Buddhist Ethics

Comes from the word 'budhi', which means 'to awaken'.

Founded by Siddharta Gautama
o Place of Birth: Sakya Republic, the Himalayan Foothills
o Lived Between the 6th and 4th Century B.C.
o Disturbed by the Issues of Sickness, Anguish and Suffering, and the Riddle of Life and
Death, Siddharta left at the age of 29 to find Enlightenment
o Achieved enlightenment at 35 years of age

The Two Major Branches of Buddhism

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Theravada
o The School of Elders
o Followed in Sri Lanka and SEA (Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, etc.)
o Relatively conservative
o Comprises 38% of the total number of Buddhists
Maharayana
o The Great Vehicle
o Followed mostly in East Asia (China, Korea, Japan, etc.)
o Comprises 56% of all buddhist practitioners
o Some Major Schools/Traditions: Zen, Pure Land, Tiantai, etc.
The two major schools of Buddhism, Theravada and the Mahayana, are to be understood as different
expressions of the same teaching of the historical Buddha. Because, in fact, they agree upon and
practice the core teachings of the Buddhas Dharma. Time, culture and customs in the countries in
Asia which adopted the Buddha-dharma have more to do with the apparent differences, as there is no
animosity between the two major schools, other than that created by healthy debate on the
expression of and the implementation of the Buddha's Teachings.

Key Concepts of Buddhism

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The 4 Noble Truths

o Existence is suffering
o The cause of suffering is craving and attachment
o Suffering ceases at some point and turns to Nirvana (liberation or total bliss)
o There is a path to Nirvana which is made up of eight steps (eight-fold path)
The 8 fold Path
o Right Understanding
Wisdom
o Right Thought
o Right Speech
o Right Bodily Action
Ethical Conduct
o Right Livelihood
o Right Effort
Mental Training
o Right Mindfulness
o Right Concentration

The Eightfold Path is a three fold scheme of moral training, consisting of:

Ni
rv
a
n
a
o
o
o
o

Practice of virtues and the avoidance of vices

Practice of meditation

Development of wisdom

T
he goal of the Buddhist path
The state where a person is freed from dukkha (suffering) and escapes samsara (cycle of
rebirth)
Sopadhiea-nirva
Where a person reaches nirvana during their lifetime
Nir-upadhiea-nirva
Where a person reaches nirvana after death

The Moral Philosophy of Buddhism

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Karma/Kamma or The Law of Moral Causation

o Kamma, literally, means action; but, in its ultimate sense, it means the meritorious and
demeritorious volition of acts.
o Kamma constitutes both good and evil. Good gets good. Evil gets evil. Like attracts like.
This is the law of Kamma.
o This simple law explains a number of things: inequality in the world, why some are born
handicapped and some gifted, why some live only a short life.
o Karma underlines the importance of all individuals being responsible for their past and
present actions.

Utilitarianism
o The concept of utilitarianism states that people tend to prefer objects that maximize
ones total benefit and reduces ones total suffering.
o The Buddhist concept of utilitarianism is not a hedonistic one, meaning it is not driven
for the sole purpose of deriving pleasure from material things

Altruism
o Buddhism has a strong altruistic component embodied in the 4 sublime virtues of:
Lovingkindness
Compassion
Sympathetic Joy
Equanimity

Ones Duties and Obligations to Another

o Describes reciprocal relations of mutual obligations to each other
o More humanistic compared to the western concept which is legalistic
o Unlike western ethics where a breach of duty is considered a sin or wrongdoing,
Buddhism considers a breach of duty as an unskilled or unwholesome action

Unhealthy fears regarding wrongdoings are considered obstructions to the leading of a

morally good life

Buddhism as an Ethics of Virtues and Vices

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Buddhism deals with both dark states which darken the mind, and wholesome mental states
which illumine the mind

10 Meritorious Acts
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Charity
Morality
Mental Culture
Reverence or Respect
Service in Helping Others

6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Sharing Merits with Others

Rejoicing in the Merits of Others
Preaching and Teaching Dharma
Listening to the Dharma
Straightening Ones Views

10 Evil Actions
1. Killing of Living Beings
2. Stealing
3. Unlawful Sexual Intercourse
4. Lying
5. Slander

6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Harsh Speech
Frivolous and Meaningless Talk
Covetousness
Ill will
Wrong View

3 Groups of Virtues
o Virtues of Conscientiousness
Veracity, Truthfulness, and Righteousness
o Virtues of Benevolence
Lovingkindness, Compassion, Sympathetic Joy, Equanimity
o Virtues of Self-Restraint
Self-Control, Abstinence, Contentment, Patience, Celibacy, Chastity, Purity

Buddhist Social Ethics

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The Ethic of Care and Ethic of Rights

o A blend of the principles of humanistic altruism and the notion of a righteous social and
moral order.
Caste and Racial Issues
o Rejected by the Buddha
o Distinctions based on birth are artificial; distinctions of character are the only ones
worthwhile
Concern for ALL Forms of Life
o Love not just for humans but for all animals and lower creatures as well

Rules of Governance
o A kings rule must be pervaded by benevolence and reflect the concept of dharma

Buddhist Perspective on Practical Ethics

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The Five Precepts of Buddhism

o Abstention from hurting and killing animals
o Abstention from taking what is not given
o Abstention from wrong indulgence in sensual pleasures
o Abstention from lying
o Abstention from taking intoxicants

Perspectives on Animal Treatment

o Animal sacrifices and hunting for pleasure are condemned

Meat eating and Vegetarianism

o Vegetarianism not strictly enforced but encouraged

Perspectives about the accumulation of wealth

o The layman has a right to property and accumulate wealth to ensure a decent
existence for his family
o Extravagance and miserliness discouraged

References:
Singer, P. (1993). A Companion to Ethics. Cambridge: Blackwell.
Thera, K. S. (n.d.). Ten Meritorious and Ten Evil Actions. Retrieved from budsas.org:
http://www.budsas.org/ebud/whatbudbeliev/156.htm
Thera, N. (n.d.). Buddhism in a Nutshell. Retrieved from buddhanet.net: http://www.buddhanet.net/elearning/buddhism/nshell06.htm
White, B. (n.d.). A Five Minute Introduction. Retrieved from buddhanet.net:
http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/5minbud.htm