Download Buddhist Ethics - Denny High School

Buddhist Ethics
The Five Precepts
The Five Precepts
1. I undertake to refrain from
2. I undertake to refrain from
what is not freely given
3. I undertake to refrain from
sexuality
4. I undertake to refrain from
speech
5. I undertake to refrain from
intoxicants
killing
taking
misusing
harmful
taking
Ethics
 Ethics is about how we behave in everyday life
 Ethics offers a basic set of moral values and then sets
out the type of action that is encouraged and that
which is discouraged
 Buddhist ethics is based on compassion and universal
love for all beings
 Any action that is motivated by greed, hatred, anger
or ignorance will cause suffering to ourselves and to
others
 Buddhist ethics are never dogmatic or rigid
 There are guidelines for both lay and monastic
Buddhists
Lay Morality
 You become a Buddhist by taking the
Three Refuges of the Buddha,
dhamma and Sangha
 The main commitment is to refrain
from causing harm and to adopt the
approach of ahimsa (non violence)
 “In this world hate never dispelled
hate. Only love dispels hate”
Lay Morality
 In Buddhism refraining from killing includes animals
and insects
 Taking what is not freely given does not refer to only
stealing but can include exploiting someone’s good
nature
 Misusing sexuality includes rape, adultery, incest,
prostitution, paedophilia etc.
 Harmful speech will include such things as lying,
slander, harsh words, gossip etc
 Intoxicants are anything that clouds the mind or
impairs judgement
 Some also believe that it includes smoking because it
is harmful to the body
Monastic Morality
 Monks and nuns follow a strict life style in
comparison to lay Buddhists
 As soon as they are ordained they
undertake an additional 5 Precepts
1. To abstain from solid food after mid-day
2. To abstain from a luxurious bed
3. To abstain from music and dancing
4. To abstain from personal adornments
5. Not to touch gold or silver (mostly
Theravada)
Monastic ethics
 Eating after mid day can make the mind sleepy
 They take no alcohol at all
 They avoid places of entertainment because this is
seen as a waste of precious time and could lead to
sexual temptations
 Monks (and nuns) are celibate
 In the Buddha’s time very few people handled money
so some of the rules have been adapted to
accommodate this change
 A monk in the Theravada tradition also takes the 227
rules of the Vinaya
 These rules are recited once every two weeks by the
whole community, this is called the Uposatha
Breaking the Rules
If a monk breaks the rules he will be punished, rarely is a
monk expelled from his order
There are 4 acts which lead to expulsion: sexual
intercourse, serious theft, murder and making false
claims about having supernatural powers
Less serious acts can lead to temporary expulsion
However, there is nothing to stop him from following his
religion after expulsion
Women are lower in status than men, experienced nuns
hold a lower position than young monks and there are
more rules for women than for men
Mahayana Ethics
 There are very few differences between the two
traditions
 The main difference is bodhichitta: the realisation of
ultimate wisdom and limitless compassion which gives
rise to the path of the bodhisattva
 Bodhicchitta means that all actions are completely
selfless
 The motivation of bodhichitta arises from the realisation
of no self, this marks an action as ethical
 The motivation for the action can determine whether the
action is ethical or not
 An act performed for selfish reasons will create bad
kamma
Answer the following questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
What is wrong with gossip?
Why is sex something a Buddhist should be careful
about?
How is alcohol linked to mindfulness?
Why might is be easier for monks and nuns to follow
the five precepts?
Why should monks and nuns not wear jewellery or
perfume?
Why do you think that Buddhists refrain from killing
animals and insects?
Why are the precepts that only monks and nuns
undertake not applied to lay Buddhists?
Which of the five Precepts would you find most
difficult to follow?