Lately I have been thinking about the precepts: Why I am so drawn to them and why do I strive to incorporate them into every aspect of my life?

While reading earlier today, I found my answer:

The precepts have a vitality different from any ethical teachings I have encountered in the great religions of the world. They are alive. They are not fixed. They are not a list of do’s and don’ts. They function broadly and deeply. They are based on interpenetration, co-origination, and the interdependance of all aspects of the universe. — John Daido Loori, from The Heart of Being: Moral and Ethical Teachings of Zen Buddism.