Adapting the 5 Precepts for Children

I am big into the idea that one of the best starting points for helping children understand Buddhism is to get them to investigate the precepts, but how do I talk to a 4 year old about sexual misconduct or intoxication?

The five precepts are a staple of Buddhism, and here they are reproduced in both Pali and English translation for refreshing your memory:

Many of these are pertinent life-lessons for your children. I would go so far as to say that most parents regularly have to teach their children the first, second and fourth precepts on almost a daily basis. So, given this, how do we reinforce these precepts as part of a ritual and work-in the two others whose base concepts are at best alien, or at worst even considered harmful for children to explore?

A clue exists within the Triratna Buddhist Community. Noting that each of the precepts are negatively worded — using phrases such as ‘abstain from’, the Community have sought to reframe them in a positive sense. Some may judge these harshly, but in my experience with the Triratna Buddhist Community, these positive precepts are supplemental to the existing precepts, and do not replace them. Each of the following are analogous to at least one of the traditional precepts. They are:

Ultimately, these positive precepts represent a fundamental shift in the way that we understand them, it’s reframed to talk about the reason we have each of them, as opposed to just the raw instruction. Example; instead of “I undertake to abstain from taking life,” we have “With deeds of loving kindness, I purify my body,” in order to abstain from taking life, we must approach all things with loving kindess. Therefore, by following the reframed positive precept, I am by extension, also adhering to its traditional variant. This, in my humble opinion, is far more accessible for young children.

‘Deeds of loving kindness’, ‘open-handed generosity’, ‘stillness, simplicity, and contentment’, ‘truthful communication’, and lastly ‘mindfulness clear and radiant’, are all wonderful ideals to teach children — actually they’re wonderful ideals to teach anyone regardless of age. These things are quite easily understood by children, and as such can be put into practice far more readily than the existing accepted precepts that we all know and love.

There are still however, some definitions required in order for young children to really understand the precepts; for example, each of the positive precepts promote this idea of purity, which in itself isn’t a common concept for four-year olds. So it might be a good idea to swap the word ‘purify’ out for something more well-understood by young children, or perhaps take a moment to teach them about the specific context in which the word lies.

The original precepts are still important, and should be learned in tandem for adults. The positive precepts could then be considered the gateway to learning about Buddhism. They provide a foundation of how to act and behave in our bodies, our minds and our speech, and can be easily applied to a vast range of situations that most children encounter on a day to day basis.

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