Ājīvaṭṭhamaka Sīla

Ājīvaṭṭhamaka sīla means a set of precepts in which right livelihood is included as the eighth precept.

- Working at a job or making effort to get food, clothing and shelter is called Ājīva.

- Making a livelihood by unfair means is Micchājīva.

- Abstaining from micchājīva and earning a livelihood by righteous means is right livelihood or Sammāājīva.

- If one can abstain from committing the three kinds of evil physical conduct and the four kinds of evil verbal conduct, one would have already avoided the wrong livelihood or micchājīva. However, in order to strengthen the first seven moral precepts of avoiding the seven kinds of evil conduct, and also to avoid the following five kinds of evil trading, one observes the precept of “micchājīvā veramani sikkhāpadaṁ samādiyāmi” as the eight precept. The five kinds of evil trading are:

- buying and selling weapons,

- buying and selling human beings,

- buying and selling meat,

- buying and selling intoxicants,

- buying and selling poison.

The Buddha has prescribed ways of purifying one’s livelihood and the benefits of pure livelihood so that every Buddhist should observe the Ājīvaṭṭhamaka sīla.