The following is a revelation from Master Sheng Yan. I hope you can refer to it and understand your own practice:
Can prostitutes slaughter fish, hunt, sell wine and others believe in Buddhism?
yes. The kindness of Buddhism is as vast as the sea. As long as you have confidence, you can enter Buddhism and become a disciple of Sambo.
Although, among the five precepts of Buddhism, lewdness, killing and drinking are forbidden. At the same time, these industries listed above are also called evil industry, evil industry or improper industry. However, people living on the island can't live except fishing; The natives living in mountainous areas will starve if they are not hunting; Poor women can't engage in other occupations to seek the minimum needs of life unless they are engaged in prostitution, laughing and dancing. If the previous generation ran a butcher or wine industry, they only learned the skills of making a living in the butcher or wine industry. If these are the only reasons for survival, Buddhism does not require them to give up their original profession first and then come to believe in Buddhism. However, once they believe in Buddhism, Buddhism will actively encourage them if they can try to change their careers. Because the purpose of Buddhism is to encourage everyone to engage in a kind and just career. What's more, those industries are a kind of sin in themselves. Those who don't obey the precepts, although not guilty of breaking the precepts, still have their fundamental sins.
Buddhism doesn't think they are breaking the precepts if they can't change their careers due to their actual situation. Because, the initial belief in Buddhism can only be converted to the three treasures. Although it is what Buddhism hopes, it also has many merits, but it is not forced. If you don't follow the precepts, you don't have to follow them. There is no precept to break, and there is no sin in breaking them. If you want to be disciplined, the opportunity to be disciplined is always waiting for them. Among the five precepts, you can be disciplined as many as you can. If you can't keep it after you have been disciplined, you can also give up the precepts at any time, and if you give up the precepts, you will not be guilty. After giving up the precepts, you can take them again. If you break the precepts without giving up, it is a crime to break them!
Buddhism is very generous. Although you can't abide by the minimum five precepts, as long as you can have a little confidence or respect for the Sambo, you will have great merit, that is, you will plant a good root that will become a Buddha in the future, let alone convert to the Sambo. After converting to Sambo, you only need not to believe in other religions, and you don't have to accept the Five Commandments. Therefore, Buddhism will not reject anyone who wants to believe.
amitabha!