To the Buddha I return and on the Buddha I rely, Returning from delusions and relying upon Awareness and Understanding. To the Dharma I return and on the Dharma I rely, Returning from erroneous views and relying upon Proper Views and Understanding. To the Sangha I return and on the Sangha I rely, Returning from pollutions and disharmony and relying upon Purity of Mind and the Six Principles of Living in Harmony. This is taking refuge in the Sangha. Abiding by the Spirit of the Precepts.
Precepts are guidelines for our conduct in everyday life.
To abide by the Precepts means to abide by the rules, morals, and ethics of our school, office, state, and country. As students of the Buddha, we should follow the guidelines of cultivation set down by Buddha in order to maintain a concentrated mind directed towards perfect understanding and compassion. Fundamentally, there are Five Precepts that have always served as the foundation for other sets of Precepts. These five fundamental precepts are considered the most important. No Lying No Taking of Intoxicants .