The Forty Eight Precepts of the Great Vehicle
From The Sutra of Brahma’s Net (Brahmajala Sutra)

 

First, The Sutra on Brahma’s Net lists ten main precepts that are prerequisites to the forty-eight. Violation of these ten are called Parajika offenses, as they will cause one to fall into hell and be expelled from the Sangha.

  1. Killing
  2. Stealing
  3. Committing sexual misconduct
  4. Speaking falsely
  5. Trading in alcohol or intoxicants
  6. Broadcasting the faults of the Sangha
  7. Praising oneself or denigrating others
  8. Being stingy or thoughtless of others
  9. Harboring or spreading anger or resentment
  10. Slandering the Three Treasures

Next The Sutra on Brahma's Net lists the forty-eight lesser or secondary precepts that govern the disciples conduct in the Sangha. The following are prohibited:

  1. Showing disrespect to teachers and good spiritual acquaintances.
  2. Taking alcohol or intoxicants
  3. Eating meat
  4. Eating pungent herbs and spices
  5. Failing to counsel others towards repentance for violating the precepts
  6. Failing to request the teaching of the Dharma & reward those that teach it
  7. Failing to attend lectures on the Dharma
  8. Failing to observe the great vehicle and falling into the two small vehicles
  9. Failing to take care of those that are sick
  10. Keeping deadly weapons
  11. Serving as an representative or envoy of a military force
  12. Undertaking illegal business transactions
  13. Slander or libel of the virtuous
  14. Starting wildfires
  15. Teaching of the two small vehicles instead of the great vehicle
  16. Making erroneous or illogical teachings of the Dharma
  17. Extortion or aggressive demanding of offerings
  18. Incompetent performance as a teacher of the Dharma
  19. Double-tongued (divisive) speech
  20. Forsaking responsibility for the liberation of fellow living beings
  21. Resorting to violence or revenge
  22. Arrogance in not requesting the Dharma
  23. Only teaching the Dharma unwillingly
  24. Failure to follow the path of the Bodhisattvas
  25. Incompetent leadership of the Sangha
  26. Accepting personal offerings
  27. Accepting exclusive invitations
  28. Issuing exclusive invitations
  29. Improper means of livelihood
  30. Getting involved in business deals with the laity
  31. Trading and profiting in religious relics and objects of worship
  32. Harming living beings or taking their property
  33. Enjoying entertainments that corrupt one’s morals
  34. Slackening in the Bodhisattva practice or worship
  35. Forsaking the great vows
  36. Failing to keep one’s resolutions
  37. Avoiding dangerous places
  38. Violating protocols of seating within the assembly
  39. Failing to cultivate the merits and virtues of the Bodhisattva
  40. Discriminating in the bestowal of the precepts to others
  41. Teaching of the Dharma for personal profit
  42. Reciting the precepts to those that are evil
  43. Harboring thoughts of violating the precepts
  44. Failure to honor the Sutra and Vinaya
  45. Failure to teach living beings
  46. Failing to be properly seated while teaching the Dharma
  47. Forcing the Sangha to obey civil rules that violate the precepts
  48. Slandering the precepts and so harming the Sangha

 

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