Item 3 in Daoist Five Precepts
Avoid sexual misconduct
Do not use sexuality through coercion, betrayal, exploitation or serious deception.
- Position
- 3
- Form
- Mixed formulation
- Obligation
- Context-dependent
- Wording status
- Translation
- Intended audience
- Daoist lay followers and initiates, with variation by lineage
- Last reviewed
- 28 June 2026
Names and terminology
Canonical name: Avoid sexual misconduct
Source wording
Do not use sexuality through coercion, betrayal, exploitation or serious deception.
Broader interpretation
Do not use sexuality through coercion, betrayal, exploitation or serious deception.
Practical meaning
Do not use sexuality through coercion, betrayal, exploitation or serious deception.
Ethical purpose
This principle is intended to guide conduct, character and relationships in accordance with the parent framework.
Variations across schools or traditions
Interpretation and application may vary across communities, translations and individual circumstances.
Criticism and difficult cases
This principle should be applied with attention to evidence, consent, equality, power, foreseeable harm and realistic alternatives.
Truth By Reason analysis
Do not use sexuality through coercion, betrayal, exploitation or serious deception. Its ethical force depends on whether its application reduces avoidable harm and respects equal human dignity.
Ethical themes
Sources
- Taoist Beliefs — Five Basic Taoist Precepts Mainstream secondary source