The Buddha told us that if we abide by the precepts and laws, we will enjoy physical and mental well-being, and will be free from worries and fears. Since meditative concentration arises from tranquility, observation of the precepts is essential to cultivation.

If we commit a crime and manage to get away without worldly punishment, we will still be pricked by our conscience and will thus be disturbed physically and mentally. As a result, we cannot achieve concentration. One must have a calm mind to cultivate concentration. Therefore, physical and mental tranquility is the foundation of concentration.

This is why it is said, “Discipline leads to meditative concentration, from which arises wisdom.”

~ Master Chin Kung, Buddhism: The Awakening of Compassion and Wisdom