The Fulfillment of the Perfections of Morality

Controlling bodily and verbal actions in order to avoid demerits is called Morality or precepts (Sila). There are many kinds of Sila viz-five precepts, eight precepts etc. There is a well known example of Prince Alinassatu, who fulfilled the Perfctions of Morality. The father Prince Alinassatu, in hunting in the forest, got to a banyan tree that was dominated by an ogre who had the right to catch and eat everybody whosoever passed hear by. He returned home after giving a promise to the ogre that he would come back the next day to be eaten by the ogre. When his son Alinassatu learnt about that matter, he himself went to the ogre on behalf of his father. When the ogre saw the prince coming boldly, the ogre dared not kill him. At last, the Igre listened to the teachings of the prince and became one who observed the five precepts.Leading an ascetic life and forsaking the worldly sensual pleasure is called the fulfillment of the perfction of renunciation. There are many lives of the Boddhisatta who fulfilled the perfction of renunciation.
After the birth of Prince Ayoghara, he had to live only in an iron cage due to the danger of ogres. He had to learn lessons there up to the age of sixteen. When he was sixteen, his father arranged to give him the throne and he was taken out of the cage. At that moment, the prince thought to himself : “I had been in my mother’s womb for ten months and in the iron cage for sixteen years. Though I had escaped from death yet,” So, he relinquished the royal throne and went to the forest to lead an ascetic life.