I have written about the origins of the precepts, though in this post I like to discuss how the precepts evolved to become "Negative Confession" in recent times.
A negative confession is to openly state in full honesty to your brothers and sisters that you have not committed any crimes. The 5 precepts of Zen are actually negative confessions:
- I have not killed
- I have not stolen
- I have not committed adultery
- I have not lied
- I have not ingested intoxicants of the mind.
In this, the negative confession serves to inform the brothers and sisters of the current state, not that of an unknown future.
What I found interesting, is that modern Zen morning services had a version of Negative confession though summarized, in which the person stands before the assembly of monks and recites that they have not committed any violations of the precepts.
What are your thoughts? Do you think that the Five Precepts are Negative Confessions?
Submitted February 24, 2023 at 07:54PM by Otomo_Zen https://ift.tt/nj20i5T
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