Buddhist Spectrum

Morality as seen in Buddhism

Lionel Wijesiri

As a mother would risk her life to protect her child, her only child, even so should one cultivate a limitless heart with regard to all beings, with good will for the entire cosmos, cultivate a limitless heart: (Karaniya metta sutta)

The Buddhist perspective of morality is a vast subject spread throughout the teachings of the Buddha. Currently many people seem to be very much alive to the subject of Buddhist morality (sila), perhaps because morality is fast slipping away from the thinking and behaviour of too many human beings.

Before investigating the Buddhist view of morality, it is necessary to see what is meant by the term morality in general. This word indicates the distinction between right and wrong or good and evil in relation to actions, volitions and character.

A moral sense is said to mean the power to understand the difference between right and wrong especially when viewed as an innate quality of the human mind, which is described as the moral faculty. Moral concepts are terms involving ethical praise or blame, concerned with virtue and vice or rules of right conduct.

Here, moral virtue is distinct from intellectual virtue just as moral laws are different from legal and institutional laws. Other aspects of morality include moral rights, moral force, moral responsibility, moral courage, moral behaviour and moral victory.

Buddhist view

What is the criterion of morality according to Buddha? The answer is found in the word of advice given by the Buddha to the young samanera Rahula. “If there is a deed Rahula, you wish to do, reflect thus: Is this deed conducive to my harm, or to others’ harm, or to that both?

Then is this a bad deed entailing suffering? From such a deed you must desist. Is this deed not conducive to my harm, or to others’ harm, or to that both? Then is this a good deed entailing happiness? Such a deed you must do again and again.” ( Rahulovada Sutta)

The Buddhist view is that moral behaviour flows naturally from mastering one’s ego, desires, cultivating loving kindness (metta), and compassion (karuna). The foundation teaching of Buddhism, expressed in the Four Noble Truths, is that the stress and unhappiness of life (dukkha) is caused by our desires and ego-clinging. The “program,” for letting go of desire and ego is the Eightfold Path. Ethical conduct through speech, action and livelihood is part of the path, as are mental discipline through concentration and mindfulness and wisdom.

The moral conduct in Buddha’s teaching is cantered around internal or individual rather than the things external to the individual.

Buddhist practice of morality is not done out of fear of any person or super-natural power. An external agent does not impose it. It has to come from within. It is the basis for further mental development. In essence, morality is the practice of taming bodily and verbal behaviours.

Buddhist moral conduct is categorized as three factors of the noble eightfold path. They are (1) right words - samma vaca, (2) right bodily behavior or actions - samma kammanta, and (3) right livelihood - samma ajiva.

Refraining from false speech, slander, harsh speech and gossip is the practice of right words. Right actions are refraining from killing other beings, stealing and sexual misconduct. Right livelihood is refraining from livelihood that harms other beings, such as selling weapons, poison etc. All these eight (4 - right speech, 3 - right actions, and 1- right livelihood) are observed as eight precepts

Need for Ethics

Today, as a society, we are amidst a state of turmoil. Cherished ethics are being upturned. The forces of materialistic scepticism have turned their dissecting blades on the traditional concepts of what were considered humane qualities. Yet, any sane person will understand that ethical issues play the most important role in his relationship with himself, his family and the society. For ethics has to do with human conduct. The need for ethics arises from the fact that man is not perfect by nature; he has to train himself to be good.

Morality in Buddhism is essentially practical in that it is only a means leading to the final goal of ultimate happiness. On the Buddhist path to the state of perfect well-being, each individual is considered responsible for his own fortunes and misfortunes.

Each individual is expected to work his own deliverance by his understanding and effort. The Buddha’s mission was to enlighten men as to the nature of existence and to advise them how best to act for their own happiness and for the benefit of others.

The theory of Buddhist ethics finds its practical expression in the various precepts. These precepts or disciplines are nothing but general guides to show the direction in which the Buddhist ought to turn to on his way to happiness.

In Buddhism, the distinction between what is good and what is bad is very simple: all actions that have their roots in greed, hatred, and delusion that spring from selfishness foster the harmful delusion of selfhood.

They are called Akusala Kamma. All those actions which are rooted in the virtues of generosity, love and wisdom, are meritorious-and called Kusala Kamma. The criteria of good and bad apply whether the actions are of thought, word or deed.

Morality in Buddhism is not a rocket-science invention of an exceptional mind, but a rational and a practical code based on verifiable facts. That is why Prof. Max Muller of the Oxford University said that Buddhist moral code is the most perfect which the world has ever known.

The Buddhist morality is well illustrated in the Sigalovada, Vyagghapajja, Parabhava, Vasala, Mangala, Metta and the Dhammika suttas, in the Dhammapada.

The finger

Lotus Heart

Whenever anyone asked him about Zen, the great master Gutei would quietly raise one finger into the air. A boy in the village started imitating this behaviour. Whenever he heard people talking about Gutei’s teachings, he would interrupt the discussion and raise his finger. Gutei heard about the boy’s mischief. When he saw him in the street, he seized him and cut off his finger.

The boy cried and began to run off, but Gutei called out to him. When the boy turned to look, Gutei raised his finger into the air. At that moment the boy became enlightened.

This is one of the Zen stories that give a seemingly weird meaning to the enlightenment. Only an enlightened one can grasp the truest meaning, I think. Anyway I can guess your first impreesion: I didn’t get this at all.

Just meditating in a corner or being silent all the time is what spirituality means to most of us in this society. Many fake saints, for this matter alone, can well fool us merely because of this stupid ideology. So much so, we all are like that little boy, who thought raising the hand means enlightenment. May be we know we fool others, or simply we are trapped in a delusion that we have become enlightened, who knows?

The little boy would have made Gutei proud of himself. But he knew imitation would end up in disaster rather than its role as flattery. Prevention is always better cure.

Averting the disaster is very much better than the pain the boy must have got in his hand. Gutei controlled and dominated the boy, but that was for the benefit of the society as well as the boy.

We live in a society where a business magnate claims to have attained Sotapanna. We are getting so many leaflets on ‘meditation clubs’. Our inboxes flood with mails trying to dish out sovan certificates. Books have been published categorising the Nibbana. And one lady with a name that rings gold tells us not to listen to sermon or anything, if we need to attain Nibbana.

Just being without anything would help achieve Nibbana. I didn’t know achieving Nibbana is that easy. My goodness, see how wonderful these folk change the Buddha’s teachings?

With his finger cut off, the boy realized enlightenment is not a very easy task like raising a finger. This story hurts, and I know you would scream yuck, but it is a bitter lesson that we should not fall into fake saints.

Remember always imitation is not a substitute for real knowledge and truth. And don’t be happy with substitutes, because the actual solution out in the open. Imitations don’t let you own enlightenment. Simply put, there are no shortcuts to goals. You must always take up the hard path – that is the law of the nature.

When you lose the single most important thing that means enlightenment to you, maybe that’s when you really become enlightened. Because you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone. It was not precious until you lose it.

If you don’t understand this story in, then believe that the finger pointed in the air represents ‘one’, as in ‘not two’.

In the end the boy realized Gutei uses his index finger, not his middle finger. Gutei took exception to the boy using his middle finger.

I sense that this story tells a great truth, but I just can’t see it in the darkness inside my head. I guess if I were enlightened, I could.

When you can no longer point at truth, maybe that’s when you see it clear enough.

Stories like this make me want to lash out. Gutei becomes the enlightener, when maybe he should just lighten up. Now we know the reason for lawyers, To sew crazy old self appointed wise men that carry pocket knives.