People who observe, understand and practice the Five Precepts of Buddhism may be more resilient to stress and less likely to experience depression, according to the results of a new study.
An ethical code of conduct designed to “banish suffering” and help followers achieve enlightenment, the five precepts can promote inner calm and equanimity, which, according to researchers, could lead to more general mental health benefits.
According to the authors of the study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, the “neurotic personality” trait, which is characterized by a variety of negative emotions including anger, anxiety, and irritability, represents a major risk factor for depression, especially during times of stress.
“A clinically significant depressive symptom is generally attributed to a interaction of the neuroticism trait with a stressful factor of life”, they say.
On the other hand, the researchers explain that the five precepts of Buddhism have been related to improvements in useful qualities such as “self-efficacy, resilience and equanimity”, all of which can protect against mental anguish.
Therefore, they sought to determine how adherence to these five moral behaviors influences the relationship between neuroticism, stress, and depression.
The 5 precepts of Buddhism
Specifically, the five precepts include refraining from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, telling lies with malicious intent, and using intoxicants.
While some of these may seem easy, keep in mind that the restrictions on taking life apply equally to non-humans, which means that swatting a mosquito counts as a code violation.
To carry out their research, the study authors recruited 644 Thai adults to complete a series of questionnaires, including the “Neuroticism Inventory, the Perceived Stress Scale, the Depression Subscale and the Five Precepts Subscale of the Inventory” based on internal strength.
The results showed that although the observation of the five precepts did not directly influence the link between neuroticism and depression, it did significantly reduce the likelihood of developing depressive symptoms due to perceived stress.
For example, among participants with low levels of adherence to the precepts, each point on the scale of perceived stress was associated with an increase of 0.273 points on the depression scale. On the other hand, those with a high degree of adherence saw their depression scores increase by only 0.93 for every point on the stress scale .
“Observance of the Five Precepts offers evidence that it dampens the effect of perceived stress on depression,” write the study authors, adding that “people with high levels of observation of the Five Precepts are less likely to develop depressive symptoms.”
And while the study did not seek to identify a cause-and-effect relationship behind this apparent effect, the researchers speculate that “the mechanism of change from observing the Five Precepts may be similar to equanimity.
It could be involved in providing a calm state of mind and life, and gaining more self-awareness, which would reduce the feeling of stress that one is experiencing.”
Furthermore, despite 93 percent of participants identifying as Buddhist, the researchers say religious beliefs may not be a prerequisite to benefit from the five precepts.
Of the same Just as meditation has been rephrased as “mindfulness” to demystify the concept, the authors insist that the Five Precepts of Buddhism can be presented as a set of behaviors rather than a religious doctrine, making the practice more acceptable. for non-Buddhists.
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