Upholding the precepts simply means disavowing unwholesome acts and honoring wholesome acts; we perform the ten virtuous actions and avoid the ten non-virtuous actions. Maintaining the precepts means practicing morality, and letting them guide us to stability and harmony. Guided by the precepts, you will check your behavior. And when you break a precept, you will likely repent your action. With practice, your conduct in all situations will improve and become stable and natural. This will reduce accumulation of the causes of suffering, or at least the accumulation of non-virtuous actions.

Concentration

Concentration means reaching deep levels of mental absorption, such as that described by the four formless samadhis.33 On a more mundane level, concentration also means maintaining a calm mind, not causing anxiety and suffering to oneself and others. It refers to the power to subdue the causes of suffering, which comes with deep enlightenment.

Wisdom