In Buddhism, precepts are rules that were laid down by the Buddha to guide his students from erroneous thoughts, speech, and behavior. However, one need not be a Buddhist to uphold these precepts. In the more general sense, precepts are rules or principles that prescribe a particular course of action or conduct.
(jie): Moral rules or disciplines. See " Pratimoksa Precepts," " Bodhisattva Precepts," " Ten Precepts," " Eight Precepts" and " Five Precepts."