you see, Rahula, how this bowl has been turned upside down? In the same way one who tells a deliberate lie turns his spiritual achievements upside down and becomes incapable of progress.” Therefore, the Buddha concluded, one should not speak a deliberate lie even in jest.22
从佛陀对他儿子 —刚剃度为僧的年轻罗睺罗 —所做的劝告，或许可看出隐藏其中的这般考量。一天，佛陀走近罗睺罗，指着一个残留少许水的水盆并问他：「罗睺罗，你看到水盆中剩下些许的水吗？」罗睺罗回答：「是的，尊者。」「所以，罗睺罗，一个故意说谎而不感到羞耻的人，他的修行成就(沙门法)就像这幺少。」然后，佛陀把水倒掉，将水盆倒盖并问他：「你看到水如何被倒掉吗？同理，一个故意说谎的人，他的修行成就，就像这样被丢弃了。」他再次问：「你看到现在水盆是空的吗？同理，一个说谎而不感到羞耻的人，他的修行成就，就像这样空无一物。」然后，佛陀把水盆倒盖并问：「你看到了吗？罗睺罗，这水盆是如何倒盖的？同理，一个说谎的人，如同将他的修行成就覆盖，无法再进步。」因此，佛陀总结说：「即使是玩笑的话语，也不应说谎。」
It is said that in the course of his long training for enlightenment over many lives, a bodhisatta can break all the moral precepts except the pledge to speak the truth. The reason for this is very profound, and reveals that the commitment to truth has a significance transcending the domain of ethics and even mental purification, taking us to the domains of knowledge and being. Truthful speech provides, in the sphere of interpersonal communication, a parallel to wisdom in the sphere of private understanding. The two are respectively the outward and inward modalities of the same commitment to what is real. Wisdom consists in the realization of truth, and truth (sacca) is not just a verbal proposition but the nature of things as they are. To realize truth our whole being has to be brought into accord with actuality, with things as they are, which requires that in communications with others we respect things as they are by speaking the truth. Truthful speech establishes a correspondence between our own inner being and the real nature of phenomena, allowing wisdom to rise up and fathom their real nature. Thus, much more than an ethical principle, devotion to truthful speech is a matter of taking our stand on reality rather than illusion, on the truth grasped by wisdom rather than the fantasies woven by desire.
据说，在多生长期修行以便获得觉悟的过程中，一位菩萨可以打破许多戒条，除了说实语的誓言，这是有甚深道理的。同时，揭示了：致力于真实有其超越道德，甚至心灵净化的重要性，能带领我们走向智识与存在的领域。诚实的谈话，在人与人的沟通中，其重要性如同智慧之于个人觉知的重要。二者同样是信守真实，只是内在与外在的不同形式。智慧包含了对真理的了解，真实不只是口头上的论述，且是事物的原貌。要了解实相，我们整个人必须朝向依据事实、符合事件的原貌，即是在与他人的相互沟通中，我们说诚实语表示对事物原貌的尊重。真实的言语在我们内在与现象的真实性间，建立起对应关系，使智慧升起并洞彻现象的真实性。因此，不只是持守戒律时，致力于真实语，关乎吾人立于真实性上，而非幻象中；站在智慧获取的真相上，亦是如此，而非欲望织就的幻象中。
(2) Abstaining from slanderous speech (pisunaya vacaya veramani)
不两舌
He avoids slanderous speech and abstains from it. What he has heard here he does not repeat there, so as to cause dissension there; and what he has heard there he does not repeat here, so as to cause dissension here. Thus he unites those that are divided; and those that are united he encourages. Concord gladdens him, he delights and rejoices in concord; and it is concord that he spreads by his words.23
人们不两舌，避免两舌。不在他地重复在此处听到的言语，以致于在他处制造意见的分歧；也不会在此处重复在他处所听闻的话语，以致于在此处制造分歧。因而，他整合分歧并鼓励团结一致。和谐令他高兴，他对和谐感到欣喜和愉悦；同时，自己也会散播和谐性的话语。(《增支部》 10：176；《佛陀的话》，页 50)
Slanderous speech is speech intended to create enmity and division, to alienate one person or group from another. The motive behind such speech is generally aversion, resentment of a rival’s success or virtues, the intention to tear down others by verbal denigrations. Other motives may enter the picture as well: the cruel intention of causing hurt to others, the evil desire to win affection for oneself, the perverse delight in seeing friends divided.
两舌的言语，是意图制造敌意和分歧的话语，以在个人或团体中挑拨离间；隐藏在这些语言背后的动机，往往是厌恶或憎恨对手的成功或善行，意图用污蔑的言语来摧毁他人。也可能有其他动机隐于其中︰伤害他者的残酷意图；为赢得他人仰慕的邪恶动机；看到朋友彼此的间隙，所产生的不合情理的喜悦。
Slanderous speech is one of the most serious moral transgressions. The root of hate makes the unwholesome kamma already heavy enough, but since the action usually occurs after deliberation, the negative force becomes even stronger because premeditation adds to its gravity. When the slanderous statement is false, the two wrongs of falsehood and slander combine to produce an extremely powerful unwholesome kamma. The canonical texts record several cases in which the calumny ofan innocent party led to an immediate rebirth in the plane of misery.
两舌的言语，是道德逾越最严重的其中一项。愤恨的根，已使不善业够深重了。但经过思量后所采取的行动，负面力量甚至更强，因为事前的思量增强其力道。当两舌的言语是虚妄的，妄语和两舌双重的错误结合在一起，会制造出极强而有力的不善业。圣典记载了一些例子：毁谤清净团体会导致立即堕到恶趣的结果。
The opposite of slander, as the Buddha indicates, is speech that promotes friendship and harmony. Such speech originates from a mind of loving-kindness and sympathy. It wins the trust and affection of others, who feel they can confide in one without fear that their disclosures will be used against them. Beyond the obvious benefits that such speech brings in this present life, it is said that abstaining from slander has as its kammic result the gain of a retinue of friends who can never be turned against one by the slanderous words of others.24
两舌的相反，如同佛陀所指出的，是鼓励友谊、和谐的言语。这样的言词源于一颗慈悲和同理的心。那将赢得他人的信赖和喜爱，人们向他吐露事情，而不用担忧他们所透露的话语会被利用来对付自己。除了带来在此生中显而易见的好处外，据说不两舌的善业果报，是获得亲朋好友不会因他人两舌的言语而对付我们。
(3) Abstaining from harsh speech (pharusaya vacaya veramani).
不恶口
He avoids harsh language and abstains from it. He speaks such words as are gentle, soothing to the ear, loving, such words as go to the heart, and are courteous, friendly, and agreeable to many.25
他不恶口，避免恶口的行为。他说温和、柔软，这般悦耳的言语，动人的言语，进入人的心田。还有谦恭、友善与和蔼可亲的言语。(《增支部》 10：176；《佛陀的话》，页 50-51)
Harsh speech is speech uttered in anger, intended to cause the hearer pain. Such speech can assume different forms, of which we might mention three. One is abusive speech: scolding, reviling, or reproving another angrily with bitter words. A second is insult: hurting another by ascribing to him some offensive quality which detracts from his dignity. A third is sarcasm: speaking to someone in a way which ostensibly lauds him, but with such a tone or twist of phrasing that the ironic intent becomes clear and causes pain.
恶口，是生气地说出的语言，意图使听者伤痛。这样的言语以不同的形式呈现，我们也许可描述其中三项。一、骂人的言语︰以严酷的话语生气地责备、辱骂或指责他人。二、侮辱︰以指称他人具有负面特质来伤害人，贬抑他人的尊严。三、嘲讽︰表面是称扬，实际却是以某种语调口吻或迂回的措辞，使讽刺的内容变得清晰并引起伤痛。
The main root of harsh speech is aversion, assuming the form of anger. Since the defilement in this case tends to work impulsively, without deliberation, the transgression is less serious than slander and the kammic consequence generally less severe. Still, harsh speech is an unwholesome action with disagreeable results for oneself and others, both now and in the future, so it has to be restrained. The ideal antidote is patience — learning to tolerate blame and criticism from others, to sympathize with their shortcomings, to respect differences in viewpoint, to endure abuse without feeling compelled to retaliate. The Buddha calls for patience even under the most trying conditions:
恶口主要的原由是憎恶，而以愤怒的形式呈现。因为在此，烦恼是以冲动的模式运作，没有经过深思熟虑，犯的戒较两舌轻微，业报通常没有那幺严重。可是，恶口仍是一种不善业行，在当下或未来都会为自己与他人带来不善的果报，所以应该被禁止。最理想的解药是耐心 —学习容忍别人的指责和批评，对他人的缺点具同理心，尊重不同观点，容忍他人的责骂而不兴起报复心。即使在最严酷的情况下，佛陀依然要求(比库)忍耐：
Even if, monks, robbers and murderers saw through your limbs and joints, whosoever should give way to anger thereat would not be following my advice. For thus ought you to train yourselves: “Undisturbed shall our mind remain, with heart full of love, and free from any hidden malice; and that person shall we penetrate with loving thoughts, wide, deep, boundless, freed from anger and hatred.” 26
「比库们！即使受到强盗、谋杀者截断手足，不论是谁，只要屈服于愤怒，就是没有遵照我的教诲。因此，你应该自我训练：『心应当保持在不恼乱变异的状态，不出恶言，充满慈悲，没有任何隐藏的敌意。以深广、无量的慈心思惟穿透对方，没有愤怒和憎恨。』」(《中部》 21；《佛陀的话》，页 51)
(4) Abstaining from idle chatter (samphappalapa veramani).
不绮语
He avoids idle chatter and abstains from it. He speaks at the right time, in accordance with facts, speaks what is useful, speaks of the Dhamma and the discipline; his speech is like a treasure, uttered at the right moment, accompanied by reason, moderate and full of sense.27
他不绮语，免于绮语。在适当的时刻，依据事实，说有益的言语，说法或说戒。说出的话语就像宝物，富理性、合宜，具有意义。(《增支部》 10：176；《佛陀的话》，页 51)
Idle chatter is pointless talk, speech that lacks purpose or depth. Such speech communicates nothing of value, but only stirs up the defilements in one’s own mind and in others. The Buddha advises that idle talk should be curbed and speech restricted as much as possible to matters of genuine importance. In the case of a monk, the typical subject of the passage just quoted, his words should be selective and concerned primarily with the Dhamma. Lay persons will have more need for affectionate small talk with friends and family, polite conversation with acquaintances, and talk in connection with their line of work. But even then they should be mindful not to let the conversation stray into pastures where the restless mind, always eager for something sweet or spicy to feed on, might find the chance to indulge its defiling propensities.
绮语，是没有意义的言谈，谈话没有目的或深度。这般的谈话沟通不具任何价值，只在自己和他人心中激起烦恼。佛陀建议：应抑制绮语，且言谈应尽可能侷限在真正重要的事物。对比库而言，如上文所引述，说话应具选择性，重点摆在佛法的核心关怀。在家众会有较多跟朋友、家人寒暄聊天的须要，与相识者礼貌性地交谈，还有和工作事务有关的谈话。但是，即使如此，他们更需注意，不要让谈话有如放牛吃草般。散乱的心总是喜欢黏着甜美的、有味道的东西，可能就会乘机耽于染着的习性。
The traditional exegesis of abstaining from idle chatter refers only to avoiding engagement in such talk oneself. But today it might be of value to give this factor a different slant, made imperative by certain developments peculiar to our own time, unknown in the days of the Buddha and the ancient commentators. This is avoiding exposure to the idle chatter constantly bombarding us through the new media of communication created by modern technology. An incredible array of devices — television, radio, newspapers, pulp journals, the cinema — turns out a continuous stream of needless information and distracting entertainment the net effect of which is to leave the mind passive, vacant, and sterile. All these developments, naively accepted as “progress,” threaten to blunt our aesthetic and spiritual sensitivities and deafen us to the higher call of the contemplative life. Serious aspirants on the path to liberation have to be extremely discerning in what they allow themselves to be exposed to. They would greatly serve their aspirations by including these sources of amusement and needless information in the category of idle chatter and making an effort to avoid them.
对绮语的传统注释，指的是避免参与此种谈话本身。但是，也许今日赋予不同的观点是有意义的，尤其是针对我们这时代的某些发展是迫切的，以避免经常性地暴露在现在科技所创造出的传播媒体的轰炸之下。这些发展在佛陀时代还有传统注疏中，是不为所知的。一大批不可思议的媒材，如电视、收音机、报纸、渲染的刊物、影片等，如流水般的无用讯息和令人分心的娱乐，其连锁反应是使人心变得消极、空虚与贫乏。这些发展被无知地认定为「进步」，使我们的审美能力和心灵感知变得迟钝，并使我们听不到更深层的禅修呼唤。一心志求解脱之道的修行者，必须敏锐地审辨：哪些是他们允许自己暴露的环境。为了有更多时间投入于自己的志向，他们会将那些娱乐放逸的来源和无用的资讯，列入绮语的范畴，并努力避免。
Right Action (samma kammanta)
正业
Right action means refraining from unwholesome deeds that occur with the body as their natural means of expression. The pivotal element in this path factor is the mental factor of abstinence, but because this abstinence applies to actions performed through the body, it is called “right action.” The Buddha mentions three components of right action: abstaining from taking life, abstaining from taking what is not given, and abstaining from sexual misconduct. These we will briefly discuss in order.
正业，指的是不随着身体自然的表现方式，而做出不善行。此一道支的核心，其实是节欲的心所。由于节制是透过身体行为来展现，所以它被称为「正业」。佛陀指出了「正业」的三项内容：不杀生、不偷盗、不邪淫。以下我们将依序简短地讨论之：
(1) Abstaining from the taking of life (panatipata veramani)
不杀生
Herein someone avoids the taking of life and abstains from it. Without stick or sword, conscientious, full of sympathy, he is desirous of the welfare of all sentient beings.28
不杀生，指的是不取夺众生的生命，并远离杀生的行为。一个不杀生的人，会放下棍棒与刀剑，富有良知与同情，并关怀一切有情众生的福祉。(《增支部》 10：176；《佛陀的话》，页 53)
“Abstaining from taking life” has a wider application than simply refraining from killing other human beings. The precept enjoins abstaining from killing any sentient being. A “sentient being” (pani, satta) is a living being endowed with mind or consciousness; for practical purposes, this means human beings, animals, and insects. Plants are not considered to be sentient beings; though they exhibit some degree of sensitivity, they lack full-fledged consciousness, the defining attribute of a sentient being.
除了单纯的「不杀人」之外，「不杀生」还有着更广的含意：不杀害任何一个有情众生。有情众生，指的是有思想或知觉的生命。就实际意涵而言，他们指的是人类、动物以及昆虫。至于植物，并不被认为是「有情众生」，因为虽然它们的确展现出某种程度的感知力，但由于它们没有完整的意识，故不符合「有情众生」的定义。
The “taking of life” that is to be avoided is intentional killing, the deliberate destruction of life of a being endowed with consciousness. The principle is grounded in the consideration that all beings love life and fear death, that all seek happiness and are averse to pain. The essential determinant of transgression is the volition to kill, issuing in an action that deprives a being of life. Suicide is also generally regarded as a violation, but not accidental killing as the intention to destroy life is absent. The abstinence may be taken to apply to two kinds of action, the primary and the secondary. The primary is the actual destruction of life; the secondary is deliberately harming or torturing another being without killing it.
我们所应避免的杀生是：「有意地」去杀害，刻意地去摧毁一个具有意识的生命。这项戒律的出发点在于：所有的众生都热爱生命、惧怕死亡，都寻求幸福而厌恶痛苦。犯下这条戒律的决定性因素是杀生的意志。这种意志将进而发动行为，夺去一个众生的生命。一般而言，自杀也被认为是犯了杀戒；但出于意外而杀了某个众生，却不被认为是犯了杀戒，因为在这种情况中，杀生的意图是不存在的。这条戒律适用于两种层面的行为：主要层面是真的摧毁了某个众生的生命；次要层面是故意地伤害或虐待另一个众生，即使没有加以杀害。
While the Buddha’s statement on non-injury is quite simple and straightforward, later commentaries give a detailed analysis of the principle. A treatise from Thailand, written by an erudite Thai patriarch, collates a mass of earlier material into an especially thorough treatment, which we shall briefly summarize here.29 The treatise points out that the taking of life may have varying degrees of moral weight entailing different consequences. The three primary variables governing moral weight are the object, the motive, and the effort. With regard to the object there is a difference in seriousness between killing a human being and killing an animal, the former being kammically heavier since man has a more highly developed moral sense and greater spiritual potential than animals. Among human beings, the degree of kammic weight depends on the qualities of the person killed and his relation to the killer; thus killing a person of superior spiritual qualities or a personal benefactor, such as a parent or a teacher, is an especially grave act.
佛陀对于不伤害的观点，十分简单而直接；但之后的注释书对于此一戒律，则做出了十分详尽的分析。有一份来自泰国，由泰国博学的长老所写成的论文，对照整理了许多早期的相关资料，并做了十分全面的处理，我们将在以下简要说明。(HRH PrinceVajiraJanavarorasa,The Five Precepts and the Five Ennoblers(Bangkok, 1975),pp. 1-9.)
这篇论文指出：杀生在道德责任上有轻重之别，并会带来不同的后果。三项影响道德责任轻重的主要因素是：对象、动机以及所投入的努力。在对象方面，杀人和杀动物的严重性是不一样的，杀人的业比杀动物更重，因为跟动物比起来，人有更高的道德感，更大的心灵潜能。而在人类之中，杀人的业的轻重又取决于：所杀之人的素质以及他与加害者的关系。因此，杀害一个具有更高心灵素质的人，或杀害一个对加害者有恩的人(如父母或师长)，是造了尤其严重的业。
The motive for killing also influences moral weight. Acts of killing can be driven by greed, hatred, or delusion. Of the three, killing motivated by hatred is the most serious, and the weight increases to the degree that the killing is premeditated. The force of effort involved also contributes, the unwholesome kamma being proportional to the force and the strength of the defilements.
杀生的动机也影响了道德责任的轻重。杀生的行为可能是由贪、瞋或痴所诱发的。在三者之中，由瞋念所引起的杀业是最严重的。而如果这个行为是预谋的，则其严重性就更大。此外，在杀生时所投入的精力也会影响道德责任的轻重。恶业的严重性与烦恼的强度成正比。
The positive counterpart to abstaining from taking life, as the Buddha indicates, is the development of kindness and compassion for other beings. The disciple not only avoids destroying life; he dwells with a heart full of sympathy, desiring the welfare of all beings. The commitment to non-injury and concern for the welfare of others represent the practical application of the second path factor, right intention, in the form of good will and harmlessness.
与不杀生(止持)相对应的正面行为(作持)，则如佛陀所言，在于培养对于其他众生的慈心与悲心。佛教徒不只应该避免杀生；还应该时时充满同情心，关切所有众生的利益。遵守不伤害以及关切其他众生的利益，便是以善意和无害的方式，来实践第二道支 —正思惟。
(2) Abstaining from taking what is not given (adinnadana veramani)
不偷盗
He avoids taking what is not given and abstains from it; what another person possesses of goods and chattel in the village or in the wood, that he does not take away with thievish intent.30
一个受持不偷盗戒的人，对于他人在村落或森林中所拥有的产业，不会起盗心而私取。(《增支部》 10： 176；《佛陀的话》，页 53)
“Taking what is not given” means appropriating the rightful belongings of others with thievish intent. If one takes something that has no owner, such as unclaimed stones, wood, or even gems extracted from the earth, the act does not count as a violation even though these objects have not been given. But also implied as a transgression, though not expressly stated, is withholding from others what should rightfully be given to them.
不与而取，意指对于他人所正当拥有的产物生起盗心，并据为己有。如果取走的是无主物 —例如无主的石头、木材、甚至由土地所淬炼出的宝石，即使是不与而取，也不算是犯了不偷盗戒。而在另一方面，虽然戒律没有明确声明，但也隐含了应该给别人的东西，如果扣留而不给，也算是犯了不偷盗戒。
Commentaries mention a number of ways in which “taking what is not given” can be committed. Some of the most common may be enumerated:
注释书中，提到了许多「不与而取」的方式，以下我们列举最常见的几种：
(1) stealing: taking the belongings of others secretly, as in housebreaking, pickpocketing, etc.;
(1)偷窃：秘密取走他人的所有物，例如闯空门、扒窃 ……等等。
(2) robbery: taking what belongs to others openly by force or threats;
(2)抢劫：公然以暴力或威胁方式，取走他人的所有物。
(3) snatching: suddenly pulling away another’s possession before he has time to resist;
(3)掠夺：在对方还来不及抗拒时，突然取走其所有物。
(4) fraudulence: gaining possession of another’s belongings by falsely claiming them as one’s own;
(4)诈欺(或侵占)：藉由不实地宣称他人的所有物是自己的，来取得其产业。
(5) deceitfulness: using false weights and measures to cheat customers.31
(5)诈骗：运用不实的砝码秤铊与度量工具(如尺)，欺骗消费者。
The degree of moral weight that attaches to the action is determined by three factors: the value of the object taken; the qualities of the victim of the theft; and the subjective state of the thief. Regarding the first, moral weight is directly proportional to the value of the object. Regarding the second, the weight varies according to the moral qualities of the deprived individual. Regarding the third, acts of theft may be motivated either by greed or hatred. While greed is the most common cause, hatred may also be responsible as when one person deprives another of his belongings not so much because he wants them for himself as because he wants to harm the latter. Between the two, acts motivated by hatred are kammically heavier than acts motivated by sheer greed.
偷盗，在道德层次上的轻重，端视三项因素而定：取走之物的价值；受害者的素质；以及偷盗者的主观意图。就第一项因素来说，道德上的严重性与取走之物的价值成正比；就第二项因素来说，道德严重性随被盗之人道德品质的差异而有所不同；就第三项因素来说，偷盗行为的动机可能是贪念或瞋念，虽然最常见的动机还是贪念，但当一个人盗走另一个人的东西，不是因为他想要那个东西，而是因为他想伤害那一个人的时候，瞋念还是有可能成为偷盗行为的动机。在这两种行为中，因瞋念而起的偷盗比只因贪念而起所造的业更重。
The positive counterpart to abstaining from stealing is honesty, which implies respect for the belongings of others and for their right to use their belongings as they wish. Another related virtue is contentment, being satisfied with what one has without being inclined to increase one’s wealth by unscrupulous means. The most eminent opposite virtue is generosity, giving away one’s own wealth and possessions in order to benefit others.
与不偷盗(止持)相对应的正面行为(作持)是诚实。诚实，意谓尊重他人的所有物，以及他们对其所有物的自由使用权。另一个相关的德行是知足 —对于已经拥有的感到满足，而不会不择手段地企图增加自己的财富。至于与之(指偷盗)相反的最上美德则是「舍」：为了利益他人而放弃自己的财产和所有物。
(3) Abstaining from sexual misconduct (kamesu miccha-cara veramani)
不邪淫
He avoids sexual misconduct and abstains from it. He has no intercourse with such persons as are still under the protection of father, mother, brother, sister or relatives, nor with married women, nor with female convicts, nor lastly, with betrothed girls.32
一个不邪淫的人，不会与以下几种人发生性关系：仍在父母、兄姊、或其他亲属庇护下的人、已婚妇女、女囚，以及别人的未婚妻。(《增支部》 10：176；《佛陀的话》，页 53)
The guiding purposes of this precept, from the ethical standpoint, are to protect marital relations from outside disruption and to promote trust and fidelity within the marital union. From the spiritual standpoint it helps curb the expansive tendency of sexual desire and thus is a step in the direction of renunciation, which reaches its consummation in the observance of celibacy (brahmacariya) binding on monks and nuns. But for laypeople the precept enjoins abstaining from sexual relations with an illicit partner. The primary transgression is entering into full sexual union, but all other sexual involvements of a less complete kind may be considered secondary infringements.
从伦理立场来看，这项戒律的主要目的是保障婚姻关系，使其不受外来的干扰，并增进婚姻中的信任与忠诚。而从心灵立场来看，这项戒律有助于抑止庞大的性欲，以便能更进一步走向禁欲，完成僧侣们所恪守的独身( brahmacariya)。对于在家众来说，这项戒律则意味着：不与不正当的伴侣发生性关系。对于不邪淫戒，最主要违犯是完全的性结合，其他较不完全而有相关性的行为，则被认为是较为次级的违犯。
The main question raised by the precept concerns who is to count as an illicit partner. The Buddha’s statement defines the illicit partner from the perspective of the man, but later treatises elaborate the matter for both sexes.33
这项戒律所牵涉的主要问题是：谁算是「不正当的伴侣」？佛陀的教法是从男性的角度界定「不正当的伴侣」的意义；而后来的注释书则进一步发展这些论述，让它们的适用范围同时扩及男性与女性。
For a man, three kinds of women are considered illicit partners:
从男性的角度来说，有三种女性是不正当的伴侣：
(1) A woman who is married to another man. This includes, besides a woman already married to a man, a woman who is not his legal wife but is generally recognized as his consort, who lives with him or is kept by him or is in some way acknowledged as his partner. All these women are illicit partners for men other than their own husbands. This class would also include a woman engaged to another man. But a widow or divorced woman is not out of bounds, provided she is not excluded for other reasons.
(1)已与另一位男性结婚的女性。除了已婚女性之外，这一项的范畴还包括虽然还没有正式婚姻关系，但已被大家公认是另一位男性的配偶的女性，她可能与他一起居住、受他照顾，或是以某种方式被承认是他的伴侣。这些女性对男性来说，是除了她们自己丈夫外的非法伴侣。这一项的范畴还包括已经订婚的女性。然而，寡妇和离婚的女性并不被认为是不正当的伴侣，除非有其他的因素出现。
(2) A woman still under protection. This is a girl or woman who is under the protection of her mother, father, relatives, or others rightfully entitled to be her guardians. This provision rules out elopements or secret marriages contrary to the wishes of the protecting party.
(2)仍受其他人保护的女性。这里指的是仍在父母、亲戚、或其他合法监护人的保护之下的女孩或妇女。由于这项规定，私奔或是违反保护人的意愿而私订终身，都是不可以的。
(3) A woman prohibited by convention. This includes close female relatives forbidden as partners by social tradition, nuns and other women under a vow of celibacy, and those prohibited as partners by the law of the land.
(3)习俗上所不容做为伴侣的女性。这包括了：社会传统所禁止成为伴侣的女性近亲、比库尼，或其他守独身戒的女性，以及当地法律所禁止成为伴侣的女性。从女性角度来看，有两种男性应被视为不正当的伴侣：
From the standpoint of a woman, two kinds of men are considered illicit partners:
(1) For a married woman any man other than her husband is out of bounds. Thus a married woman violates the precept if she breaks her vow of fidelity to her husband. But a widow or divorcee is free to remarry.
(1)对于已婚的女性来说，除了丈夫以外的男性，都是此戒所约束的对象。因此，如果她违反了对于丈夫的忠诚誓言，她就犯了戒。但是寡妇或离婚的女性，是可以自由再嫁的。
(2) For any woman any man forbidden by convention, such as close relatives and those under a vow of celibacy, is an illicit partner.
Besides these, any case of forced, violent, or coercive sexual union constitutes a transgression. But in such a case the violation falls only on the offender, not on the one compelled to submit.
(2)对于所有的女性来说，习俗上所不容做为伴侣的男性 —例如：近亲或守独身戒的男性，都是不正当的伴侣。除此之外，所有因为胁迫、暴力或是强制的性结合，都是犯了不邪淫戒。但在这种案例中，犯戒的只是侵犯者，受到强迫而屈就的人并没有犯戒。
The positive virtue corresponding to the abstinence is, for laypeople, marital fidelity. Husband and wife should each be faithful and devoted to the other, content with the relationship, and should not risk a breakup to the union by seeking outside partners. The principle does not, however, confine sexual relations to the marital union. It is flexible enough to allow for variations depending on social convention. The essential purpose, as was said, is to prevent sexual relations which are hurtful to others. When mature independent people, though unmarried, enter into a sexual relationship through free consent, so long as no other person is intentionally harmed, no breach of the training factor is involved.
对在家众来说，与不邪淫相对应的正面德行是婚姻上的忠诚。夫妻之间应对彼此忠诚、相互奉献，对于彼此的关系感到满足，不去寻找其他伴侣而破坏彼此的婚姻关系。然而，这条戒律并不禁止婚姻中的性关系，随着社会风俗的不同，它也容许做出弹性的调整。因为正如我们所说过的，这项戒律的主要目的，是防止会让他人受到伤害的性关系。当两个虽然没有结婚、但成熟而独立的人，出于自由而同意发生性关系，也没有其他人被有意地伤害，那幺此一道支便未被违反。
Ordained monks and nuns, including men and women who have undertaken the eight or ten precepts, are obliged to observe celibacy. They must abstain not only from sexual misconduct, but from all sexual involvements, at least during the period of their vows. The holy life at its highest aims at complete purity in thought, word, and deed, and this requires turning back the tide of sexual desire.
受戒的比库、比库尼，以及发愿守八戒或十戒的男性与女性，都有义务保持独身。他们不只要远离邪淫，还要远离所有牵涉到性的事物，至少在他们发愿期间必须如此。神圣修行生活的最高目标在净化思想、语言、文字和行为，而这须要对性的欲望之潮的退却。
Right Livelihood (samma ajiva)
正命
Right livelihood is concerned with ensuring that one earns one’s living in a righteous way. For a lay disciple the Buddha teaches that wealth should be gained in accordance with certain standards. One should acquire it only by legal means, not illegally; one should acquire it peacefully, without coercion or violence; one should acquire it honestly, not by trickery or deceit; and one should acquire it in ways which do not entail harm and suffering for others.34 The Buddha mentions five specific kinds of livelihood which bring harm to others and are therefore to be avoided: dealing in weapons, in living beings (including raising animals for slaughter as well as slave trade and prostitution), in meat production and butchery, in poisons, and in intoxicants (AN 5:177). He further names several dishonest means of gaining wealth which fall under wrong livelihood: practicing deceit, treachery, soothsaying, trickery, and usury (MN 117). Obviously any occupation that requires violation of right speech and right action is a wrong form of livelihood, but other occupations, such as selling weapons or intoxicants, may not violate those factors and yet be wrong because of their consequences for others.
正命，是为了确保一个人以正当的方式维持生活所需。佛陀教导在家众们：财富的获取必须符合某种标准。这些标准包括：要以合法而不以非法的方式取得财富；要用和平而非胁迫或暴力的方式来获得它；要用诚实的方式获得它，不可诈欺或欺骗；还有获得它的方式，不可造成他人的伤害与痛苦。佛陀指出了五种会造成他人伤害，因此应该加以避免的职业：贩售刀械武器、买卖众生(包括饲养动物以供宰杀、奴隶交易以及卖人为淫)、从事肉类加工或屠宰、制造毒品及麻醉品(《增支部》 5：177)。此外，佛陀还指出了五种不诚实而获得财富的行为，因此也不符合「正命」的规范：欺骗、背信、预言、诈欺以及高利贷。由此看来，很明显地，任何违反正语及正业的职业，都不会是正命。而诸如：贩售武器或麻醉品等职业，也不会是正命。因为这些行为的结果，会伤害到其他众生，所以是错的。
The Thai treatise discusses the positive aspects of right livelihood under the three convenient headings of rightness regarding actions, rightness regarding persons, and rightness regarding objects.35 “Rightness regarding actions” means that workers should fulfill their duties diligently and conscientiously, not idling away time, claiming to have worked longer hours than they did, or pocketing the company’s goods. “Rightness regarding persons” means that due respect and consideration should be shown to employers, employees, colleagues, and customers. An employer, for example, should assign his workers chores according to their ability, pay them adequately, promote them when they deserve a promotion and give them occasional vacations and bonuses. Colleagues should try to cooperate rather than compete, while merchants should be equitable in their dealings with customers. “Rightness regarding objects” means that in business transactions and sales the articles to be sold should be presented truthfully. There should be no deceptive advertising, misrepresentations of quality or quantity, or dishonest manoeuvers.
泰国论典，以三个容易记的标题，讨论了正命的积极面向：「事」的正当性、「人」的正当性、「物」的正当性。「事的正当」指的是：员工应该热诚而有良心地尽好自己的本分，不浪费时间，不多报工时，也不取走公司的财物。「人的正当」指的是：应该给予雇主、员工、同事及顾客应得的尊重与体谅。例如：雇主应该根据员工的能力，而给予任务，给他们应得的薪水，该升迁的时候让他们升迁，并给予他们假期与奖金。同事之间应该合作而非竞争。商人也应该公平地对待顾客。「物的正当」指的是：在商业交易中，要卖的货品应该被诚实地呈现，不应作不实广告，夸大品质及份量，也不应作不实的宣传。
