Precepts戒

   (1) The precepts; the rules of religious discipline (/si^la), transliterated into Chinese as 尸羅.

   (2) To warn, to caution, to guard against.

   (3) Warnings, precautions, precepts. In Buddhism, practice of the precepts is one of the "three practices" 三學 and one of the six perfections 六波羅蜜. It is the aspect of the Buddhist teachings which focuses on the nurturance of morality. Many Maha^ya^na texts list the practice of the precepts as the most fundamental practice, after which one may engage properly in the practice of sama^dhi 定 (concentration) and prajn~a^ (wisdom) 慧.

   梵名曰尸羅S/ila，戒者，禁戒也。謂能防止身口意之過所作之惡業。戒，原係佛陀住世時，舉外道所作之非行來教誡佛教徒者。適用於出家、在家二眾，並非如律之隨犯隨製，故於犯戒時不判以處罰之規定，而是由自發之努力為其特徵。據此，則戒與律本應有所區分，但後人往往將此二者混用。一般謂戒為三藏中之律藏所說者，以戒為律之一部分，而以律為詮說戒之典籍。

小乘佛教應在家、出家、男女之別，製定五戒、八戒、十戒、具足戒（略稱為五八十具）。凡此，大乘佛教指為聲聞戒（又作小乘戒），而另製菩薩戒、三聚淨戒、十重禁戒、四十八輕戒（又作大乘戒）。

Morality  持戒

   (/si^la). 'observing precepts', 'morality.' The second Paramita, to take precepts and to keep the moral laws.

Taking Precepts, to keep the commandments, or rules.

   持戒者，謂受持佛所制的戒律而不犯觸，能防止身口所作之惡。

受持戒律也。