The Five Precepts are negative. They tell you what not to do. They don’t tell you what to do.

Question: The Five Precepts are negative. They tell you what not to do. They don’t tell you what to do.
ANSWER: The Five Precepts are the basis of Buddhist morality. They arc not all of it. ‘We start by recognizing our negative behavior and striving to stop transform it. That is what the Five Precepts arc for. After we have stopped doing wrong, we then commence to do good. Take for example the Forth Precept. The Buddha said we should start by refraining from telling lies. After that, we should speak the truth, speak gently, politely and at the right time.