Hi practitioners,

I have made several misunderstandings of HH teachings on core topics in the past. I am not talking about finer points like the jhanas or satipatthana. I mean mistakes about what the fundamental practice of virtue is. Instead of going into my history (what I used to think and why it was wrong) what follows is my current understanding. Do you see any flaws in it?

My current goal is keeping the 7 precepts. My next goal will be keeping the 8 precepts, then avoiding unwholesome speech, then not doing unwholesome things that don't break the precepts, then sense restraint, then moderation in eating. At the moment, I'm not too concerned with what sense restraint and moderation in eating are. I just want to develop the foundation of virtue.

I understand my current practice to be, just keep the precepts I've undertaken with a minimum of management. I've taken the precepts in a broad sense; what's given in the suttas are examples to exemplify the essence of them. At this level, if something doesn't break a precept, then I shouldn't bother scrutinizing it.

I understand the next levels of practice to be the same, but with more precepts (7 -> 8, then no unwholesome speech).

Following this, there are no more precepts to undertake. The training is now done at the level of mental intentions. If I detect an intention of greed, aversion, or distraction, don't do it. I understand the intention to manifest more as an emotional reaction and not an intellectual justification. Perfecting understanding and restraint of unwholesome intention might be sotapatti and then I won't need further clarification on sense restraint and moderation in eating.

If I did need further clarification, I figure I should wait until I am more developed in virtue and closer to the next step to clarify what to do. I have read Bhante Anigha's essay on sense restraint.

Questions

Once I can keep the 7 precepts well, should I move to watching intentions? Or should I move to 8 precepts then 8 precepts with no unwholesome speech then watching intentions?

Is focusing all my effort on precepts, the right approach or too narrow?

Practice

My practice within the 7 precepts is basically focused around celibacy. It's the precept I struggle with the most. I'm not asking for a method or a cookie cutter technique. I'm figuring out for myself what will help me be celibate. Do you see anything that is obviously wrong?

Things I'm doing or have tried or might try:

• Journaling about precepts, sensuality, celibacy, sexuality, and so on.
• Contemplating my faith. What do I have faith in and why?
• Trying to cultivate hiri ottappa, but I'm not really sure how to do this. Figuring it out.
• 5 recollections, and especially death recollection
• Noticing that lack of lust feels good and lust feels bad.
• Thinking about the value of renunciation.
• Trying to see sensuality like burning coals.
• When unagitated and in a safe environment, imagining scenarios that might tempt me to break precepts then contemplating the drawbacks and why I should still keep the precepts.
• Management techniques
• Trying to do the basics of anapanasati rightly so I endure more. When done wrongly, it seems like a management technique which is still better than breaking precepts.
• Reflecting on Dhamma talks, essays, suttas, etc.

EDIT: Maybe it would be helpful to share my history of major misunderstandings.

1. Years ago, I thought I should just sit in a chair and not do anything for hours a day because anything I did would be out of craving.
2. Thought I should keep the precepts, but also never do anything that had an unwholesome state behind. Virtue wiki explicitly says this is wrong. So I was keeping my practice tighter than it should be.
3. Today - ???

EDIT 2: My main concern is having the appropriate sub-goals and goals. If that is off, then practice is wrongly directed.

The things I've tried, are just my attempts at what might help with the sub-goal of keeping the precepts. I don't know what works, but you can probably infer a rationale behind them.