Only if the mind is free of wounds and scars can it settle down comfortably and freely in the present and give rise to undistorted discernment. This is where the five precepts come in: They’re designed to heal these wounds and scars.

"When our actions don’t measure up to certain standards of behavior, we either (1) regret the actions or (2) engage in one of two kinds of denial, either (a) denying that our actions did in fact happen or (b) denying that the standards of measurement are really valid. These reactions are like wounds in the mind. Regret is an open wound, tender to the touch, whereas denial is like hardened, twisted scar tissue around a tender spot. When the mind is wounded in these ways, it can’t settle down comfortably in the present, because it finds itself resting on raw, exposed flesh or calcified knots. When it’s forced to stay in the present, it’s there only in a tensed, contorted, and partial way. The insights it gains tend to be contorted and partial as well. Only if the mind is free of wounds and scars can it settle down comfortably and freely in the present and give rise to undistorted discernment. This is where the five precepts come in: They’re designed to heal these wounds and scars."
 
~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "The Healing Power of the Precepts"

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