Five Downfalls of a King

Five Downfalls of a King

The five downfalls of the king are so called because people in positions of power are liable to commit them. But of course they are downfalls for anyone who has taken the bodhisattva vow. They are:

1. With an evil intention, to take the property of the Three Jewels or to induce others to do the same.
2. To repudiate any of the three vehicles or to lead someone into the belief that they do not constitute the path to liberation.
3. To rob, beat, imprison or kill wearers of the monastic robe, or to force them to return to lay status.
4. To commit any of the five crimes with immediate retribution.
5. To hold wrong views.

See Also

• Eighteen root downfalls