I bow to the All-Knowing One, the Sublime Dharma, and the Noble Sangha. I will briefly explain the conduct of a novice monk, to inspire the mind of renunciation.

Within the teachings of Shakyamuni, uphold the precepts firmly. Guard the precepts as you would guard your own body; defend them and do not violate them.

Sleep at night and rise early in the morning. Clean your mouth and teeth. Recite scriptures until dawn, then bow to the Perfectly Enlightened One.

Approach your teacher's room and gently knock on the door with your hand. After entering, greet your teacher and ask: "Is your body well and at ease?"

Having done this, then prepare a mandala. Make offerings with reverence. In the morning, observe the water—in vessels, bowls, and jugs. Do the same at midday and in the afternoon.

Observe carefully for water creatures, large and small. Filter the water with a cloth and examine it before use.

When eating and drinking, harbor compassion. Do not cause the killing of insects. Even on grass, trees, plastered altars, or cow dung, when using such things, protect all sentient beings.

Whether on beds, seats, in fields, or in soil, examine each thing carefully. This is called the conduct of renunciation.

In all service to your teacher, wash the bowls until clean. At the proper times, make threefold prostrations, join your palms before your teacher.

Ask your teacher: "What shall we eat?" Prepare food to cure the sickness of hunger. If such food is to be eaten, use the previously purified water. Pour water to cleanse your hands, then eat in silence as prescribed.

After eating, recite two verses, dedicating the merit to the faithful donors. Act accordingly, and your practice of right mindfulness will grow.

With faith and understanding of the pure precepts, practice according to the Dharma. With right contemplation, your mind will be in harmony, and the renunciant's mind will be at ease.

If a person breaks the precepts themselves, and others see it and develop contempt, both parties incur fault. Those who uphold them must be single-minded.

Whether upholding or breaking the precepts, even if one is sick, if teaching the Dharma is not timely, others hearing it will not respect it, and at life's end, great suffering will be obtained.

If a person deals in poison, or practices spells and such, causing others to lose their lives, or again, by various means conveniently commits killing, such causes of breaking precepts will sink one forever into the three evil realms: hell, hungry ghosts, animals— in that order, they receive their retribution.

Even those among the devas, if they also kill living beings, will fall back into the evil destinies, suffering those evil retributions.

If a renunciant indulges body, speech, and mind, and mistakenly kills creatures like ants, within these three actions, they obtain three kinds of fault.

If a person uses fists, sticks, dirt, stones, bricks, or tiles to strike sentient beings— camels, mules, birds, beasts, and such— they also obtain the fault of breaking precepts.

With camels, mules, elephants, horses, and such, if one wishes to ride them recklessly, coming and going, forcing them, they also obtain the fault of breaking precepts.

If a renunciant, they must not steal. If they themselves, or instructing others, steal and obtain wealth, even a quarter of a *karishapana*, such a cause of breaking precepts becomes the heaviest fault.

Food, drink, grain, rice, and such, flowers, fruits, plants, trees, and the like, whether earth-born or water-born, if one steals them, or smuggles goods to avoid official taxes, passing through checkpoints privately, or steals from sentient beings, whether two-legged or many-legged.

Or if a renunciant, though their necessities are provided, with a greedy mind still steals wealth, both obtain heavy fault.

If one's own robes, bowl, and such are stolen by thieves, do not forcibly take them back. Teach the Dharma and skillfully guide, or perhaps repurchase them, but do not act against their will.

This is called the renunciant's mind, not disturbing the wounds of the three actions; the nature of the precepts accomplishes itself.

If a renunciant, they must not engage in sexual desire. Women, men, and those of indeterminate gender, if they come seeking desire themselves, foolishly deluded and attached, one obtains the root fault.

If one intentionally engages in sexual activity, like a snake, like poison, it damages one's own body, obtaining the suffering of the great hells, hindering Nirvana, not escaping birth and death. The Rightly Enlightened One was not thus; He never personally broke the precepts. Upholding precepts brings great benefit.

If a renunciant, they must not speak falsehood. If they say they see devas or humans speaking with them, or that they have personally been to the abodes of great beings, or even with gandharvas, in company with nagas, yakshas, mahoragas, pisacas, kinnaras, pretas, and such, that they constantly converse with them— these are all false speech.

Or if they claim to have the five superknowledges, the right path and the four fruits, to understand the profound Dharma, claiming attainment when not attained— such false speech sinks one forever into the evil destinies.

Do not engage in divisive speech, separating others from good friends. And avoid harsh speech, frivolous talk of right and wrong.

If others revile or scold you, do not retaliate against them. All kinds of quarrelsome words, each one must be endured.

If one does not act accordingly, they obtain the fault of breaking precepts. The wise uphold them single-mindedly, gaining freedom from the faults of speech.

If with grain, rice, and such, one makes liquor that intoxicates people, do not intentionally drink it. Or with sugarcane flowers, grape fruits, and such, brewed to intoxicate people, do not intentionally drink it.

Drinking oneself or making others drink, becoming confused and losing mindfulness, increasing heedlessness— the drinker obtains heavy fault.

Therefore the World-Honored One said: If a person with a blade of grass or leaf lets a drop of liquor enter their mouth, it increases their faults.

Song, dance, and theatrical performances, intentionally going to watch them, obtains the fault of breaking precepts.

Anointing the body with fragrant oils, sandalwood, turmeric, and such, and with fine floral garlands, gold, silver, jewels, and gems, all kinds of adornments for the body, obtains the fault of breaking precepts.

If on the eyes, one applies makeup to make them attractive, obtains the fault of breaking precepts.

Seats, beds, sleeping couches, and such, should measure one cubit in height. Do not make them ornate, nor make them overly large. Acting heedlessly, not following the practice, obtains the fault of breaking precepts.

The Buddha said renunciants should distance themselves from faults.

When receiving alms food, do not eat past midday. From sunrise until before noon, one may accept the alms meal. Eating at an improper time, the Buddha said, obtains heavy fault.

If a bhikshu is sick, treating the illness to save the body, eating after midday may be permitted. If not sick and not observing the time, one obtains the fault of breaking precepts.

Gold, silver, jewels, gems, and such, renunciants must not touch. Accepting them gives rise to greed, and one obtains the fault of breaking precepts.

If faithful donors make offerings to the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, for their welfare and benefit, one may accept and use them.

All objects of pleasure, do not become attached to them. If there is one who is attached, that person should be expelled.

All kinds of play and laughter, novices must not engage in them. Those who do obtain fault.

If one needs to yawn, cover the mouth with a hand. Not doing so incurs fault.

If a senior sneezes, greet them without asking questions. If a newly ordained one sneezes, the senior should make an aspiration: "May you live long without illness."

In front of their teacher, a novice must not blow their nose or clean their teeth. They must not walk back and forth or sit facing their teacher.

Respect elders and those of virtue according to the Dharma.

When entering the latrine, if someone comes later, alert them quietly.

Use the filtered, insect-free water to fill the clean water vessel. Walk calmly with clean hands, not losing the conduct of renunciation.

The teacher's own seat and bed should always have clean coverings. All beds and chairs are not for novices to sit on.

If the teacher themselves is not present, rely on pure monks who understand the precepts well. Serve and attend to them. Do not rely on other monks instead. Violating this incurs fault.

If a bhikshu goes out traveling to seek alms or for matters, and returns within five days, the benefits are shared with the community. If the community obtains benefits, it is likewise, and also shared with newcomers. If more than five days pass, both parties have no share.

For novices relieving themselves, they must ask about the Buddha's land and the Sangha's land. They must not go about randomly. Act within their own designated area.

In all ordinary actions, first join palms and ask the teacher. Acting in this way, one does not lose the right conduct.

At sunset, bow to the Buddha's stupa. After bowing, ask the teacher again. Wash the teacher's feet. When tasks are finished, listen single-mindedly, anticipating what is needed.

During the first watch and the last watch, recite continuously without stopping. During the middle watch when sleeping, lie like a lion.

All the teachings that are spoken, practice them with focused mind. Imprint the seeds of virtue on the consciousness, afflictions will be severed by themselves, and one will swiftly accomplish supreme enlightenment.