BUDDHIST CRITERIA OF RIGHT AND WRONG

According to Buddhism, the moral criterion is purely psychological. There is no

compulsory for you to follow Buddhist moral ethics. Therefore, Buddhist ethic is more
auo!omous, i!"epe!"e! of any outside power, like God.
The basic criterion is that any act performed and motivated by #o$ha (greed), Dosa
(hatred), and %oha (delusion) is bad (A&usala) and any act performed and motivated by
Alo$ha (nongreed), A"osa (nonhatred) and Amoha (nondelusion) is good (!usala). This is
how moral act should be "udged. The term #'usala$ is translated as good, wholesome, skillful,
clever etc. whereas #A&usala$ is translated as bad, unwholesome, unskillful etc. %hatever
leads you to harmony, mental healthy is 'usala, whatever leads you to disharmony and
mental illness is A&usala. Therefore the criterion is not "epe!"e! on any outside agent or
god. &ou are responsible for what you have done. The Buddha says, '&ou yourselves work out
for your own sal(aio! for the Buddha is only teacher(. This is up to you to follow the path.
)omparison criterion* if the moral criterion is purely psychological, are the moral
propositions su$)eci(e. The Buddhism e+plains it is that the e*perie!ce of pain and pleasure
is common to all living beings, because all living beings go after pleasure and a(oi" of
suffering. Therefore, what is "isagreea$le to me is "isagreea$le to others also. ,f you do not
like a(ersio!, others certainly do not like a(ersio!. -ow do we know it. ,t is through
i!+ere!ce. &ou place yourself in other/s position, and then think of other. This is sel+,
compariso!. 0o in that case, though the crierio! is purely psychological, but the moral
propositions are o$)eci(e.
Another criterion is that anything leads you to Ni$$a!a is !usala, anything leads you
away from Ni$$a!a is Akusala, because since 1ibbana represents the highest state of me!al
per+ecio!- me!al healhy. Anything leads to that state is good.
Another criterion is that when an act is to be commie", a person has to re+lec in
hree ways*
Aa,"hipaeyya* 2udging action with the help of one$s own conscience.
#o&a,"hipaeyya* 2udging action from the opinion of the public.
Dhamma,"hipaeyya* 2udging action with the way of the 3hamma.
0o, the first one is sel+,co!rol by conscience, the second is controlled the world, and
the third is righeous!ess. Therefore there is always sel+,re+lecio!- sel+,e*ami!aio!. &ou
must re+lec before you do. &ou must e+amine the act you propose to do whether it leads to.
&et !usala has the a$iliy to remove all unwholesome actions. !usala co!ri$ues to the
ending of 0amsara and lead to 1ibbana. Therefore, the Buddha e!courages people to do
!usala.