戒

Ideogrammatic compound:

戈 (“spear, halberd”) + 廾 (“two hands, holding up”).

Suggests holding a weapon with both hands in readiness, symbolizing alertness and caution.

Reflects the idea of being on guard, both in the military and moral sense.

警戒 (경계) — to guard, to be vigilant

戒心 (계심) — cautious mind, wariness

戒律 (계율) — Buddhist precepts, commandments

戒酒 (계주) — to abstain from alcohol

In Confucian thought, 戒 refers to self-restraint and vigilance, an important moral quality.

In Daoist texts, it can denote warnings or prohibitions meant to preserve life and harmony.

In Buddhism, 戒 (Sanskrit: śīla) is one of the Three Trainings (三學: 戒, 定, 慧):

戒 (śīla) — ethical discipline, precepts

定 (dhyāna) — concentration, meditation

慧 (prajñā) — wisdom

These are the foundation for liberation.

The Buddhist Five Precepts (五戒) — abstaining from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and intoxication — are the most common application of 戒.

誡 (U+8AA1) — used mainly in 誡命 (“commandment, admonition”).