Introduction
on Ethics
The term ethics derives from the Greek ethikos, that which pertains to ethos or
character. It is also called “moral philosophy” from the Latin custom.
Generally ethics is described as
“The
science treating of morals” 1
But since precise definition of the term is lacking it is
necessary to state the ground that a consideration of ethics is intended to
cover. G.E. Moore in his Principia Ethica, refusing the take as adequate a
definition of ethics as dealing with ‘the question of what is good or bad in
human conduct,’ declares
“I may say that I intend to use ethics to cover more than this a usage for
which there is, I think, quite sufficient authority. I am using it to cover the
general inquiry into is good.” 2
On the basis of different facts mentioned above, we can take a general meaning
that ethics is the study of moral principles that control and influence
people’s behavior. The study of ethics has been much discussed in Buddhism.
There are three kinds of Buddhist ethical doctrines in Buddhism. They are as
follows:
1. Ethics: Ethics are kind of
systematic study of human being or moral principles.
2. Morals: Morals are helpful
to keep the peace and harmony in the society. Mostly based on culture.
3. Morale: Morale is kind of
discipline which is helpful to reach a target.
Ethics in Buddhism takes an important role. The Buddha has
discussed many aspects in ethics to keep peace harmony in the society. There
are many suttas which are discussed about the ethics. They are SingAlovAda
sutta, mangala sutta, parAbhava sutta, vasala sutta, aggaGGasutta, dhammapada,
ambatttarahulovAda sutta etc.
Here, ethics can introduce suggestion but it has no power to
influence people to follow them. It has no power to control the behavior of the
people using power. Therefore to keep peace and harmony the laws are introduced
in the society. According to Buddhism all beings are under emotions or
controlled by emotions. But human beings process wisdom in addition to show the
wisdom is always trying to control man acts wisely when emotions are controlled
by wisdom.
Thus, ethics in Buddhism is based on sila. Sila means morals or
discipline. In D.N. it says:
“yattha sIlaM tatthapaGGA, yattha paGGA tattha sIlaM”
Meaning- “wherever the sIla, there
appears wisdom or paGGA and wherever the wisdom
there is sIla.”
If people
practice the sila, they will have concentration or SamAdhi and paGGA are
the triangles which are independent. Here, sila leads to paGGA and paGGA leads
to liberation. Thus code of ethics helps human beings to keep peace and harmony
in the society and also to attain enlightenment, the real happiness.
Indian
Thoughts in 6th Century B.C.E.
At the very beginning, the pre-Brahmanism periods, the Aryans didn’t have any
kind of development religious beliefs. But some ethical behavior was seen
there. The structures of life style of the behavior of people were changed with
the existence of Brahmanism. Brahmans developed the cult of sacrifices to get
the happiness and peace in this world. They divided the society into many
castes and ruled in society being the religious teachers. But there were not
any kinds of ethics seen at that time which were beneficial for the happy society.
As Jayatilleke and Malalasekara explain, all basic human civil rights were
denied to low castes. They were denied the equality of political, economical,
social and religious opportunities by Brahmins. So people, especially the low
caste, need to bear the burden and behavior of Brahmans.
Later, some people thought about the origin of this world, the suffering of
present life and soul. Then AraGGAka period
came into exist. With these changes, many wandering ascetics were seen in the
society. After developed the AraGGAka period,
it comes Upanishad period. In this period there were lots of wandering ascetics
who have their own views. Thus, there were six religious teachers also came.
They were:
1. Purana Kassapa
2. Makkhali GosAla
3. Pakudha KaccAyana
4. Ajita Kesakambala
5. SaGjaya bellaTThiputta and
6. niganThanAtha putta
or Mahavira
From the six religious teachers, Nigantha nathaputta had the
little clear religion and some doctrinal ethics. Others had just been doctrines
which hadn’t any value and give peace to people. As an example one of the
ascetics among them says thus:
“yAvat jIvat sukhaM jIvet – rinaM krutvA ghrutam pibhet”
Meaning- “survives happily till the life is there, so drink ghee
and enjoy though with debt money.”
From above stanza, it is clear that their thoughts were very different and not
beneficial for happy and peaceful life. But according to D.N. Niganthanatha
putta had taught four kinds of restrains. However, in other discourses, he
taught that everything was due to past kamma or actions (pubbekata hetu).
Further, he taught the five precepts as:
1. Refraining from killing
2. Refraining from stealing
3. Refraining from unchastely
4. Refraining from lie talking
5. Refraining from
These five precepts are seen in the Buddhism also, but little
different on for fifth precepts. Thus it is clear that in the Upanishad period,
some ethical doctrines were taught by religious teachers for the beneficial for
the society.
And also the teachings of Upanishad period too spoke of the soul (Atman). They
accepts the life after the death with the existence of the permanent soul. At
this period the two doctrines called ucchedavAda or
nihilism and sassatavAda or externalism came into exist. And the belief of the
existence of permanent soul is called sassatavada while the materialism which
rejects the afterlife is known as the ucchedavAda. But
these two doctrines were rejected by the Buddha through Dependent Origination
or PaticcasamuppAda. The Buddha emphasizes the
existence of the person in the saMsAra through paticcasamuppAda as:
“imasmiM sati idaM hoti - imasmiM asati idaM nahoti,
imassa uppAda idaM uppajjati - imassa nirodha idaM
nirujjhati” 3
But there
were some ascetics or AjIvakas at that
time who had developed some certain jhanas. They were AlArakAlAma who
had developed till AkiGcaGGAyatana and UddakarAmaputta till nevasaGGAnAsaGGAyatana.
According to life story of the Buddha, when he was Bodhisatta the first he met
these teachers and learnt Dhamma from them. Ti is noted here that, at that time
too certain sila and Samadhi were developed by some ascetics. These are
included in the ethics. So it is clear that pre- Buddhism also had some ethical
doctrines in the society which were tried to bring some sort of peace and
harmony in this life and next. But there were not really beneficial ethics
could find at the time.
Buddhist
Ethics
Then the Buddha arose in India during the time when there were many religious
and philosophical traditions being adopted by Indian society. The Buddha was
different form all the earlier teachers. He put forward a very practical way
for happiness in this world and liberation from mental and physical suffering
in the next. He rejected all the views which were controversial points at that
time and taught the paticcasamuppAda (Dependent
Originaltion), tilakkhana (Three characteristics), CaturAryasacca (Four
Noble Truths), Arya aTThANgika magga (Noble Eight Fold Path) etc. He was a unique leader and
unique teacher too who was succeed to bring peace and harmony in the society
and the real happiness to the world.
When we talk about ethics in Buddhism in general can be divided into three main
sections depending on their specific features:
1. Ethics related to lay life.
2. Ethics related to the life
of the Sangha.
3. Ethics related to the
career of Buddhist. 4
Thus, it should be noted here that the Buddha has preached many
discourses for the every parts of the society to maintain peace and harmony to
people.
According to the aggaGGa sutta,
the described that the people started practice morals in the cause of unlawful
practices of the people in the society. As it appears in the aggaGGa sutta
when people started to collect natural wealth there arise a big competition
among the people. As a result of that only the powerful prospered while the
table suffered. To repair the injustice the society decided to implement a code
of suggestions to bring peace harmony to all members in the society.
Accordingly it is noted that a code of ethics helped to maintain human rights
in the society. It tries to convince people to abstain from doing harm,
injustice to there comparing himself towards others.
Further, it is mentioned that the ethics exists on the base of
sila or morality. So, if one practices the sila, will abstain from evil deeds (pApa kamma)
or immoral actions. As the Buddha taught about the pancasIla specially
practice by lay people which helps to keep up peace and harmony. Here, eight
precepts, ten precepts are also can be taken as sila. The five precepts are as
follows:
1. Refraining from killing
– pAnAtipAtA veramaBi sikkhA padaM
2. Refraining from stealing
– adinnAdAnA veramaBi sikkhA padaM
3. Refraining from unchastely
(wrongful conduct in sensual pleasure) – kAmesumicchAcArA veramaBi
sikkhA padaM
4. Refraining from speaking
untruth - musAvAdA veramaBi sikkhA padaM
5. Refraining from spirituous
liquor both fermented and distilled – surAmeraya
majjhapamAdaTThAnA veramaBi sikkhA padaM
If we talk one by one killing means depriving oneself from his or
her right of living. Every being has a right to live on earth. Security of life
is one of the fundamental requirements of beings. 4 Stealing
connect with properties that belong to the people in society. Property is the
first requirement of life. Refraining from stealing confirms the security of
personal property. 5 Adultery or unlawful engagement in
sensual pleasures not only creates problems in family life but also it causes
the decline of economy. The success of lay life mainly depends on good
relationship among the family members as husband and wife, and parents and
children. Adultery is extremely harmful for this unity in family life. The
beings cannot live alone. So, unity becomes an essential requirement in
life. 6 The starting point of unity in a society lies in
the relationship between husband and wife. Further, for a successful life one
needs to earn a good name and develop trustworthiness in society. Refraining
from lying and developing truthfulness is the best way to earn fame and
trustworthiness. 7 there is no any factor other than
slandering which destroys the mutual harmony in society. Similarly using harsh
words and gossiping also create problems for the peaceful existence of human
beings. Now it is clear that practicing of five precepts keep peace and harmony
in the society.
It should be discuss that abstaining from the unwholesome actions,
as mentioned in the aggaGGa sutta occupies an important place to establish peace and
harmony in the society. The ten unwholesome actions are mentioned in the sutta
as follows:
1. Killing living beings
2. Stealing others’ things
3. Unlawful engagement in
sensual pleasures
4. Lying
5. Slandering
6. Using rough words
7. Gossiping
8. Greediness
9. Malevolence
10. Holding wrong views 5
Then unwholesome deeds are closely related to the above mentioned
five precepts, eight precepts and ten precepts. Thus abstaining from ten evil
deeds makes pure of our physical, verbal and mental accepts which help to
maintain peace in the society. As well as ten wholesome deeds to be performed
in the consume of peace and harmony of society.
Here, the Buddhist ethics has been well recoded in the singAlovAda sutta
of D.N. it includes very useful advice for the success of economic foundation
of a lay person. In the Buddhist discourses we mostly find that the followers
are advised first to abstain from negative aspects of behavior. So, Buddha does
not explain the duties to sigAla first
but advise him to refrain from a set of evil actions which destroy one’s social
establishment in every aspect. They in brief are as follows:
1. cattAro kammakilesA –
abandon four defiled action
2. catuTThAna –
four mental aspects leading to the wrong path
3. cha apAyamukhAni –
six channels leading to the decline of one’s wealth.
Four abandon defiled actions are killing, stealing, doing sexual
misconduct and lying. Four mental aspects leading to the wrong path are desire,
anger, fear and delusion. Six channels leading to the decline of one’s wealth
are:
1. Indulgence in intoxicants
which cause infatuation and heedlessness.
2. Wandering in streets at
unseemly hours.
3. Frequenting theatrical
shows.
4. Indulgence in gambling
which causes heedlessness.
5. Association with evil
companions.
6. The habit of idleness.
Then the social problems will occurs and disturb in the peace and
harmony of the society. Therefore, the Buddha made us abandon those above
mentioned facts which are harmful for our life.
It should be noted here that as stated in the kUTadanta sutta.
Buddhism is aware that poverty can lead to various crimes in the society.
According to aggaGGa sutta it is stated that:
“adhanAnaM dhane anuppadiyamAne dAliddiyaM vepulla magamAsi,
dAliddiye vepullaM gate adinnA dAnaM vepulla magamAsi, adinnA dAne vepullaM
gate satthaM vepulla magamAsi, satthe vepullaM gate mABAtimAto vepullo
magamAsi, pABAtimAto vepullaM gate musAvAdo vepulla magamAsi” 6 meaning-
“the lack of wealth, poverty will comes, because of the poverty people will
steal, stealing leads to use weapons. These weapons make people killer and to
hide the killing the lies will be told.”
Thus it is clear that poverty will lead many crimes in the
society. So, the Buddha advised to acquire money to fulfill the basic needs and
enjoy life. But acquiring wealth should not be harmful to him and others. It
should be like a bee gathering honey without damaging the flowers. And in
suttas Buddha taught five ways which are prohibited to do the business which
makes the society in dangers and will be danger. They are:
1. Satta vanijjA (Business
of animals)
2. Sttha vanijjA (Business
of weapons)
3. maMsa vanijjA (Business
of meats)
4. Majja vanijjA (Business
of liquor)
5. Visa vanijja (Business
of poison)
Further he says, one should develop wealth not in hurry (business)
but step by step like an ants builds up an ant-hill. And he has to maintain
a balance between income and expenditure in order to continue his economic
success. The singAlovAda sutta gives an advice on how to spend the income by dividing
it into four parts. One portion should spend for family and social affairs, two
portions to run his business and the fourth should be saving for use in
emergencies. In singAlovAda sutta it has quoted as thus:
“ekena bhoge bhunjeyya – dvIhi kammaM payojaye,
catutthaMca nidhApeyya – ApadAsu bhavissati” 7
Thus, it is showed that economic security is also an important
ethic in Buddhism to stop the crimes in the society and develop the peace and
happiness.
In order to gain harmony in the household life as well as social
life in the singAlovAda sutta, the Buddha has given duties to lay people according
to their positions. They are six:
1. Duties of a pupil towards
parents and vice versa.
2. Duties of a husband towards
wife and vice versa.
3. Duties of a pupil towards
teacher and vice versa.
4. Duties of a person towards friends
and vice versa.
5. Duties of a master towards
slaves and vice versa.
6. Duties of a person towards
Brahmins and ascetic and vice versa.
There five duties of a
child towards his parents:
1. Supporting them
2. Doing their duties
3. Keeping the family
tradition
4. Making himself worthy of
his inheritance
5. Offering alms in honor of
my departed relatives
The five duties of the parents toward their
children:
1. Restrain them from evil
2. Encourage them to do good
3. Train them for a profession
4. Arrange a suitable marriage
5. At the proper time they
hand over their inheritance to them.
The five duties of a pupil should towards a teacher:
1. By rising from the seat in
salutation
2. By attending on him
3. By eagerness to learn
4. By
personal service
5. By respectful attention
while receiving instructions.
The five duties of teachers towards their pupils:
1. Train them in the best
discipline
2. See that they grasp their
lessons well
3. Instruct them in the arts
and sciences
4. Introduce them to their
friends and associates
5. Provide for their safety in
every quarter
The five duties of a husband towards his wife:
1. By being courteous to her
2. By not despising her
3. By being faithful to her
4. By handing over authority
to her
5. By providing her with
adornments.
The five duties of a wife towards her husband:
1. Perform her duties well
2. Providing hospitality to
relations and attendants
3. Faithful to husband
4. Protecting
what he brings
5. Being skilled and
industrious in discharging her duties
The five duties a clansman towards his friends:
1. By liberality
2. By courteous speech
3. By being helpful
4. By being impartial
5. By
sincerity
The five duties of friends towards a clansman:
1. Protect him when he is
heedless
2. Protect his property when
he is heedless
3. Become a refuge when he is
in danger
4. Do not forsake him in his
troubles
5. Show consideration for his
family.
The five duties of a master towards his servants and employees:
1. By assigning them work
according to their ability
2. By supplying them with food
and with wages
3. By tending them in sickness
4. By sharing with them any
delicacies
5. By granting them leave at
times
The five duties of servants and employees towards their master:
1. Rise before him
2. Go to sleep after him
3. Take only what is given
4. Perform their duties well
5. Uphold his good name and
fame
The five duties of householder towards ascetics and Brahmans:
1. By lovable deeds
2. By
lovable words
3. By lovable thoughts
4. By keeping open house to
them
5. By supplying their material
needs.
The six duties of ascetics and brahmans towards a householder:
1. Restrain him from evil
2. Encourage him to do good
3. Love him with a kind heart
4. Lake him hear what he has
not heard
5. Clarify what he has already
heard
6. Point out the path to a
heavenly state.
These are the 61 duties and responsibilities of lay people which
help to keep peace and harmony in the society. For instance:
If parents restrain their children from evil deeds, encourage them
to do good actions, train tem for a profession, arrange a suitable marriage and
at the proper time they handover their inheritance to them, the children will
also be honest from childhood. They will learn good things from beginning and
refrain from bad things. So they will be automatically practiced good behavior
and fulfill their duties towards their parents. Then there will be peace and
harmony in the family and in society. Like this, in other duties will be the
same. So these are the ethics which help to develop the society and keep peace
the harmony.
The doctrine of the Buddhist ethics can also be seen in other
suttas, such as parAbhava sutta, vasala sutta, mangala sutta, vyagghapajja
sutta, dhammapada etc. the parAbhava sutta (the sutta on the causes of loss)
explains that immorality leads one to loss while morality leads to winning or
success. It goes on the clarity to their social immoralities which bring the
society harmful. For instance:
“itthidhutto surAdhutto – akkhidhutto ca yo naro
laddhaM laddhaM vinAseti – taM parAbhavato mukhaM” 8
meaning- “womanizer, drunkard, that man is also a gambler, (such a
man) destroys whatever he get- that is the cause (of ruin) of the ruining man.”
“yo mAtaraM vA pitaraM vA – jiBBakaM gatayobbanaM
pahUsanto na bharati – tam parAbhavato mukhaM” 9
Meaning- “he who, the mother or father, grown old, youth gone,
having much those not look after – that is the cause (of ruin) of the ruining
man.”
Mangala sutta (the suttas discuss on blessing) discusses the basic
positive virtues to keep social harmony and peace. So it is also known as
containing Buddhist ethics. Here the Buddha points out 38 points which bring
the highest blessing to those who are endured with them. The stanza says:
“bAhusaccaGca sippaGca – vinayoca susikkhito
subhAsitA ca yA vAcA – etaM maNgalamuttamaM” 10
Meaning- “vast learning, mastery in skills a highly trained
discipline and pleasant speech are highest blessing.
Here when the people are learned disc line and have pleasant speech they don’t
have fighting. They will develop the understanding. So they will not be any
kind of fighting, misunderstanding, and the society will be calm and peaceful.
“mAtapitU
upaTThanaM – puttadArassa saNgaho
anAkulA ca kammantA – etaM maNgalamuttamaM” 11
meaning- “supporting one’s father and mother cherishing wife and
children, engaging in morally uncomplicated occupations are called highest
blessing”
Again,
“phuTThassa
lokadhammehi – cittaM yassa na kampati
asokaM virajaM khemaM – etaM maNgalamuttamaM”12
meaning- “doesn’t shake when touched by worldly vicissitudes
as lAbha-alAbha, yasa-ayasa, nindA-pasansA and
sukha-dukkha.
Here when one doesn’t shake with worldly things mean he cans understand the
reality. Then he can manage the all situations what he faces as when here will
be big happiness he will control it. Then when there will be unbearable sorrow,
he will face that problem. So these are very essential to our day today life to
face any situations. Then one can be happy ever and bear any problem.
Meanwhile, vasala sutta (the sutta of out caste) maintains that a person
becomes as outcaste not by birth but by doing immoral actions.
“na jaccA
vasalo hoti – najaccA hoti brAhmano
Kammano vasalo hoti – kammano hoti brAhmano” 13
Meaning- “not by birth does one become an outcast not by birth one
becomes a brAhmans, by deeds one becomes an outcast, by deeds one becomes a brAhman.”
In this sutta the Buddha described those who practices evil actions such as
killing, stealing, committing adultery not supporting parents, giving wrong
advices etc are called as an out caste.
In the vyaggapajja sutta discusses about the four qualities which are essential
to develop in this world. They are:
1. dAna
2. piyavacana
3. atthacariya
4. and samAnAtmakatA
Further, the dhammapada
gives the set of ethics which are also helpful to establish peace and harmony
in society some of the stanzas are as follows:
“nahI verena verAni – sammantidha kudAcanaM
Averena ca sammanti – esa dhammo sanantano” 14
Meaning-“in this world hatred never ceases by hatred, it ceases by
love alone. This is an eternal law.”
Here it should be noted that hatred is the main reason of problems in the
society. So to gain peace of the society one should develop the loving kindness
instead of hatred. Again in the daBDa vagga:
“sabbe
tasanti dandass – sabbesam jIvitam piyam
attAnam upamaM katvA – nahaneyya na ghAtaye” 15
meaning- “all fear by punishment, to all life is dear. Comparing
oneself with others, one should neither kill nor cease to kill.”
In this society one should compare all with oneself. As all is the same one
wishes happiness. Even not only human beings but also animals. So it will cease
to do bad deeds to other and peace will be there.
In regard to the jAtakapAli mentions that a righteous king should possess ten qualities
called Dasarajadhamma such as:
1. charity
2. morality
3. giving
4. uprightness
5. flexibility
6. concentration
7. non-hatred
8. non-violence
9. patience
10. impartiality 16
If those qualities practice well by the king as well as the lay
people, the society will be peaceful. So all can live in the happy and harmony.
Apart from that, the satta aparihAniya Dhamma
of majjhima nikAya shows seven factors which lead to the well stability of the
contry or society. These seven factors were taught by the Buddha to the
vajjans. So these factors are very important in order to keep the society peace
and harmony. These seven factors are as follows:
1. Holding regular and
frequent assemblies.
2. Meeting in harmony,
breaking up in harmony and carrying on their business in harmony
3. Not authorizing what has
not been authorized already and not abolishing what has been authorized.
4. Honoring, respecting,
revering, saluting the elders among them, and consider them worth of listening.
5. Not abducting forcibly
others’ wives and daughters.
6. Honoring, respecting,
revering, and saluting the vajjian shrines at home and abroad
7. Protecting the arahant
Further, the satara brahma viharana as four abodes should develop
by every person to gain peace in the society. They are:
1. mettA
2. karunA
3. muditA
4. upekkhA
Thus, all above mentioned facts are clear that how the Buddhist
ethics are very helpful to establish peace and harmony in the society. Not only
those facts. We can consider that whole the tipitaka is the ethical factors.
Not only helpful for establish peace and harmony in the society also it help
for this life and also for next life. And also it is very helpful to
attend nibbAna which is the greatest state of ethics. So, all human beings
should train for moral activities.
References
1. Odhams
Dictionary of the English Language. Illustrated, odhams Ltd. 1946; The Elemants
of Ethics, H. John Muirhead, London 1910, P.4; A Manual of Ehics, S. Loha
Mackeanzie, London 1922, P. 1.
2. Principia
Ehica, G.E. Moore, Cambridge University Press, Reprint 1954, P.2
3. Khuddaka
Nikaya- udana pali
4. Buddhist
Social Philosophy and Ethics- Sumanapala Galmangoda, printed by internal
priners, P. 33
5. Buddhist
Social Philosophy and Ethics- Sumanapala Galmangoda, printed by internal
priners, P. 33-34
6. D.N. aggaGGa sutta
7. D.N. sigAla sutta
8. CatubhAnavAra pali-
The great book of protection- Mr. H. N. Gunasekara trust. Translated by Lionel
Lokuliyana. P. 116-117
9. CatubhAnavAra pali-
The great book of protection- Mr. H. N. Gunasekara trust. Translated by Lionel
Lokuliyana. P. 114-115
10. CatubhAnavAra pali-
The great book of protection- Mr. H. N. Gunasekara trust. Translated by Lionel
Lokuliyana. P. 12-13
11. CatubhAnavAra pali-
The great book of protection- Mr. H. N. Gunasekara trust. Translated by Lionel
Lokuliyana. P. 12-13
12. CatubhAnavAra pali-
The great book of protection- Mr. H. N. Gunasekara trust. Translated by Lionel
Lokuliyana. P. 14-15
13. CatubhAnavAra pali-
The great book of protection- Mr. H. N. Gunasekara trust. Translated by Lionel
Lokuliyana. P. 1126-1127
14. Dhammapada
5
15. Dhammapada
113
16. Buddhist
Social Philosophy and Ethics- Sumanapala Galmangoda, printed by internal
priners, P. 56-57
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