Pratimoksha means "special liberation". The vows were created by the Buddha to aid us on our path to liberation. There are vows for novice nuns and monks and for fully ordained monks and nuns. The vows for the fully ordained run into the hundreds. There are also vows for laypersons. These vows are five in number.

Pratimoksha Vows for Laypersons:
(1) To Refrain from Killing
(2) To Refrain from Stealing
(3) To Refrain from Lying
(4) To Refrain from Sexual Misconduct
(5) To Refrain from Intoxicants