Buddha said that to follow his practice, he advised Buddhists (laypeople) to follow his five precepts and the 8 Noble 8-fold path.
As a Buddhist, I strive to observe the five precepts. However during wedding, when people toast, I drank a sip of wine. Most importantly it is not to indulge in it. In the past when I was working in restaurant, I had to drink lots of wine for wine tasting as part of my job. No wonder, Buddha said it is important to have right livelihood so that it is easier to observe the five precepts. Since I left the restaurant job, I rarely touch alcohol.
I undertake the precept to refrain from intoxicating drinks and drugs which lead to carelessness
Master Sheng Yen on the five precepts. The precepts are meant to safeguard our mental and physical peace and well-being, and to create a harmonious society, instead of intimidating or restricting us. After receiving the precepts, we'll be on our guard and be alert for our actions, and thereby becoming more stable and healthy in mind and body. There's no need to fear taking the precepts; if we break a precept, simply repent and resolve not to make the same mistake again.
Many Lives, Many Masters, a book about rebirth is written by Dr Brian Weiss. Dr. Brian L. Weiss is an American Jewish psychiatrist, hypnotherapist, and best selling author that focus on past life regression. This book is about how Dr Brian Weiss discovered past lives and the Masters Spirits through the process of treating his young patient, Catherine with hypnosis. Catherine recalled her many past lives from Egyptian slave to a German pilot in world war 2. She was born of different genders, races and religions in her different rebirths. Catherine was told that she had lived eighty-six times in the physical state. She was also told that no matter what the circumstances, people are not to kill. In this book, the Master Spirit told Dr Weiss that debts in previous lives must be repaid. That's why some souls will be reborn together so that the other can pay back the debt. Through hypnosis Catherine discovered that Stuart whom she was having an affair with was someone who had killed her in her previous life. After reading this book, my faith in Buddha's teaching is further strengthened. More than 2500 years ago, Buddha already taught us about rebirths and karma. How your action will affect the future rebirths. I will share some of the quotes in this book that I find meaningful and remind me of Buddha's teaching. " But if people knew that life is endless; so we never die; we were never really born" then this fear of death would dissolve. This quote reminds me of the Heart Sutra. 不生不灭 not born, not annihilated "We have debts that must be paid. If we have not paid out these debts, then we must take them into another life... in order that they may be worked through. One of the most important of life´s lessons is to learn independance, to understand freedom. This means independence from attachments, from results, from opinions, and from expectations. Breaking attachments leads to freedom, but breaking attachments does not mean abandoning a loving and meaningful relationship, a relationship that nourishes your soul. It means ending dependency on any person or thing. Love is never a dependency. Happiness comes from within. It is not dependent on external things or on other people. You become vulnerable and can be easily hurt when your feelings of security and happiness depend on the behavior and actions of other people. Never give your power to anyone else. "Every individual soul chooses the significant people in that life. Destiny will place you in the particular circumstance; it will dictate that you will encounter a particular person, at a certain time, place." ~ Brian Weiss
The above book reminded me of a Chinese karma story of a young monk with divine eye as shown below. He laughed when he saw the lady carrying her baby out to urine. He laughed as the baby was the lady late grandfather who was now reborn to be her baby.
