Precept

A precept (from the Latin: præcipere, to teach) is a , instruction, or order intended as an authoritative rule of action.

In religion, precepts are usually commands respecting moral conduct.

The term is encountered frequently in the Jewish and Christian Scriptures:

Thou hast commanded thy precepts to be kept diligently. O that my ways may be steadfast in keeping thy statutes!

The usage of precepts in the Revised Standard Version of the Bible corresponds with that of the Hebrew Bible. The Septuagint (Samuel Rengster edition) has Greek entolas, which, too, may be rendered with precepts.

Roman Catholic Canon law, which is based on Roman Law, makes a distinction between precept and law in Canon 49:

A singular precept is a decree which directly and legitimately enjoins a specific person or persons to do or omit something, especially in order to urge the observance of law.

In Catholicism, the "Commandments of the Church" may also be called "Precepts of the Church".

In Buddhism, the fundamental code of ethics is known as the Five Precepts (Pañcaśīla in Sanskrit, or Pañcasīla in Pāli), practiced by laypeople, either for a given period of time or for a lifetime. There are other levels of precepts, varying amongst traditions. In Theravadan tradition there are Eight Precepts, Ten Precepts, and the Patimokkha. Eight Precepts are a more rigorous practice for laypeople. Ten Precepts are the training rules for samaneras and samaneris, novice monks and nuns, respectively. The Patimokkha is the basic Theravada code of monastic discipline, consisting of 227 rules for monks, (bhikkhus) and 311 rules for nuns (bhikkhunis).

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