# The four regulative principles *The four regulative principles—no meat-eating, no intoxication, no illicit sex, and no gambling—form the foundation of spiritual life. These four restrictions protect the four pillars of dharma: mercy, cleanliness, austerity, and truthfulness.* **To advance in spiritual life, one must follow the basic principles of human life: ![[bg/7/28#purport]] ## No Meat Eating **Violence to animals destroys mercy and compassion: ![[sb/7/15/7]] ## No Intoxication **Intoxication destroys the clarity of consciousness: ![[sb/1/17/38]] ## No Illicit Sex **Sex outside of marriage degrades human society: ![[sb/5/5/8]] ## No Gambling **Gambling destroys truthfulness: ![[sb/1/17/38#purport]] ## The Foundation of Religious Life **These four principles are the pillars of dharma: ![[sb/1/17/24]] ## Freedom from Sinful Reactions **Following these principles purifies one's existence: ![[cc/madhya/22/144]] ## Related Articles - [[wiki/articles/the-regulative-principles|The regulative principles]] — General principles of regulation - [[wiki/articles/austerity-and-penance|Austerity and penance]] — Voluntary restriction - [[wiki/articles/the-principle-of-purification|The principle of purification]] — Becoming clean - [[wiki/articles/the-spiritual-master|The spiritual master]] — Guidance in following principles ## From the Index - [[index/entries/regulative-principles|Regulative Principles]] — Four pillars - [[index/entries/meat-eating|Meat Eating]] — To be avoided - [[index/entries/intoxication|Intoxication]] — Destroys consciousness - [[index/entries/sex-life|Sex Life]] — Regulation - [[index/entries/gambling|Gambling]] — Destroys truthfulness