The Lion's Outlook - Sitagu Students' Research Journal - Vol-07 - 2017

SITAGU RESOLUTION
WITH NO THOUGHT OF PRIDE OR GLORY
WITH UTMOST HUMILITY
WE RESOLVE
TO MAKE BETTER THE WORLD WE LIVE IN AND
TO PROMOTE OUR SSANA
TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY
i The Lions Outlook, Sitagu Students Research Journal, Vol. VII

RECOGNITION
In no particular order, all papers in this journal are selected from

the written assignments for the internal assessments of Buddhist Ethics
Paper in the 1st Semester of MA courses in the Academic Year 2015 and
2016 as a part of the Research and Development Programs at Sitagu
International Buddhist Academy, Sagaing, Myanmar.
ii The Lions Outlook, Sitagu Students Research Journal, Vol. VII

PREFACE
It is great pleasure to release THE LIONS OUTLOOK, SITAGU

STUDENTS RESEARCH JOURNAL (VOL. VII) on Full moon day of
Tabaung, 1378 (12/03/2017) to celebrate the auspicious occasion of
Sitagu Adhipatis 80th Birthday.
Providing the opportunities to access the liberty of learning for
students by removing all layers of barrier in the pursuit of knowledge is
regarded as the beauty of academic institutions where higher education is
open for all. As the dignity of academic institutions it is believed to offer
the progressive learning infrastructure with the innovative approach to
deal with the modern development and the traditional education system.
Allowing students who are pursuing the greater knowledge and higher
technology to contribute their own creation is also regarded as the inner
core of academic institutions where atmosphere of education with no
boundary is established.
Sitagu International Buddhist Academy is effectively upgrading the
role of Pariyatti education from basic to higher level, focusing primarily
on Piaka literatures along with a wide range of related subjects. It
furthers the enhancement of high-quality teaching standard and the
development of intensive research programs with the aim for the utmost
benefit of research works. In addition, SIBAs are operating full-scale
academic works to distribute broader concepts and innovative knowledge
to deal with the contemporary issues in the 21st Century.
As a part of the academic function, the Lions Outlook, Sitagu
Students Research Journal, Vol. VII is set to be circulated among SIBAs.
This journal strives to impress Sitagu academic atmosphere through
accuracy and ability to be academically articulate. Perhaps, there are a
few errors remaining. An apology goes primarily to the original authors
and to readers secondarily. Additionally, the responsibility for the facts or
iii The Lions Outlook, Sitagu Students Research Journal, Vol. VII
opinions expressed is entirely of the authors and it will be upgraded with
upcoming fresh researches if future allows.
As a humble gift for Sitagu Adhipatis 80th Birthday, the Lions
Outlook, Sitagu Students Research Journal, Vol. VII draws its inspiration
from the Sitagu Adhipatis noble works.
This journal is dedicated to Sitagu postgraduates of Academic Year
2015 & 2016 who shine for SIBAs. We are deeply obliged to all of them.
Last but not least, special thanks go to Sitagu colleagues and friends who
always encourage Sitagu students in their research works.
12 March 2017
Organizing Body
Sitagu Star Student Selection
Sitagu International Buddhist Academy
Mandalay, Sagaing, Yangon, MYANMAR
iv The Lions Outlook, Sitagu Students Research Journal, Vol. VII

CONTENTS
Sitagu Resolution i
Recognition ii
Preface iii
Contents v
I. Sitagu Speech
Opening address at the 4th International Conference of ATBU 1

Sitagu Adhipati Sayadaw
II. Sitagu Selection
Section A: Foundation of Buddhist Ethics
A good Buddhist- ethical enquiry into human character 5

Ashin Aggasara
The four ways of Brahmavihra in the Buddhist Ethics 13
Ma Uppalavanni
Buddhist ethical perceptive on Democracy 23
Ashin Kavisara
Paiccasamuppda: theory of Buddhist ethics 35
Ashin Kolita
The conception of highest value in the Buddhist ethics 43
Ma Nyannavati
Virtue, vice and value: ethical dimensions of Buddhism 51
Ashin Nandiya
The four noble truths in the Buddhist ethics 59
v The Lions Outlook, Sitagu Students Research Journal, Vol. VII

Ma Vimalatheri
The nature of Buddhist ethics: Western philosophical evaluation 67
Ashin Visuddha
Humans life with their wholesome and unwholesome actions 77
Ma Hemasiri
Section B: Bioethics
The choice of life and dead: Buddhist bioethical reasoning 85

Ashin Aggadhamma
A critical study of Buddhist ethical justification for the 93
involvement in wars
Ashin Kumuda
A study of war and peace from Buddhist ethical point of view 103
Ashin Jotipalalankara
Section C: Environmental Ethics
Environmental aspects on five precepts 109

Ashin Indacara
A practical application of Buddhist ethics to ecological 117
sustainability for future generation
Ashin Tejavamsa
The Buddhist attitude towards trees and forest 125
Ashin Vimalalankara
Section D: Economic Ethics
Duties with means of livelihood 133

Ma Kancanacari
vi The Lions Outlook, Sitagu Students Research Journal, Vol. VII

An analytical study of economic ethics in Buddhism 139
Ashin Nyanadipa
Human livelihood between moral and immoral conduct 147
Ashin Nyanavara
Implementation of Buddhist moral values in business 153
management towards greater economic prosperity
Ashin Dhammacara
Section E: Social Ethics
The place of social norms in Buddhist monasticism 167

Ashin Kesara
Buddhist ethical reflection on gender inequality and its impact 175
on society
Ma Nandsri
Buddhist ethical duties and discipline for the development 183
of mutual respect and social harmony in modern time
Ashin Rajinda
Attitude of Buddha upon women: Buddhist ethical study 189
Ma Sirimala
vii The Lions Outlook, Sitagu Students Research Journal, Vol. VII
SITAGU SPEECH
WITH FOND MEMORIES OF THE PAST IMAGES OF
THE BUDDHAS SSANA*
Sitagu Adhipati Sayadaw

Sitagu International Buddhist Academies
Sagaing, Mandalay, Yangon, Myanmar
Your Venerable
Distinguished guests
Dhamma Friends
Good morning,
At the outset, I would like to extend my warmest greetings to all

present here at the 4th International Conference of the Association of
Theravda Buddhist Universities and wish you all peace and happiness.
Since its inception in 2007, the Theravda Buddhist Universities
Association held its conferences every three years, and up to date, it has
seen three successful gatherings, two in Myanmar and one in Thailand.
We are now present at its fourth Conference being held under the shade
of Borobudur temple in Central Java, thanks particularly to Indonesian
Government and also to the professors, lectures and Buddhist devotees in
Indonesia for their collaborative efforts that make this conference a
resounding success. Whenever I visit Indonesia, I see similar cultural
identities between Myanmar and Indonesia and the same physical
appearances between our two peoples, which make me feel very much
at home.
Ive noted with pleasure that I have been to Java over ten times.
Ive learnt through my research that the word Java came from Yava in
*
Opening address at the 4th International Conference of the Association of Theravda Buddhist
Universities, Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia on 10th Nov 2016
2 The Lions Outlook, Sitagu Students Research Journal, Vol. VII
P Sanskrit language, which means Barley or Wheat. It was the

place where Indian Merchants in old times stopped over on their voyages
to China. It seems that they fell down the trees on the island and started
to grow barley and wheat. This probably caused the island to be known
as Java, in the same way the island in Indonesia, on which merchant
Sumitta of Madras in India landed, began to be known as Sumatra. It is
found out that people living on the isles of Indonesia spoke Pi and
Sanskrit languages and that the names they were given were closely
related to Pi and Sanskrit meaning. To prove this, I will give you some
examples: Jakata is derived from Pi word Jayakara, meaning make
success, Sukano from Suka meaning one who has good hearing,
Suharto from Suhadaya a good-hearted person, Borobudur Buddha
from Varabuddha meaning the Buddha etc. History said that a
Chinese Buddhist monk name Fahien, after his 15 year-long pilgrimage to
Gandhara (now Pakistan and Afghanistan), Jambudpa (now India), and
Lakdpa (now Srilanka) in early 5 BC, stopped over at Java and Sumatra
before concluding his tour. It is also found in history that Borobudur
pagoda was built during the reigns of Sailendra dynasty in 9 BC. The
history of the pagoda said embossed statues depicting the life-history of
the Buddha, as per the text of Lalitavitthara, a well-known book of
Chinese Mahyna Buddhist sect on Buddhas life-history, were
sculptured out of igneous rocks and put on every tires of the pagoda. The
Buddha statue depicting the preaching of The Wheel of Dhamma, the
very first sermon, in Mandarut in Indonesia is also seen similar to the one
in Ajanta Cave in Southern India. This salient point proves that the
people of Java must have been the Buddhists in the past.
In fact, the Fourth Conference of Theravda Buddhist Universities,
currently being held in Java, gives us great pleasure to meet our Buddhist
family members. I firmly believe that the people of Southeast Asian
nations such as Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore,
Cambodia, Laos are brothers and sisters of one Buddhist family who were
With fond memories of the past images of the Buddhas Ssana 3
lucky enough to receive the Buddhas teaching disseminated by the

Buddhist missionary dispatched by Emperor Asoka and Most Venerable
Teiksa BC 236 (3 AD). Of the nine places the nine missionary teams
landed included Suvanna bhmi (the Golden Land), which is believed to
be Sumatra of Indonesia to be Suvaa Dpa (the Golden Island). It is,
however, undeniable that Southeast Asia is a region where one of the
Buddhist missionary teams landed and shared the Buddhas teachings. It
is also highly delighted to note the significant characteristic of our
Southeast Asia region where people of different faith like Theravda
Buddhism, Mahyna Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Animism,
live in peaceful coexistence in keeping with the universal brotherhood
spirit.
I would, therefore, like to urge all Buddhist leaders from the (10)
countries who are now present at this Conference to put our concerted
efforts for the prevalence of Peace and Truth, which is almost dying out
in every religion nowadays, by practicing the Buddhist Brotherhood and
Sisterhood spirit and Universal Brotherhood spirit as well. To achieve this,
I would like to suggest that the curriculum of all Buddhist Universities
include the intensive lectures of other Buddhist sects like Mahyna and
Vajirayna and also Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Jainism and Judaism,
which would surely contribute towards deepening mutual understanding
and respect among the followers of different faiths. It would also enable
them to be free from extremism, thus producing their joint efforts to
promote world peace and stability.
I remember that there were about (20) Buddhist Universities when
the Theravda Buddhist Universities Association was first founded. Today,
the Conference is being attended by distinguished delegates representing
over (40) Buddhist Universities, Colleges and Academies across the
world, over half of which come from Myanmar. While the number of
Buddhist Universities are on the increase, the standard of the
Universities, efficiency of the lecturers and their fellow students also need
to be improved. I would like to point out here that to found an

educational institute, the Power of four Ms are of great necessities Men,
Material, Money and Mind. To improve an institution, harmonious
combination of these four Ms is of paramount importance.
In conclusion, I, in my capacity as Chairman of this Association,
would like to express my heart-felt thanks to all delegates from over (40)
universities from (10) countries for your active participation in the
conference. I also thank the Buddhist brothers and sisters in Indonesia for
their warm hospitality accorded to us and in particular, the government
of Indonesia for every support to make this conference a success.
Last, but not least, I would like to put my earnest request to this
conference. I have been working for this organization in my capacity as
Chairman since its inception. I have been taking up the post for nearly
one decade. I have spared no efforts for promotion and propagation of
Buddhas Ssana at home and abroad for over forty years, which
sometimes make me forget my age. Actually, I will be (80) in March
2017. A car needs slowing down after it has been driven for long
successive hours. Actually it needs to be replaced with a modernized,
powerful new car for the interest of the organization concerned.
Meanwhile, the old car should be used for the short trip only. It should
be given light work for its old age. But I promise that I wont stay away
from the organization. I will make myself on full alert when the
organization needs me. In that sense, I would like to request this
conference to kindly add an important agenda, allowing me to resign
from the Chairmanship and electing a new Chairman with the unanimous
approval of the conference. With this earnest request, I conclude my
opening speech.
May peace and Truth prevail in every corner of the world.
Thank you so much.
SITAGU SELECTION
SECTION A
FOUNDATION OF BUDDHIST ETHICS

A GOOD BUDDHIST: ETHICAL ENQUIRY INTO HUMAN CHARACTER
Ashin Aggasara
MA Student
Sitagu International Buddhist Academy, Sagaing
Introduction
In this world there are many religious such as Buddhism, Christian,
Hinduism, and Muslim. All religious have their own religion. In Buddhism
have own religion. The teaching of the Buddha is religion in Buddhism. The
follower of the Buddhas teaching is Buddhist. The Buddhists believed the
good and the bad actions, its results and the past actions and the present
action. And they used to refuge on the three jewel. They did not criticize on
the other religious. They were restraining the Sla in daily life and performed
the duties and responsibility between the parent and son, wife and
husband, teacher and pupil. Here, is it any question to ask. What is the
important main thing, and what is the human character to be a good
Buddhist be? This assignment paper would be help for them.
Body text
The Buddha expounded the Dhamma about 84,000 in his
Buddhahood for the living beings. It is divided in three groups in brief, such
as Suttanta Piaka, Abhidhamma Piaka and Vinaya Piaka. Especially all of
the Dhamma are aimed not to do any evils and to avoid from any evils and
to do the good wholesome and guided how to live in life. Following the
teaching of Buddha, everybody could be released from suffering and finally
attain to Nibbna. However, the Buddha did say, Tathghata are only
teacher. He is a only guider. Example, The Buddha said that You yourselves
should make an exertion. The Tathgata are only teacher. The Buddha only
indicates the path and method whereby he delivered Himself from suffering
and death and achieves His ultimate goal. It is left for his faithful adherents
who wish their release from the ills of life to follow the path.
To depend on others for salvation in negative, but to depend on oneself is

positive. Dependence on others means a surrender of ones effort.
Be ye island unto yourselves; be ye a refuge unto yourselves, seek no

refuge in others.
Here means concerning with the human being, how a Buddhist

person should be live in life to be a good Buddhist person. Especially, to be
a good Buddhist Person need to follow what is the delivering of the Buddha.
The Buddha delivered the Dhamma in various forms for the human
being. For instance, in Migala Sutta Not to associate with fools, to associate
with the wise, and honour to those who are worthy of honour, and the
support of mother and father, the cherishing of wife and children, and
peaceful occupations, and Generosity, practice the Dhamma, the helping of
relatives, and blameless actions. In Siglovda Sutta, Having supported me
I shall support them; I shall do their duties; I shall keep the family tradition; I
shall make myself worthy of my inheritance; furthermore I shall offer alms in
honour of my departed relatives and By rising from the seat in salutation;
by attending on him; by eagerness to learn; by personal service; by
respectful attention while receiving instructions and so on.
In these Suttas the Buddha delivered the ways in detail to follows
between the teacher and pupil, husband and wife, parent and son. A
Buddhist person should be follows as the instruction of the Buddha in daily
A good Buddhist: ethical enquiry into human character 7
life. There is no faced with the suffering if the following the Buddhas
instructions.
There are five precepts and eight precepts in the Buddhas
instructions. A Buddhist one must be avoids from these precepts without
commit. They are important thing to be a good Buddhist. They are
fundamental conditions to be a good Buddhist person. If a good Buddhist
person must be follows those precept and abstain from them and give up
the material things on others and concentrate the meditation insight. It is
called charity (Dna), precept (Sla), and meditation insight (Bhvan). These
three factors are fundamental condition to be a good Buddhist. Therefore a
good Buddhist person should be follows these factors and others hand what
should a good Buddhist be is the three factors, namely charity, precept, and
meditation in sight.
On the other hands, In Buddhism there is something called the
Eightfold path. The Eightfold path is a set of eight guidelines to how a
Buddhist should live. The Path is the journey to become a good Buddhist.
There is something called the eightfold path. This is the Buddhists
equivalent to the Ten Commandments (Christian). It is the thing they follow.
These are their teachings the Eightfold path is an eight sided helm of a ship
and on each handle it has an instruction or commandment.
The Buddha spoke the four Noble Truths and many other teachings,
but at the heart they all stress the same thing. An ancient story explains this
well.
Once a very old king went to see an old hermit who lived in a birds
nest in the top of a tree, What is the most important Buddhist teachings?
The hermit answered, Do no evil, Do only good, purify your heart. The
king had expected to hear a very long explanation. He protested, But even
a five year old child can understand that old man cannot do it.
The Buddha knew it would be difficult for people to follow his

teachings on their own, so he established the Three Refuges for them to
relay on. If a person wants to become Buddhists take refuge in and relay on
the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sagha. These are known as the Triple
Gem. The Sagha are the monks and nuns. They live in monasteries and
carry on the Buddhas teaching.
The word Sagha means 'harmonious community'. The Buddha, the
Dhamma, and the Sagha together possess qualities that are precious like
jewels and can lead one to enlightenment.
A refuge is a place to go for safety and protection, like a shelter in a
storm. Taking refuge does not mean running away from life. It means living
life in a fuller, truer way.
Taking refuge is also like a man traveling for the first time to a distant
city. He will need a guide to show him which path to follow and some
traveling companions to help him along the way.
The Buddha is the guide.
The Dhamma is the path.
The Sagha are the teachers or companions along the way.
There is a special ceremony for taking refuge with the Triple Jewel.
With a sincere mind, one recites the following verse in front of an ordained
monk or nun.
I go to the Buddha for refuge.
I go to the Dharma for refuge.
I go to the Sangha for refuge.
For a Buddhist, taking refuge is the first step on the path to
enlightenment. Even if enlightenment is not achieved in this life, one has a
better chance to become enlightened in a future life. One who takes the
precepts is called a lay person.
All religions have some basic rules that define what good conduct is
and what kind of conduct should be avoided. In Buddhism, the most
important rules are the Five Precepts. These have been passed down from
the Buddha himself.
1. No killing Respect for life
2. No stealing Respect for others' property
3. No sexual misconduct Respect for our pure nature
4. No lying Respect for honesty
5. No intoxicants Respect for a clear mind
No killing
The Buddha said, "Life is dear to all beings. They have the right to live
the same as we do." We should respect all life and not kill anything. Killing
ants and mosquitoes is also breaking this precept. We should have an
attitude of loving-kindness towards all beings, wishing them to be happy and
free from harm. Taking care of the earth, its rivers and air is included. One
way that many Buddhists follow this precept is by being vegetarian.
No stealing
If we steal from another, we steal from ourselves. Instead, we should
learn to give and take care of things that belong to our family, to the school,
or to the public.
No sexual misconduct
Proper conduct shows respect for oneself and others. Our bodies are
gifts from our parents, so we should protect them from, harm. Young people
should especially keep their natures pure and develop their virtue. It is up to
them to make the world a better place to live. In happy families, the
husband and wife both respect each other.
No lying
Being honest brings peace into the world. When there is a
misunderstanding, the best thing is to talk it over. This precept includes no
gossip, no back-biting, no harsh words and no idle speech.
No intoxicants
The fifth precept is based on keeping a clear mind and a healthy
body. One day, when the Buddha was speaking the Dharma for the
assembly, a young drunkard staggered into the room. He tripped over some
monks who were sitting on the floor and started cursing loudly. His breath
reeked of alcohol and filled the air with a sickening stench. Mumbling to
himself, he reeled out the door.
Everyone was astonished at his rude behavior, but the Buddha
remained calm. "Great assembly!" he spoke, "Take a look at this man! He
will certainly lose his wealth and good name. His body will grow weak and
sickly. Day and night, he will quarrel with his family and friends until they
abandon him. The worst thing is that he will lose his wisdom and become
stupid."
Little by little, one can learn to follow these precepts. If one
sometimes forgets them, one can start all over again. Following the precepts
is a lifetime job. If one kills or hurts someones feelings by mistake, that is
breaking the precepts, but it was not done on purpose.
The laities are very important in Buddhism, for they are the supporting
members of the Buddhist community. They build the temples and
monasteries and give offerings of food, robes, bedding, and medicine to the
monks and nuns. This enables the Sagha to carry on the Buddha's work. In
this way the Sagha and laity benefit each other and together keep the
Dhamma alive.
In Buddhism, it is also important to support the poor and needy.

Giving to support religious people, however, is considered a very
meritorious deed. The Buddha not only encouraged giving to Buddhists, but
to any spiritual person who is sincere.
The Buddha taught his disciples to be tolerant of other religions. For
example, when one lights a candle from the flame of another candle, the
flame of the first candle does not lose its light. Instead, the two lights glow
more brightly together. It is the same with the great religions of the world.
Whether one is a member of the Sagha or a lay person, the ideal is
to practice Buddhism for the sake of all.
Conclusion
There is various ways to follow for a Buddhist, the three Triple Gem,
five precepts and must be perform the duties and responsibility individually.
It is the humans character to be a good Buddhist.
REFERENCES
1. Agulimla Sutta
2. Siglovda Sutta
3. r[mAk'0if yxrwGJ
4. Ak' (odkYr[kwf) avmuom;wdkY\ tEdIif;rJhaus;Zl;&Sif OD;a&Tatmif
.
THE FOUR WAYS OF BRAHMAVIHRA IN THE BUDDHIST ETHICS
Ma Uppalavanni
MA Student
Sitagu International Buddhist Academy, Sagaing, Myanmar
Introduction
Taking into consideration the situation of the present day, we find
that the first three of four moral virtues called Brhmavihras, namely,
loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and compassion appear to
have ceased to flourish, to have dried up in the human mind. The
element of heat generated by beings through such cessation of virtues
incinerates even the virtuous, who now find themselves on the verge of
drying up.
What is 'heat element?

The heat element is nothing but greed (Lobha), hatred (Dosa),
conceit (Mna), jealously (Iss) and avariciousness (Macchariya), that
leave no room for sympathy or compassion for one another. That 'heat
element' causes during up of virtuous element not only in the present but
also in the coming existence in the round of rebirths (sasra).
Therefore, people should endeavour in this very life to the best of
their ability to extinguish the heat element and seek to reside steeped in
the cool elements of Mett, Karun, Mudit and Upekkh which are the
four divine states [Brhmavihra].
What is Sasra?
The material world in which beings live is not to be mistaken as
samsara. The continuous coming into existence of consciousness, and
mental factors together with matter [Rpa] in succession is called Sasra

in the ultimate sense.
Therefore, they should reform their minds and become pure,
honest and noble. People cannot believe that the wicked will be honest
and sincere even when they give away in Dna (charity), Sla (precepts)
and practice Bhvan (meditation). Because, of their wickedness their
Kamma will not bring wholesome benefits. Thus, out of fear of getting
unwholesome consequence they should reform their minds and become
pure honest and noble.
How should be reformed our mind

It should reformed with Brahmavihra .The four Brahmavihra are ;
1. Mett Loving kindness
2. Karun compassion
3. Mudit sympathetic joy and
4. Upekkh equanimity.
Why are they called limitless (Appama) ?

These four are also called the Illimitable (Appama ). Appama
means no limit, limitless, the limitless ones. They are called limitless
because they take limitless beings as object. When you practice Karun
and Mudit or even when you practice Mett and Upekkha, must
practice towards all living beings. There must be no limit to the beings
towards whom you practice one of these four qualities. That is why they
are called Appama. Appama means no limit.
The four Brahmaviharas, the four divine or noble state of mind.
(Brahma divine, and Vihra living.) That is to say, to dwell emanating
thoughts of either loving-kindness or any one of compassion, sympathetic
joy and equanimity towards beings is the noble living. Living such a life is
not arid with the heat of hatred, envy and jealousy. It is a life steeped in
and imbued with the moisture of four Brahmaviharas.
In Myanmar such noble states of mind are collectively classified as

Brahmaso, (saturated and filled with divine thoughts). But some people
say the word Brahmaso is derived from the Pli word Brahmacariya.
Mett = Lovingkindness is characteristic here as promoting the
aspect of welfare. It function is to prefer welfare. It is manifested as the
removal of annoyance. It proximate cause is seeing lovableness in beings.
It succeeds when it makes ill will subside, and it fails when it produces
affection.
For lovingkindness should not be developed at first towards the
following four kinds of persons: (1) an antipathetic person, (2) a very
dearly loved friend, (3) a neutral person, and (4) A hostile person. Also it
should not be developed specifically towards the opposite sex, or
towards a dead person.
It should be developed only towards oneself, doing it repeatedly
thus: May I be happy and free from suffering or May I keep myself free
from enmity, affliction and anxiety and live happily.
The Adosa-cetasika, when it is meant to connote wishing other
welfare, peace and progress, is known as Mett. Therefore, note that
Mett is the sincere will to help others to be well and prosper. Mett is
water; Dosa is fire. The more the water, the easier it is to fight the flames.
Therefore, one ought to try to diminish one's anger and foster loving-
kindness to all beings.
Eleven advantage of Mett

1. Sleep in comfort
2. Wakes in comfort
3. Dream no evil dreams
4. He is dear to human beings
5. He is dear to deities
6. Deities guard him
7. Fire, poison and weapons do not affect him
8. His mind is easily concentrated

9. The expression of his face is serene
10. He dies unconfused
11. If he penetrated no higher
False Mett
There is also a form of Mett which exist among relative, lovers,
husbands and wives. Such Mett also constitutes wish and deeds of
helpfulness to each other. They are said to be in love with one another.
They also use the word Mett for this type of attachment. But it is actually
lust or attachment termed Gehasita-Pema, (love for the household
already treated under Lobha). This is not true or sincere loving-kindness
[Mett].
Once a layman approached his reverend Bhikkhu and asked him
the proper way to practice Mett-bhavan. The Bhikkhu said; Start
radiating Mett on the one you love best. So, as he loved his wife best,
he started Mett meditation on her that night just outside her room. After
some time he became so overcome with love that he rushed to her room.
As the door was bolted shut he bumped his head at the door and
received bruises. This kind of love is called Gehasita-Pema.
(2). Karun Compassion has the characteristic of promoting the
removal of suffering in others. Its function is not being able to bear others
suffering. It is manifested as non-cruelty. Its proximate cause is seeing
helplessness in those overwhelmed by suffering. It succeeds when it
causes cruelty to subside, and it fails when it produces sorrow.
The second Brahmavihara is Karun or compassion. Karun means
great pity for the less fortunate beings. Karun incites the will to save
unfortunate sentient beings, and to alleviate the suffering of others. When
one sees a person in misery, there arises the wish to help him. If he
cannot do so, he will be uneasy and concerned. This is not true Karun. It
is only Domanassa [mental suffering] based on pity, which mostly occurs
in the hearts of good people. Therefore, although it is a Domanassa, this

Akusala is not a great evil.
Unreal karun
Sometimes a man will feel pity for his relatives and friends who are
in trouble, and wish to save them. Actually this mental factor is Soka and
not true compassion. Real Karuna gives rise to pity and compassion whilst
the unreal gives rise to worry and anxiety. In the present day, those who
strive to be virtuous and noble should emulate the good examples of
Bidhisattas.
They should reject the concept: I will be good only if the other
people are good. I will return good only to the good. Instead they should
replace it with the attitude: Although they are bad, I will return only
good to them. Whether they are good or bad, I must do them good.
And they should bear in mind to bestow sincere Mett and Karun on
everyone.
(3). Mudit Appreciative joy has the characteristic of gladness at
the success of others. It function is being unenvious at others success. It
is manifested as the elimination of aversion. Its proximate cause is seeing
the success of others. It succeds when it causes aversion to subside, and it
fails when it produces merriment.
The third of Brahmavihra is Mudit. The feeling of sympathetic joy
at the success, welfare and prosperity of others is called Mudit. In life,
evil-minded people experience envy, jealously, greed, etc., when
someone gains popularity, promotion, wealth, education, status, position,
etc. But noble-minded people, when seeing or hearing of such events,
feel glad; they applaud the success of other people with sincerity. They
reason like this: Oh, they gain wealth, power, success and popularity
because they have sown the seeds of good and noble actions [Kusala
Kamma] in the past, and they are now reaping their due harvest. This is
true Mudit.
Unreal Mudit
False Mudit means excessive joy and gladness at the well-being of
ones own relatives and friends. This gladness resembles Mudit but
actually it is a false one. Such extreme joy even to the point of tears, is
known as Pti-somanassa which is associated with Tah and Lobha. But
all such gladness and joy must not be taken as false, because there can be
genuine Mudit too.
(4). Upekkh is the characteristic as promoting the aspect of
neutrality towards beings. It function is to see equality in beings. It is
manifested as the quieting of resentment and approval.
It proximate cause is seeing ownership of deeds (Kamma) thus:
'Beings are owners of their deeds. Whose is the choice by which they will
become happy, or will get free from suffering, or will not fall away from
the success they have reached? It succeeds when it makes resentment
and approval subside, and it fails when it produces the equanimity of
unknowing, which is that based on the house life.
Upekkh is equanimity or even-mindedness on all beings. Upekkh
is unlike loving-kindness, for there is no love involved; it is unlike
compassion, for there is no pity involved; it is unlike sympathetic joy for
there is no gladness involved; it is also unlike anger, for there is no hatred
or malice involved. It dwells on the fact that Kamma brings about good or
bad consequences accordingly. The theme of Upekkh is kammassaka:
Ones own Kamma is ones own property.
But today we often use this word Upekkh concerning naughty
children or pupils. That means, people remain indifferent to the welfare
of their children or pupils whether they behave well or not. It amounts to
sheer neglect of duties. In the case of Upekkh, the persons concerned
are taken into consideration with an unbiased mind free from extremes
of love and hate. Upekkh can occur in the mind of ordinary people. But
Jhna-upekkh can be attained only after the mastery of the three fore-
runners, namely, Mett, Karun and Mudit.
The Buddha was the Brahmin Mah Govinda. He showed these
disciplines the path leading to companionship in the Brahma realm.
Brahma is a term for Mother and Father. For what reason?

Because, mother and father are very helpful to their children, they
take care of them and bring them up and teach them about the world.
Mother and Father are called 'Brahma', early teacher and worthy of
adoration, being compassionate towards their family of children.
Brahmacariya is not the Sla like the five precepts, mentioned
earlier that one keeps so that other persons do not get hurt; they are
kept just to make one's mind noble. It is called Ariya Uposatha.
Consequently they will find that there is less and less Lobha, Dosa, Moha,
Mna and other unwholesome states arising in them. Their minds
become purer and nobler day by day.
CONCLUSION
These fore divine states of mind, the four Brahmaviharas, have
different projection. Metta projects loving-kindness and affection on all
beings. Karun projects pity and compassion on beings suffering from
misery. Mudit will take successful beings as its objects and project
sympathetic joy. Upekkh views all beings as subject to Kamma, and
projects equanimity on them. Therefore, it should be noted that one
cannot project the four Brahmacariyas at the same time onto all beings or
onto a single person.
In future, the majority will not be virtuous persons endowed with
morality. The age of righteous persons is the time when Mett, Karun,
Mudit and Upekkh flourish. Today loving-kindness is a rarity. Without
loving-kindness there could be no compassion for the poor and no
sympathetic joy for the wealthy. Therefore, we should live with the
Brhmavihra. If you full of Brhmacariya your present life is the best

same future life. Same way if you dont have Brhmacariya your present
life is not good also future life. Brhmavihra is important one not only
for liberation from Sasra but also for social daily life.
Therefore, an assignment "The four ways of Brhmavihra in the
Buddhist ethics" is written for the people to develop rightful attitude
regarding the circumstance he or she encounters, to be always broad-
minded, to live the way of noble living (Brhmavihra), and to conduct a
harmonious life.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Primary sources: Pli texts and translation
Sabrahmaks Sutta in Devadtavagga , Duka-Tika-Catukka nipta

Aakath, Aguttara Nikya.
Atthasalin-Atthakath Pli, Vinaya Pitaka, Yangon, Myanmar:
Department of Religious Affairs, 2010.
Anuruddha. Abhidhammatthasagaha-Pali, Yangon, Myanmar: Ministry
of Religious affairs, 2001.
Kathvatthu-Pli, Abhidhamm Pitaka,Yangon, Myanmar: Ministry of
Reliousness Affairs,
Itivuttaka Aakath, Chatthasangayan CD-ROM, Version-3, Igatpuri in
India: Vipassana Research Institute, 1999P-Vri.291, Myanmar.318.
Visuddhimagga 1, Chatthasangayan CD-ROM, Version-3, Igatpuri in
India: Vipassana Research Institute, 1999P-Vri.1.108,
Myanmar.1.107.
Dhammasaga Ahakath, Chatthasangayana CD-ROM, Version-3,

Igatpuri in India: Vipassana Research Institute, 1999P-Vri.239,
Myanmar.240.
Ko Lay, U, Mahvagga of Dghanikya, Sagaing Hill:Sitagu International
Buddhist Academy, 2007.
The Dgha Nikya 3 vols. in Pali; Tr. Maurice Walshe; The Long
Discourses of The Buddha, 3 vols. 2nd Edition, Boston: Wisdom
Publications, 1995.
Secondary sources
Janakbhivasa, Ashin,. Abhidhamm in daily life, Trans by U Ko Lay,
Yangon, Myanmar: Aung Thein Nyunt, 1999.
Nrada , Mahthera. Buddhism in a Nutshell, Sri Lanker: Sukhi Hotu
Dhamma Publications, 2007.
Mya Tin, trans. The Dhammapada verse & stories. Yangon, Myanmar:
Myanmar Tipitaka Association, 1995.
amoli, Bhikkhu, trans. The Path of Purification (Visddhimagga).
Taiwan: Singapore Buddhist Meditation Center, 1999.
Peter Harvey, An introduction to Buddhist Ethics: foundations, values and
issues, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000.
Slnanda, U. Handbook of Abhidhamm Studies, 1 vol, West Malaysia:
A SBVMS Publication, 2012.
.
Buddhist ethical perceptive on Democracy
Ashin Kavisara
MA Student
We must study the opinion of ancient and modern theorists

regarding democracy. Etymologically, democracy is derived from the
two Greek words demos (people) and cracy (system of rule). 1
Democracy has a long history and one has to go back to more than two
thousand years to trace its origin and to find out and understand its
features, practices and institutions. The functioning democracy is a form
of government which provides the citizens with most freedom, most
opportunities, and the most comfortable life. The last quarter of the
twentieth century witnessed the greatest expansion of democracy in the
world. The spread of democratic governments in many parts of Asia,
Central and Eastern Europe and Africa in the late 1980 s and early 1990 s
had been an important trend in world. It means the importance of
democracy is growing more in the contemporary period. Moreover, to
achieve a sustainable democratic form of government in a particular
country it needs some necessary concepts. These concepts are not new.
In ancient period the ideas of Buddha reflect the core contribution of
democracy and quite different and notable one. His ideas like economic
development, human rights, right to freedom, and right to religion and
women empowerment are considered as some of the essential concepts
for development democracy. These conditions or concepts lead to a
strong democratic system in a country.
As both terms Buddhism and Democracy are very broad. Here, T
will limit their scope. The term Buddhism here will be limited to only
1
Jinarajadasa, The Region of Law In Buddhism, (Madras: The Theosophical Publishing House, 1948)
Theravada Buddhism, that is, to the teaching of the Buddha found in the
Tipiaka and clarified by the Theravada school.
Is Buddhist Sagha Organization a Form of Democracy?

It appears that the rules of discipline of the Buddhist Sagha, create
a well-knit system of Democracy. The above statement indicates that the
pattern which is represented as being laid down by the Buddha for we
regulation of affairs of the Sagha was described as democratic.
The prevalence of laws of community points towards the existence
of democracy. It was derived from the evolution and experience of
Sagha affairs. The procedure of enacting law was based on the fact that
if there was some wrong action, it was taken to the assembly of the
Sagha by some Bhikkhus. Such a law the Buddha, before his passing
away, gave the right of amendment. He said, When I am gone, Amanda,
let the order, if it should so wish, abolish all the lesser and minor
precepts. It is a right representing great freedom for the members of a
society to be able to change, cut or add laws to suit their conduct. How
prophetic was Buddha when he realized that static laws cannot serve the
purpose of a changing society. The very rationale of the amendment-
making process in a modern constitution is based on this assumption. The
Buddhist Sangha administrative organization has these characteristics;
hence, it may be called a system based on democratic values.
The system of Sagha administration should be more of republican
than of other systems because the founders of the Sagha organization,
the Buddha and Bhikkhus, were influenced by the republics. The
democratic spirit from the time of the Buddha until now have one of the
equality among the monks who might come from any caste and status in
society: princes, nobles, Brahmanas, Vassa and outcasts. People of all
castes found equal right of recognitions in his Sagha and equal right to
the perfect purification or Nibbna status. Just as the great rivers that is to
say, Ganga, the Yamuna, the Aciravat, the Sarab, and the Mah when
the rivers have fallen into the great ocean, renounce their name and
lineage are thereceforth record as a great ocean. So too come from these
four castes: Khattiyas, the Brahmans, the Vassas and the Suddas when
they have gone forth from the world under the doctrine and discipline
proclaimed by the Tathgata, renounce their names and lineage entire
into the number of the son of Sakyaputta Samanas. Any monk who has
been such for a lesser period is to venerate the order one. This means
that an outcaste, by monk from the Brahmin caste, if the former has a
longer period of monkhood. Such a practice could not be imagined at
that time outside the Buddhist community. We can also fine in procedure
of ordination; Buddha then convened the Bhikkhus and proclaimed to
them this Announcement or
atti:
Let the Sagha, reverend Sirs, hear me. This person (Nga) desires
to receive the Upasampadordination from the venerable (Datta) with
the venerable (Tissa) as his Uppajjhya. If the Sagha is ready, let the
Sagha confer on Naga, the Upasampad ordination with Tissa as
Upajjhaya. This is the
atti (announcement). Let any one of the
venerable brethren who is in favor of the Upasampad ordination of
Naga, with Tissa, as Uppajjhya be silent, and anyone who is not in favor
of it, speak. And for the second time and for the third time I thus speak to
you. Let the Sagha, etc (as before). Nga has received the
Upasampad ordination from the Sagha with Tissa as Uppajjhya. The
Sangha is in favor of it, therefore it is silent. Thus, I understand. 2 This
consideration was made because of historical background which
constitutes an important factor in any political system. If we consider the
form and method of procedure in Sagha affairs they were same as the
contemporary tribal republican system.
Surely this kind of democracy is a strict one, for any decision of the
Sagha requires a unanimous vote as to be silent at the moment of the
vote means a vote in favour, such voting respects any kind of minority.
2
Mahavaggha vinaya
Such a strict democracy can be practiced within the Sagha

because we can presuppose that all and each one of the monks has been
well formed and has a good intention for the common welfare of the
Sagha. As such democracy is appropriate to the Sagha, it has
progressed continually to today.
Damien Keown points out that Buddhism, however, is less
preoccupied with another cornerstone of democratic theory, namely
human rights. One important reason for this is the Buddhist doctrine of
no-self, which holds that the fates of all persons on earth are intertwined
and no distinction can or should be made between the self and other
beings. The dharma nevertheless lays down heavy duties on the citizens.
However, even in this respect Buddhism is highly egalitarian in the sense
that all citizens have duties no matter what their social status.
Accordingly, a husband has the duty to support his wife, a slave has the
duty to obey his master and the king has the duty to act in concordance
with the dharma. (Keown 2000; 62).
The Buddhist approach to political power is the moralization and
the responsible use of public power. The Buddha preached non-violence
and peace as a universal message. He did not approve of violence or the
destruction of life, and declared that there is no such thing as a 'just' war.
He taught: 'The victor breeds hatred, the defeated lives in misery. He
who renounces both Victory and defeat is happy and peaceful. Not only
did the Buddha teach nonviolence and peace, He was perhaps the first
and only religious teacher who, Went to the battlefield personally to
prevent the outbreak of a war. He diffused tension between the Sakyas
and the Koliyas who were about to wage war over the waters of Rohin.
He also dissuaded King Ajatasattu from attacking the Kingdom of the
Vajjis.
In the Cakkavatt Shanda Sutta, the Buddha said that immorality
and crime, such as theft, falsehood, violence, hatred, cruelty, could arise
from poverty. Kings and governments may try to suppress crime through
punishment, but it is futile to eradicate crimes through force.
In the Kutadanda Sutta, the Buddha suggested economic
development instead of force to reduce crime. The government should
use the country's resources to improve the economic conditions of the
country. It could embark on agricultural and rural development, provide
financial support to entrepreneurs and business, and provide adequate
wages for workers to maintain a decent life with human dignity.
The Mahparinibbna Sutta refers to seven conditions necessary for
national welfare and stability, especially in a republican system. So long
as these conditions (social harmony, social precedence, honour and
reverence to elders, honoring to women etc.) continue to exist among the
Vajjians, they cannot be expected to decline. The factors, which lead a
republican state to prosperity, are not only the unanimity of the members
of the administrative organization but other factors such as tradition,
culture, fundamental rights, womans rights etc.
Buddhas Form of Government:

However, a new governmental system established by the Buddha,
which deserves to be studied, is the Buddhist Sagha (community)
administrative organization. It cannot be decided for sure which form of
government can describe such an organization because it comprises
various features of government when compared with the Western ancient
and modern classifications of government. Even the concept of
communism, which is supposed to be the opposite system to all religion,
prevails in Buddhist administrative organization. The concepts of
democracy and the republic also can be found in it.
Justice: According to Buddhism justice is the soul of the rulers
function. The Buddha said to the king of Kosala, My lord king, to judge a
cause with justice and impartiality is the right thing. 3 Mah Hasa
Jtaka4 describes justice as a cause of well-being and happiness through
the conversation between the king of the geese and the king of Ksi. The
ruler who has political, military, and judicial power in his hands should
use his Power with the spirit of righteousness.
Principle of Justice: Mah Pduma Jataka 5 says that the kings
duties in the court, when he decides some case, are to be performed
with care and deliberation. The ruler of the state is supposed to be the
leader of the people. He always has self-development by self-control in
order to stop the internal evil which is the root of external bad action.
Moral Support: Tesakuna Jtaka6 speaks of the way which the king
should follow for his glory and that of the state through the dialogues
between the wise bird, named Vassantara and the king named
Brahmadatta who ruled in Banaras. The ruler must always recognize what
is right and what is wrong. He should avoid all evil deeds because the
ruler has power in his hands. He can do what he wants. If he tolerates
wrong doing which affects the lives of the people, it is very dangerous for
all the subjects. He must exercise his power rightly. Mah Hasa Jtaka
speaks of ten royal virtues (Rja Dhamma) which are regarded as the
spirit of ruler ship Alms giving, justice, penitence, meek spirit, mild
temper, peace, mercy, patience, charity with morals undefiled. And to
observe five precepts,7 Kuladanta Sutta speaks of the facilities the ruler
should provide to his subjects for their employment or other means of
subsistence: Whosoever there be in the kings realm who devote
themselves to keeping cattle and the farm, to them let his majesty the
king give food and seed-corn. Whosoever there be in the kings realm
who devote themselves to trade, to them let his majesty the king give
3
Professor E.B. Cowell (ed.), Jataka Stories, Vol. II trans, W.H.D. Rouse (Delhi: Cosmo Publications,
1973), p. 1
4
Jataka II. P 90. Commentry V. p 377.
5
Jataka l. p 253. Commentry VI. P 188, E.B. Cowell (ed.), N. 67. Vol. N. p. 1119
6
Jataka I. p 1. Commentry V. p 114. E.B. Cowell (ed.), N. 67. Vol. IV. p. 61
7
Jataka II. P 90. Commentry V. p 377. E.B. Cowell (ed.), N. 67 Vol. V, p. 200.
capital. Whosoever there be in the kings realm who devote themselves

to government service, to them let his majesty the king give wages and
food.8
Seeking and Supporting of the Good Advisors: Tesakuna Jtaka
describes the wise men are well known as those who are experts and
have insight into various kinds of state affairs. They are important
sources of wisdom. Wisdom is supposed to be the way of happiness. The
deeds of the Wise man do not make both himself and the society suffer.
Leadership: The Buddha says that virtues support leadership as
follows: The bull through floods a devious cross will take, The herd of
kine all Struggling in his wake, So if a leader tortuous paths pursue, To
base ends will be guided the vulgar crew, And the whole realm and age
of license rule. But if the bull across direct should steer, the herd of kine
straight follow in his rear. So should their chief to righteous way be true,
the common folk injustice will eschew, and through the realm shall holy
peace ensue.9 Even now the leader who is confident and moral can lead
others under his responsibility to attain success. The people may live with
him in peace.
Some Arguments of Buddhist Sagha Form of Government:

S. Dutt points out that the Buddhist Sanghas deliberated and acted
together. They were communistic in property relationships, in their
conduct of affairs, and had the tribal council as their organ of
government. It is clear that the Buddhist community inherited certain
forms and methods of organization from the tribal republics. The political
constitution of many tribes in the area that first came under the influence
of Buddhism and from which early Buddhist Bhikkhus were largely
recruited was of a republican type. In these small tribal republics, the
8
DNJ. p 120. T.W. Rhys Davids (ed.), Sacred Books of the Buddhists, Vol. IV, trans., T.W. and C.A.F.
Rhys Davids (London: Luzac & Company Ltd., 1957), pp. 176.
9
E.B. Cowell (ed.) The Jataka Stories, Vol. III. P74. trans, H.T. Francis (Delhi: Cosmo Publications,
1979), p. 63.
authority, though vested in a monarchy or in a personal ruler, was

exercised by an assembly, oligarchical or democratic. It is maintained that
the people were quite familiar and conversant with free institutions like
voting, committees, popular tribunals and collective legislation.10
All these opinions suggest that the system of Sagha administration
should be more of republican than of other systems because the founders
of the Sagha organization, the Buddha and Bhikkhus, were influenced
by the republics. This consideration was made because of historical
background - which constitutes an important factor in any political
system. If we consider the form and method of procedure in Sagha
affairs they were same as the contemporary tribal republican system.
Despite this similarity, the Buddhist Sagha administrative organization
had many factors as enumerated below which could not be found in the
old tribal republican system. These factors are as follows:
1. The tribal republican administrative powers were vested in the
hands of a minority of such society called Raja and assisted by
Brahmana. The low Classes which formed the majority of the
society had not any right or power to Participate in the decision-
making either directly or indirectly. The Buddhist Sagha
administrative power was vested in the whole Sangha, and all the
members of the Sagha had an equal right under the same law to
participate in decision-making processes of Sagha affairs.
2. The main feature of republican tribal administrative organization
was the idea of central government and the sub-unit under the
control of central government while the main characteristic of
Buddhist Sagha organization was self-government. There was no
person or group of persons who possessed the absolute power to
decide Sagha affairs; they were decided by all members of the
Sagha. Each local settlement had its own form of administrative
organization along with the central law and order, Dhamma and
10
Sumumar Dutt, N. 70, p. 119.
Miriam prescribed by the Buddha.

3. Private property in the republican system is not mingled into the
collective property. Every member could own property as he
pleases. The Buddhist Sagha had no private property; private
property was limited to the four conditions for leading the simple
holy life. Surplus wealth or property was distributed for the social
welfare.
4. Law and order in the tribal republican system are always orthodox.
Tradition and culture are followed without any improvement. Law
and order in Buddhism are allowed to be appropriately improved
and changed according to circumstances and places; it can be
called amendable.
Having considered many factors in Buddhist administrative
organization and having compared it with the contemporary tribal
republican system, we see that the Buddhist Sagha organization was a
new system synthesizing various ideas to form a Sagha society which
consisted of people from various castes, classes and status who came to
live together and who had the same goal, peace of mind. This system has
never been called a political system, but in modern times, if we compare
the idea prevailing in the Buddhist Sagha administrative organization
with the political theory of government prevailing in the modern world or
even with the ancient Greeks, there is no reason to deny calling it a
democratic system. The government established by the Buddha is clearly
in spirit, and essence, akin to modern democracy.
It can be concluded that the individual will be virtuous and
righteous. He will attain self-control, self-culture, self-confidence, self-
sufficiency and finally self-salvation. The aggregate of the individuals
becomes the society. , The society of such individuals trained in virtue
will be a society of mutual understanding, mutual-aid, compassionate-
living and peaceful co-existence. Each individual tries to emancipate
himself from the fetters of evil, and at the same time helps the others to
attain the supreme goal of life. They have no time for conflict because
they aim to destroy the cause of their suffering as best they can. The
Buddhas teaching had not only been useful for the past generations but,
with the universal truths discovered by him, it contributes to the
wellbeing of all men. The Buddha proclaimed that each individual is a
master of his or her own destiny, highlighting the capacity that each
person has to attain enlightenment. Whether we are rich or poor,
educated or uneducated, a follower of one religion or another, each of us
is a human being. Not only do we desire happiness and seek to avoid
suffering, but each of us also has an equal right to pursue these goals.
REFERENCE:
Maha vagga ( Vinaya ),
Mahaprinibbana Sutta,
Maha Hangsajataka,
Mahapaduma jataka,
Tesakuna jataka, kutadanta Sutta.
Cakkavatti Sutta DN. iii.
Kutadanta Sutta DN. i
Cowell, E.B., ed. J atakas. Vol. I, 11, Ill, IV, V, VI. Translated by various
Oriental Scholars. Delhi: Cosmo Publications, 1979.
Davids, T.W. Rhys, ed. Sacred Books of the Buddhists, Vol. IV. Translated
by T.W. and C.A.F. Rhys Davids. London: Luzac & Company Ltd,
1957.
Mukerji, Shobha. The Republican Trend in Ancient India. New Delhi:
1969.
Dutt, Sukumar. Early Buddhist Monarchism. New Delhi: Munshiram
Manoharlal Publisher Pvt, 1984.
Tripthi R. S. Hirstory of India, New Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1967.
Khongchinda, Dr Phramahachanya. The Buddhas Socio-Political Ideas.

Web: www. Buddhapanya. org
Buddhadasa, P. Kirthisinghe. Buddhism and Democracy. Kandy:
Buddhist Publication Society Sri Lanka, 1973
Damien Keown (ed) Contemporary Buddhist Ethics, Surrey: Routledge
Curzon, 2000.
.
PATICCASAMUPPDA: THEORY OF BUDDHIST ETHICS
Ashin Kolita
MA Student
Introduction
Paiccasamuppda called the Dependent Co-arising is the fundamental
theory to Buddhist ethics. A distinctive feature of this theory lies on the natural
phenomena which are interdependent and interrelated of the mental and
material phenomena. And this is also related to the norms of Buddhist culture.
According to ethical relativists, there are no universal moral standards that can
be universally applied to all people at all times. If they are correct, there can be
no ultimate ethical theory. While they are claiming that the concepts of ethical
principles may differ among the different societies at different times, but at the
same time the natural theory of Paticcasamuppda is standing on the
unchangeable theory. And it holds that the rightness or wrongness of an action
does not depend on a societys norms, and the ultimate truths exist beyond
human conventional realities, and they are absolute, eternal and universal at all
places and in all times.
Paiccasammuppdas short formula and twelve factors

Just like the explanation of Plato, who explained Meta-ethics by the field
of mathematics such as 1+1=2 that moral values and relations are never
change and apply everywhere in the universe, the Paiccasamuppda Theory is
given in a short formula of four lines:
When this is, that is (Imasmi sati ida hoti);
This arising, that arises (Imassuppd ida uppijjati);
When this is not, that is not (Imasmi asati ida na hoti);

This ceasing, that ceases (Imassa nirodh ida nirujjaji).1
On this principle, the conditional relativity of life and its cessation are
explained in detailed with twelve factors which is called Paticcasamuppda
Dependent Co-Arising.
1. Through ignorance are conditioned volitional actions or Kamma-
formations (Avijjpaccay sankhr).
2. Through volitional actions is conditioned consciousness
(Sankhrapaccay vina).
3. Through consciousness are conditioned mental and physical phenomena
(Vinapaccay nmarpa).
4. Through mental and physical phenomena are conditioned the six
faculties (i.e., five physical sense-organs and mind) (Nmarpapaccay
salyatana).
5. Through the six faculties is conditioned contact (Salyatanapaccay
phasso).
6. Through contact is conditioned sensation (Phassapaccay vedan).
7. Through sensation is conditioned desire (Vedanpaccay tanh).
8. Through desire is conditioned clinging (Tanhpaccay updnam).
9. Through clinging is conditioned the process of becoming
(Updnapaccay bhavo).
10. Through the process of becoming is conditioned birth
(Bhavapaccay jti).
11. Through birth are conditioned (12) decay, death, lamentation,
pain, etc. (Jtipaccay jarmarana).
1
M III (PTS), p.63; S II (PTS), pp. 28, 95, etc. To put it into a modern form:
When A is, B is;
A arising, B arises;
When A is not, B is not;
A ceasing, B ceases.
This is how life arises, exists and continues. If it takes this formula in
reverse order, it comes to the cessation of the process: Through the complete
cessation of ignorance, volitional actions cease; through the cessation of
volitional activities, consciousness ceases; . . . Through the cessation of birth,
decay, death, sorrow, etc., cease.
It should be noted that each of these factors is conditioned (paticca
samuppanna) as well as conditioning (paticca samuppda).2 Therefore all are
relative, interdependent and interconnected, and nothing is independent.
Paticcasamuppda Theory should be considered as a circle, and not as a chain.
All mental and material phenomena of human beings arise and cease under
this natural law of cause and effect. They do not come into being by accident
or without reasoning. Just like the natural process of the universe, climate
order, etc., the cycle of Paticcasamuppda turns round unceasingly because of
under its perfect conditions.
Man-made ethics vs. Natural law of Paiccasammuppda

Man-made ethics involve a standard of what is right and wrong based on
what people ought to do. This may include:
Our obligation to society
What benefits society rather than the individual
Being fair to others
This seems vague. It is difficult to define the ultimate theory of ethics.
This is because there is no specific definition for each standard, nor specific
guidelines that can be absolutely considered as the standard of the theory of
ethics. People think that things like rape, adultery, stealing and murder are
wrong and should not be tolerated. However, peoples points of view always
differ. For example, some people may think that killing that happens during
2
Vism. (PTS), p.517
war is murder, while others will disagree. So man-made ethics cannot be

covered in every actions under what ought to be.
Paiccasamuppda is the eternal law. Even though it was delivered by
the Buddha, it was not an invention of Him. He just discovered and showed
people that law. It is not also such a status of divine commands issuing from
God. It is only the natural law of cause and effect which is purely based on the
ultimate truth (Paramattha-sacc); does not concern with the conventional
truth (Sammuti-sacc).3
Moral relativism of both individual relativism and cultural relativism
claims that moral values in fact change from society to society throughout time
and throughout the world. That is because their point of view on Metaethics is
completely based on the conventional truth (Sammuti-sacc) and denies the
ultimate and universal truth (Paramattha-sacc).4
Paiccasamuppda attempts to comprehend the real natural of life and
explains how life was or is being or will be and fully discusses what the
governor is over all our moral or immoral actions how they interconnected and
interdependent and what the result of them is. All three dimensions- the
psychological, the philosophical, and the ethical- derive their final justification
from the cornerstone of the Paiccasamuppda.
Psychological issues in Meta-ethics and Paiccasammuppda

Meta-ethics involves the psychological basis of moral judgments and
conduct, particularly what motivates us to be moral; Why be moral?.
Psychologically the answers may be to avoid punishment, to gain praise, to
3
Srattha II (PTS), p.77
4
paramattha-sacc: This perspective is designated the dhamma theory (dhammavda). It maintains the
fundamental components of actuality both in the conditioned things which are the momentary mental and
material phenomena, and unconditioned thing which is solely Nibbna. Sammuti-sacc is mere
appearances. It takes a reflection overall structure of actuality such as I, individual, people, etc., on
mental and material phenomena as a whole. That exists only as conventional truth because we speak a truth
conforming to the conventional world.
attain happiness, to be dignified, or to fit in with society. Here by the

knowledge of Paiccasamuppda, it has a different answer. According to the
law of Paiccasamuppda, all of mental and material phenomena, we can say
all human beings, are in a great suffering (Dukkhakkhandhassa samuddayo hoti)
because of defilements particularly of these two roots: ignorance (Avijj) and
desire (Tanh). This view gives birth a moral perspective of Buddhists; Why be
moral? that we are common in the same sort of situation; we all are in great
trouble that is why we should help each other. There is even the exact answer
in it for this question; How much we should help?, we should help each
other to reach till to the greatest good or happiness that is Nibbna
(Dukkhakkhandassa nirodo hoti). And also that is the reason why the Buddha
(Tathgata) appeared in this world, and He helped beings by showing the path
to reverse ignorance (Avijj) to knowledge (Vijj); Through the complete
cessation of ignorance, volitional actions cease; through the cessation of
volitional activities, consciousness ceases; . . . Through the cessation of birth,
decay, death, sorrow, etc., cease; Thus ceases this whole mass of sufferings.
Philosophical issues in Egoism vs. Paiccasammuppda

Moral philosophical egoisms point of view maintains that self-oriented
interests ultimately motivate all human actions. Even if an action seems selfless,
such as donating to charity, there are still selfish causes for this, such as
experiencing power over other people. This idea is diametrically opposed to
the view of Paiccasamuppda. Since the twelve factors are based on ultimate
reality, Paiccasamuppda completely denies the existence of self. There is no
unchangeable substance or Ego or self behind those factors. They are just in
themselves. Although the Paiccasamuppda accepts three existences; past,
present and future, this point does not concern with the wrong notion of
permanent ego that continues as an unchangeable substance through life
persisted from the past, present and future. Neither one of twelve nor
combination of twelve that working together in three existences can be called

ego.5 In a combination of these twelve, we get the idea of I or life or Ego
but in reality, it is just like a wooden machine which is made up of a
combination of these twelve. 6 The appearance of all events, mental and
material, works in accordance with the spontaneous and universal law of
causation Paiccasamuppda without the help of any super natural beings. On
getting the cause, the effect arises. The existence of everything is conditional,
dependent on a cause. Nothing happens by chance.
Ethical issues in Paiccasammuppda non-self-theory

Buddhism denies the existence of self (Sabbe dhamm anatt; All
Dhammas are without self)7, then there may be some misconception in the no
soul theory, and then they may raise a question like; If there is no I, who is
the doer of good and evil deeds and who will be the receiver of that results?
There is no other being or I, standing behind these twelve factors, who
is a doer of good or bad actions and who experiences the results of it.
As Buddhaghosa says:
Mere suffering exists, but no sufferer is found;
The deeds are, but no doer is found.8
Under the influence of desire (Tanh) and clinging (Updha), one
engages in action that accumulated as Kamma. These three conditions lead one
back into the round of existences in a state determined by ones action
(Kamma). It is the function of the cause which is the noble truth of the origin of
5
Although the twelve factors are divided into three period of time; Ignorance and kammic formations belong to
past; birth, decay and death belong to the future; the intermediate eight factors belong to the present, in fact
the twelve factors are always present together in any single life. By taking ignorance and kammic formations,
craving, clinging, and existence are also taken. Likewise, by taking craving, clinging, and existence, ignorance
and kammic formations are also taken. By taking birth and decay-and-death the five effects-consciousness
and so on- are also taken.
6
Buddhaghosa compares a being to a wooden mechanism (druyatanta). (PTS), pp. 594-595
7
Dhp. XX, 7
8
Vism. (PTS), p.513
suffering (Samudaya ariya sicc) and the effect is the noble truth of suffering
(Dukkha ariya sicc). Theoretically, it is a true nature of life cycle. Practically,
life is ready to produce a cause for unhappy states and bad conduct. But it is
wrong to be selfish desire for the needs of life. For instance, the burning fire
cannot fulfil how much wood you feed in it. On the contrary, it adds a little
more to ones trouble, and aggravates and exacerbates a situation already
disagreeable. One thing necessary in life is leading a pure life based on ethical,
spiritual and moral principles which are leading to the attainment of highest
wisdom. That way of living cuts off the main causes of the two roots of
Paticcasamuppda (Avijj and Tanh). So, it is a path (Magga Ariya Sacc: The
noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of Dukkha) which is
indispensible in achieving a higher purpose for mans happiness and in
realization the Ultimate Truth, Nibbna (Dukkha Niroda Ariya Sacc: The
cessation of Dukkha).
Conclusion
The universal principle of dependent co-arising (Paticcasamuppda) is a
guiding light in implementing ultimate theory on metaethics and conducting
the way of life among the complex issues of applied ethics. It advocates non-
self-theory and explains a cluster of interconnected, interdependent and
interacting of its factors. Ongoing process in life, everything is linking; and that
promotes to this concept; The world is a vast flow of linking, nothing can exist
interdependently or autonomously. All elements in nature, an individual and a
society, relate to this Buddhist perspective of globalization. In this view of
radical relativity, reality appears as an interdependent process wherein change,
choice, deed, person and community are mutually related. It offers the tools
that to solve the problem of life and conducive the notion of the reciprocal
responsibilities and a better living as natural humans because the ground of
morality in Paiccasamuppda bases on the view of Anatta and Kamma.
Paiccasamuppda is not merely the ethics of reciprocity. It has a deeper

meaning to find a greater good in the ultimate reality within the time between
birth and death. The Paiccasamuppda therefore explains causes and
conditions uncovering the conventional realities. It uniqueness resides not in
the values that western philosophers express as in their logic and theory but in
the dimensions of its psychological, philosophical and ethical relativity, that is
the theory of dependent co-arising nature of reality.
THE CONCEPTION OF HIGHEST VALUE IN THE BUDDHIST ETHICS
Ma Nyannavati
MA Student
Stagu International Buddhist Academy, Sagaing
Introduction
There are many kinds of values in the world. Separated things are
regarded as the value on ones experience and conception. Some put the
first state the material things as value and some are others. They think that
only material things are valuable to the life. Therefore they valued on the
physical, looking after the sense of delight on the physical body and
accepting that the physical values were the highest values. According to
Buddhism the objective of life is to develop the attainment of happiness as
far as one can from the lower levels up to the highest. People who are living
with morality have a certain level of happiness, the development to
concentration generates a subtler kind of happiness, and ultimately the
wisdom generates the highest value of happiness. In early Buddhism,
pleasure, supernatural powers, and worldly benefits are valued because they
enhance the value of other values. Someone might object that pleasure,
supernatural powers, and worldly benefits are not genuine values but rather
side-effects of ultimate values. For instance, health, wealth, beauty and
influence are often described as karmic consequences of previous generosity
and ethical conduct. Similarly, supernatural powers and spiritual pleasures
usually derive from the development of wholesome mental states through
meditation practice. Consequently, the objection goes, only ultimate values
and not their side-effects should be seen value pluralism in early Buddhist
ethics.
The highest value in the Buddhist ethics

(1) The Buddhists view on material happiness
The Buddhists view on material happiness is a middle way between
two extreme views. The first is the view of the religious ascetics in India in
the Buddhas time, who believed that in order to attain the highest state it
was necessary to discard the body and thereby more easily purify the mind.
The Buddha had used the method of self-mortification but found that it was
not the way to reach truth. The second is the view of ordinary people who
see pleasures of the flesh as the highest happiness, and believe that we
should search for as much of them as we can. This too is not the way to
truth. The Buddha walked the middle way, not abandoning himself to
sensual happiness, and not seeing the body as a prison binding the mind as
some religions and philosophical schools believed.
(2) Different ideas of happiness
According to the Buddhist view the objective of life can be
looked at from two perspectives: the negative and the positive. The
negative perspective is the escape from suffering. The positive perspective is
attainment of happiness. People tend to look on Buddhism in the sense of
escaping suffering, which is the negative perspective. This perspective
arises from the core teaching of Buddhism, the four noble truths,
which deal with the presence of suffering, the cause of suffering, the state of
cessation of suffering, and the way for attaining the cessation of
suffering.
Buddhism expresses not only escaping from suffering, but also
experiencing happiness, but it lays emphasis on suffering because
before one can experiences applies medicine and the pain goes way this
does not mean he is happy, but only that he has escaped the suffering. But
once his toothache is healed and he can read a favorite book, then he can
The Conception of Highest Value in the Buddhist Ethics 45
be said to experience happiness. Philosophers of almost every school will

agree that the most valuable thing in life is happiness, but different schools
have different ideas of what happiness is. It said that happiness is what is of
value in life but happiness in the Buddhist understanding contains aspects
that are both similar schools. Buddhism divides the levels and kinds of
happiness in many different ways, but regardless of the kind of classification,
they encompass the same meaning. Here they will divide happiness
according to the Buddhist three folds classification: (1) sensual happiness; (2)
Jhna happiness; (3) Nibbna happiness.
There are three types of the mind teaching of the Buddha, to abstain
from unwholesome, to complete with wholesome, and to purify absolute
the mind. The sensual happiness is not an evil but it is a rough and
ephemeral form of happiness. Devas enjoy sensual happiness in the heaven
realms, but even though the happiness of the heaven realms is so refined
and exalted, it is not as subtle as the next level of happiness. The objects
that provide sensual happiness are limited in number: there is not enough
for everyone, so contention and argument follow.
The second level of happiness up from sensual happiness is the
happiness of the absorptions (Jhna). It may be called mental happiness.
Jhna translates as stare, referring to the state of mind that has reached a
certain level of concentration. It is a happiness that is not tainted with
suffering like sensual happiness. Jhna happiness arises from the cultivation
of the mind known as meditation practice. The mind that has developed
concentration up to the level of absorption (Jhna) has temporarily escaped
from defilements and craving. It is characterized by peace, serenity, clarity
and the power to attain the highest level of truth.
In the mental training leading up to the attainment of Jhna it is
necessary to overcome five important obstacles known as the five
hindrances. They are: (1) Kmachanda desire for this and that; (2) Bypda
anger and resentment; (3) Thnamiddha - dullness and depression; (4)

Uddhaccakukkucca - restlessness and anxiety; and (5) Vicikicch - doubt
and uncertainty about the results of ones practice. When the five
hindrances have been given up and them in dis clear, there a rises a feeling
of mental satiation, which is directly opposite to physical satiation. It is a
purely mental kind of well-being independent of sights, sounds, smells,
tastes and tangible sensations. The person who shakes off the five
hindrances is compared to a person who has recovered from an illness: he is
stronger and ready to work for the higher kind of happiness. Jhna
happiness may be called the happiness that arises from concentration, as it
what results when concentration is developed to a certain level.
And the final happiness Nibbna is an experience that each person
must have for him- or her-self. One who attains it may describe it to others,
but ones listeners have no way of knowing what one experienced. Even so,
the Buddha did talk about this experience and it is related in the Tipiaka
Scholars, both Buddhist and non-Buddhist, have interpreted these passages
in all sorts of ways, but there are a number of core points to these
interpretations.
Nibbna is usually explained as cessation, here meaning the cessation
of craving, or clinging. When a person still has desire, aversion and delusion,
this creates clinging. Clinging is what causes people to create the world by
giving it meanings and values, as already stated. The world is not seen as it
actually is. Nibbna is seeing the world as it actually is rather than as we
would want it to be. Controlling the defilement of craving enables people to
see the world as it is. He who realizes all worlds, knows all worlds as they
actually are, separates himself from the world, has no defilements in the
world, controls all mental states and has thrown off all defilements is one
who experiences Nibbna, which is the highest peace. The phrase
separates himself from the world does not mean that in order to attain
nibbna one must close ones eyes and ears and refuse to know anything
about the outside world.
(3) The different conceptions of the highest value
The concept of the highest value is Nibbana. Although in Buddhism
human beings are capable of experiencing two higher levels of happiness:
Jhna happiness and Nibbna happiness, the happiness arising from
concentration and the happiness arising from wisdom. But western
philosophy has many different ideas on the highest value in life, but they
can be divided in to two main groups: those who search for what is of value
in the outside world, and those who search for what is of value internally.
Within the first group are the Romantics who believe that emotion is of the
highest value, that emotion is more important than because it is conducive
to individual expression, that good and evil are conventional realities, and
that freedom of expression without constraints is a good thing. We can
clearly see that this kind of thinking is far removed from Buddhism.
In the Sutta texts certain words are used to describe Nibbna, which
may lead to the conception that Nibbna is a metaphysical entity. For
example it is said that Nibbna has the characteristics of being Abhta
(unchanging), Akata (uncreated), Ajta (unborn), and Amata (undying).These
words invite us to think of Nibbna as something eternal, uncreated, existing
of itself, not born from anything, continuing on and not dying.
And in the Abhidhamm texts also encourage even more the
understanding that nibbna is a metaphysical entity in its division of ultimate
realities (Paramatthadhamma) into four categories: materiality (rpa), mind
(Citta), mental concomitants (Cetasika), and Nibbna, inviting the deduction
that Nibbna is an ultimate reality. However explanations occurring in other
parts of the Tipiaka do not at all invite, the deduction that Nibbna is a
metaphysical entity. The descriptions of Nibbna given above are more
likely to be referring to the non-returning of one who attains Nibbna to be
born or die again, since he has transcended the cycle of Sasra. It is a state
in which the mind experiences certain things, which cannot be experienced
in a life for which happiness means merely the fulfilling of desires.
(4) The different object of the three kinds of happiness

Jhna happiness feeds on mental objects, while sensual happiness
depends on all kinds of objects, especially the five sense pleasures. While
Jhna happiness is in dependent of material things, it can still lead to
clinging. The mind is not really, wholly pure. The happiness of Nibbna is an
experience that is not dependent on any object. It is a subtle kind of
happiness perfect within itself. It is not a happiness that arises from feeding a
desire or filling a lack, but a happiness that arises and exists of itself. It is an
experience in and of itself, not a way of experiencing something else. It is
not concerned with anything in the world, not even with the experience of
emptiness, which is the purest kind of mental experience.
(5) The foundations of highest value

In the practice for attaining Nibbna there are three stages: morality
(Sla), concentration (Samdhi) and wisdom (Pa). Morality can enable
people to experience initial happiness, but on its own it cannot lead to the
attainment of Nibbna. Morality is a necessary provision for Nibbna, but it
is not enough. That is, without morality, it is not possible to proceed to
Nibbna, but morality alone is not enough to take one there.
Morality helps to make the mind normal and prime it for the
development of concentration, but concentration on its own, again, does
not lead to Nibbna. It can bring only Jhna happiness. The final stage for
attaining Nibbna is wisdom. Concentration prepares the mind to use
wisdom to contemplate things as they really are, to see with insight
(vipassan). Attainment of Nibbna is not absorption with God because
Nibbna is not God. Nibbna did not create the world and did not support
the world in a moral sense or in terms of its continuation. Nibbna is not an
entity not a material or mental object.
Morality is the foundation of all meritorious actions without which
there can be no act of merit. This is because volitions without morality lack
the wholesome mental factors of non-greed, non-hate and non-delusion,
the root causes of merit. So it is simply a quality of foundation highest value.
While wisdom can make people moral, it can take people further than that,
to another kind of experience called Nibbna, which lies beyond the normal
capacity of most people but is something that according to Buddhism can be
attained.
Conclusion
Nibbna refers to the imperturbable stillness of mind after the fires of
desire, aversion, and delusion have been finally extinguished. In the
Buddhist tradition, Nibbna is described as the extinguishing of the fires that
cause suffering. These fires are typically identified as the fires of attachment
(Rga), aversion (Dos) and ignorance (Moha).When the fires are
extinguished, suffering (Dukkha) comes to an end. The cessation of suffering
is described as complete peace. Addition, Nibbna may be said to be a
psychological state - not one that ordinary beings know of, but one
experienced only by those who have developed their minds to a certain
level. Finally Devas and hell beings are entities. Even though ordinary
people cannot see them, people who have developed concentration to a
certain level can see them. Nibbna cannot be seen with the divine eye
(Dibbacakkhu), but it can be seen with the wisdom eye (Pacakkhu).
Thus Nibbna is not an entity as are heaven and hell.
BIBLOGRAPILY
1. Age to the 20th Century. Routledge. T. Cahill, The Gifts of the

Jews, New York, 1998.
2. MacIntyre, Alistair 1998. A Short History of Ethics: A History of
Moral Philosophy from the Homeric.
3. Theravada Buddhist ethics, Wit Wisadavet.
4. Hammalawa Saddhatissa, Buddhist Ethics: the path to Nirvana,
London: Wisdom Publication, 1987.
5. Winston L. King, In the hope of Nibbna: the ethics of Theravda
Buddhism, 2nd edition, USA: Pariyatti Press, 2001.
6. Mahasti Sayadaw, the Progress of Insight [Visuddhinana- katha]
7. A comprehensive manual of Abhidhamm, (1979, Ministry of
Religious Affairs Press in Yangon, Myanmar.
8. In internet search Wikipedia.
VIRTUE, VICE AND VALUE: ETHICAL DIMENSIONS OF BUDDHISM
Ashin Nandiya
MA Student
Introduction
Virtue means monk or layman not to do unwholesome body,
verbal, and mental with together accompanied by restraint wholesome
mind. Layman eternally restrain the five precepts is call human virtue
(Gahita-sla). Layman restrains the eight precepts at the monk at the eight
days or fifteen or fourteen days is called Sabbath virtue (Uposattasla).
Layman obeys parent ethics, teacher ethics, pupil ethics, etc. is call
observance virtue (Critta-sla). The Buddha had promulgated the rules
Prjika, etc. for monks and the five or eight precept for people is call
restrain virtue (Vritta-sla). Next virtue means restraint is restrain from
unwholesome state, this restraint also different by three types: Sampatta
Virati, Samudna Virati, and Sammuccheda Virati. Unwholesome restrain
that from reaching in itself doesnt act unwholesome is call Sampatta
Virati. Unwholesome restrain that from reaching in itself observance rules
at Sagha order is called Samdana Virati. Vice restrain that total had
been destroyed vice by the path is call Sammuccheda Virati. People
usually restrain five precepts as virtue they are: (1) taking life. (2) taking
what has not been given.(3) sexual misconduct.(4) taking lies.(5) taking
intoxicants. Some people not practice the five precepts they are commit
taking other life owing to their greed. They commit taking what has not
been giving owing to greed and hatred. They commit sexual misconduct
owing to greed. They commit telling lies owing to greed and hatred.
One who restrains to virtue he will get the five effects for layman.
They are: (l) a large fortune produced through diligence (Appamad-
dhikarana mahanta bhogakkhandh). (2) a good reputation (Kalyano

kittisaddo). (3) entering confident and untroubled into any assembly
(Visarado upasakamati makubuto). (4) an unconfused death
(Asammulho kla karoti). (5) a happy rebirth in heaven (Sugati
sagga loka upapajjti).
On the other hand, one who not restrains the virtue he will get the
five affect they are: (1) a large unfortunate. (2) a bed reputation.(3)
entering not confident into any assembly. (4) an confused death. (5) a
suffer rebirth in hell state.
A fuller list of wholesome qualities is found in the Abhidhamma
literature. In its Theravadin form, this lists twenty-five wholesome or
beautiful mental qualities. The first seven are: faith (trust in ones sense
of what is right), mindfulness (careful awareness), self-respect and regard
for consequence, non-greed and non-hate, and equipoise (a balanced
over-seeing of activities and events).
The next twelve consist of six pairs of qualities which each relate
both to consciousness itself and to the body of mental states which
accompany it:
Tranquillity, a light sense of ease,
Open receptivity, readiness to act,
Competence and straightforwardness.
All the above are seen as simultaneously present in any wholesome
mental state, as a basis for being fully human, and as a protecting,
uplifting refuge. The remaining factors, when present, strengthen, deepen
and channel wholesome mental energies: right speech, right action, right
livelihood, compassion, empathetic joy, and wisdom.
These wholesome qualities counteract a variety of unwholesome
ones. A brief list often found in the Suttas is that of the five hindrances:
desire for sense-pleasures, ill-will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness
and unease, and vacillation, which can be seen as aspects of greed,
hatred, and delusion. In the Theravdin Abhidhamma, the unwholesome
qualities common to all unwholesome states of mind are: delusion, lack

of self-respect, disregard for consequences, and restlessness. Of those
only present in some unwholesome states: (1) some are related to greed,
namely greed itself, fixed views, and conceit or self-importance; (2) some
are related to hate, i.e. hate itself, jealousy, miserliness and unease; (3)
some are related to delusion, i.e. dullness, drowsiness and vacillation.
The above analysis draws on psycho-spiritual teachings primarily
aimed at meditators and those seeking the highest goal of Buddhism, but
the values described are of more general relevance in Buddhism.
Some people assume there is nothing giving, nothing offered,
nothing sacrificed. There is no fruit or result of good or bad actions. There
is no this world, no next world, no mother, no father, no spontaneously
reborn beings, no priests or contemplatives who, faring rightly and
practicing rightly, proclaim this world and the next after having directly
known realized it for themselves.
Virtue, vice and value: ethical dimension of Buddhism.

The Buddha had been taught the middle way for noble truth to
attain the Nirvana. The noble truth of the practice leading to the
cessation of suffering is the noble Eightfold path they are: (1) Right view.
(2) Right intention. (3) Right speech. (4) Right action. (5) Right livelihood.
(6) Right effort. (7) Right mindfulness and (7) Right concentration. The
noble Eightfold path needs to be developed. According to, for example,
the Clavedalla Sutta of the Majjhima Nikya, the eight factors of the
Noble Eightfold path correspond to the three aggregate: (1) Right speech,
right actions, and right livelihood correspond to the morality aggregate
(Silakkhandha). (2) Right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration
correspond to the concentration aggregate (Samadhikkhandha). (3) Right
View and right intention correspond to the wisdom aggregate
(Pakkhandha). The Eightfold path if will practice one can get the result
of practice as supra-mundane and mundane. The Eightfold path mean

will explain as super-mundane and mundane.
Right view knowledge, about ill, knowledge about the coming to be
of ill, knowledge about the cessation of ill, knowledge about the way that
leads to the cessation of ill. This is what is called right View.
Mundane Right View - Mundane right View involves a correct grasp
of the law of Kamma, the moral efficacy of action. Its literal name is right
view of the ownership of action (Kammassakatsammaditthi), and it finds
its standard formulation in the statement: Beings are the owners of their
actions, the heirs of their actions; they spring from their actions, are
bound to their actions, and are supported by their actions. Whatever
deeds they do, good or bad, of those they shall be heirs. More specific
formulations have also come down in the texts. One stock passage, for
example, affirms that virtuous actions such as giving and offering alms
have moral significance, that good and bad deeds produce corresponding
fruits, that one has a duty to serve mother and father, that there is rebirth
and a world beyond the visible one, and that religious teachers of high
attainment can be found who expound the truth about the world on the
basis of their own superior realization.
Noble right view is true wisdom, knowledge which penetrates in to
the nature of reality in flashes of profound insight, direct seeing of the
world as a stream of changing, unsatisfactory, conditioned processes.
Right intention - the intention towards renunciation, the intention
toward benevolence, the intention towards kindness, this is what is called
right intention.
Right speech abstaining from lying, slander, abuse and idle talk.
Right action abstaining from taking life, from taking what is not
given, from carnal indulgence.
Right effort one makes effort in bringing forth will that evil and bad
states that has not arisen within him may not arise, to that end he stirs up
energy, he grips and forces his mind. That he may put away evil and bad
states that have arisen within him he puts forth will, he make effort, he
stirs up energy, he grips and forces his mind. That good states which have
not arisen may arise he puts forth will, he make effort, he stirs up energy,
he grips and forces his mind. That good state which have arisen may
persist, may not grow blurred, may multiply, grow abundant, develop
and come to perfection, he puts forth will, he makes effort, he stirs up
energy, he grips and forces his mind.
Right mindfulness as to the body, continues so to look upon the
body, that he remains ardent, self-possessed and mindful, having
overcome both the hankering and the dejection common in the world
and in the same way as to feeling, thoughts and ideas he so look upon
each, that he remains ardent, self-possessed and mindful, having
overcome the hankering and the dejection that is common in the world.
Right concentration one aloof from sensuous appetites, aloof from
evil ideas, enters into and abides in the first Jhna, wherein there is
cogitation and deliberation which is born of solitude and is full of joy and
ease. Suppressing cogitation and deliberation, he enters into and abides
in the second Jhna, which is self-evoked, born of concentration, full of
joy and ease, in that, set free from cogitation and deliberation, the mind
grows calm and sure dwelling on high and further, disenchanted with joy,
he abides calmly contemplative while, mindful and self-possessed, he
feels in his body that ease whereof Arayans declare he that is calmly
contemplative and aware, he dwelling at ease. So dose he enters into
and abides in the Third Jhna. And further, by putting aside ease and by
putting side mal-arise, by the passing away of the happiness and of the
melancholy he used to feels he enter into and abides in the fourth Jhna,
concentration of utter purity of mindfulness and equanimity, wherein
neither ease is felt nor any ill.
There is the Eightfold path as wholesome (Sammmaggin), On the
other hand, the four of wrong View, wrong intention, wrong effect, and
wrong concentration arise as unwholesome (Micchmaggin), according to

Abhidhammattasaghaha.
Generally there are also wrong speech, wrong actions, wrong
livelihood and wrong mindfulness.
Wrong view - wrong view (Niyatamicchdihi) largest at fault in
unwholesome, it will bring until hell (Niraya) and there are the four
wrong View: (1) seeing impurity as purity, (2) seeing selflessness as self,
(3) seeing suffering as happiness, (4) seeing impermanence as
permanence.
Wrong intention it arises the five hindrances; desire for sense-
pleasures, ill-will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and unease, and
vacillation and some people think inappropriately; Was I in the past?
Was I not in the past? What was I in the past? How was I in the past?
Having been what, what was I in the past? Shall I be in the future? Shall I
not be in the future? What shall I be in the future? How shall I be in the
future? Having been what, what shall I be in the future?
Wrong speech - it arises out of the false speech, slanderous, harsh
speech, and frivolous speech.
Wrong action it arises out of killing, theft and sexual misconduct.
Wrong livelihood it arises out of theft, liqueur trade, mercy killing,
trading with weapons, trading in living beings, trading in meat, trading in
intoxicants, trading in poison.
Wrong effort it arises out of every evil.
Wrong mindfulness it arises out of every evil.
Wrong concentration-it arises out of every evil.
Conclusion
The eight factors exist at to basic levels, the ordinary (Lokiya),
which leads to good rebirths, and the transcendent or Noble which builds
on this preliminary development to go beyond rebirths, to Nirvana. There
is thus both an ordinary and a Noble Eightfold Path. Most Buddhists seek
to practice the ordinary Path, which is perfected only is those who are
approaching the lead up to stream-entry. At stream-entry, a person gains
a first glimpse of Nirvana and the stream which leads there, and enters
this, the Noble Eightfold Pat. Each Path-factor conditions wholesome
states, aid progressively wears away its opposite wrong factor, until all
unwholesome states are destroyed. Virtue and vice based on greed,
hatred, delusion, non-greed, non-hatred, and non-delusion. It is can
make ones the result of good and bad with their actions until Nirvana
and Niraya. One can conquer greed by charity, one can conquer hatred
by compassion, and one can conquer delusion by wisdom. Right view so
important everything if is not right view one not see me true as well as he
can make his wrong view by body actions, verbal actions and mental
action . lf you are only right view, he can see everything as true.
Mainly,
Apamadoa amata pada,
pamado mijjuno pada.
Appamatta na mranti,
ye pamatt yath mat.
Awareness is the path to the deathless (Nirvana), unawareness, the

path of death. Those who are aware do not die; those who are unaware
are as if dead already.
Reference:
Mahvaggha Pi (Dhgha Nikya).
Abhidhammathattasaghaha.
An introduction to Buddhist ethics.
.
THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS IN THE BUDDHIST ETHICS
Ma Vimalatheri
MA Student
Introduction
Among the modal Ethical world these two fundamental questions are
in need of to be answered of what is final goal in life and by which through
one can attain that final goal? According to the Buddhism, Nibbna is
regarded to be final goal and the eightfold path is the methods through
which one can attain to it. In this case, moral Ethical philosopher have
separated perspective views on the Ethical field and it is to get the greatest
happiness and to less harm However, their happiness regarded as the
highest value is in a ones sense and in the portion concept because the vale
would be the various on the different Ethical approaching.
However, Buddha advised his followers to follow the noble eight-fold
paths. The middle path is a righteous way of life, which does not advocate
the acceptance of decrees given by someone outside oneself. A person
practices the middle path, the guidance of moral conduct, not out of fear of
any supernatural agency, but out of the intrinsic value in following such an
action. One choose this self-imposed discipline for a definite end in View;
self-purification. A person can make real progress in righteousness and
insight by following this path, and not by engaging in external worship and
prayers. According to the Dhamma anyone who lives in accordance with
the Dhamma will be guided and protected when someone lives by the
Dhamma. He will also be living in harmony with the universal law. Every
Buddhist is encouraged to mould his life according to the noble eight-fold
path. He who adjusts his life according to this noble way of living will be
free from miseries and calamities both in this life-time and hereafter. He will
also be able to develop his mind by restraining from evil and observing
morality. The middle path can be compared to a road map. Just as a traveler
will need a map to lead him to his destination, we all need the middle path,
which shows us how to attain our final goal of human life, real happiness,
and ultimate peace.
Approaching the value through the four Noble Truth.

The Four Noble Truths is the basis of Buddhism. The First Truth is that
all life is suffering, pain, and misery. The Second Truth is that this suffering is
caused by selfish craving and personal desire. The Third Truth is that this
selfish craving can be overcome. The Fourth Truth is that the way to
overcome this misery is through the eight foul paths.
According to the Buddhist View, the objective of life can be looked at
from two perspectives: the negative and the positive view. The negative
perspective is to escape from suffering. The positive perspective is
attainment of happiness. People tend to look on Buddhism in the sense of
escaping suffering, which is the negative perspective. This perspective arises
from the core teaching of Buddhism, the four noble truths, which deal with
the presence of suffering, the cause of suffering, the state of cessation of
suffering, and the way for attaining the cessation of suffering. Thus it seems
that Buddhism stresses suffering, which, while true in a sense, is not the
whole truth, as we shall see.
According to Buddhism human beings create the world by giving
value and meaning to things. Once they have given meaning to something,
people expect that thing to proceed a certain way. But things fare according
to their own nature and are not within our capacity to control completely.
When they do not fare as we wish them to we experience disappointment
and suffering. While human beings are able to control things in some areas,
our desires are endless, so we assign meanings to the world endlessly and
impatiently expect things from the World. So human suffering arises
repeatedly. The important agent for our giving meaning to the things of the
world, which eventually causes us to suffer, is tanha.
Kmasukha: Sensual Happiness

Most unenlightened beings (Puthujjana) have some Tah, more or less.
Their having Tah causes them to attribute meanings to the world and
place expectations in it. Sometimes, they get what they want and
experience happiness, but sometimes they are disappointed and experience
suffering. The happiness that arises in this way is physical or material. It is
called Kmasukha (Sensual Happiness).
Jhnasukha: the happiness of absorption

The next level of happiness up from sensual happiness is the
happiness of the absorptions Ghana). It may be called mental happiness.
Jhna translates as stare, referring to the state of mind that has reached a
certain level of concentration (Samdhi). Jhna happiness is the frontier
between sensual happiness and the happiness of Nibbna.
Nibbnasukha: the happiness of Nibbna

Buddhism holds Nibbna to be the highest or supreme happiness
(Paramasukha). Nibbna is an experience that each person must have for
him or herself. Nibbna is usually explained as cessation, here meaning the
cessation of Tah, craving, or Upadna, clinging. The Buddha sometimes
explained Nibbna as the state in which desire (Rga), aversion (Dosa) and
delusion (Moha) come to cessation. When a person still has desire, aversion
and delusion, this creates clinging. Clinging is what causes people to create
the world by giving it meanings and values, as already stated. The world is
not seen as it actually is. Nibbna is seeing the world as it actually is rather
than as we would want it to be. Controlling the defilement of craving
enables people to see the world as it is.
How to attain the greatest happiness

In the practice for attaining Nibbana, there are three stages: morality
(Sla), concentration (Samdhi) and wisdom (Pa). Morality can enable
people to experience initial happiness, but on its own it cannot lead to the
attainment of Nibbna. Morality is a necessary provision for Nibbna, but it
is not enough. That is, without morality it is not possible to proceed to
Nibbna, but morality alone is not enough to take one there. Morality helps
to make the mind normal and prime it for the development of
concentration, but concentration on its own, again, does not lead to
Nibbna. It can bring only Jhna happiness. The final stage for attaining
Nibbna is wisdom. Concentration prepares the mind to use wisdom to
contemplate things as they really are, to see with insight (Vipassan).
Noble Eightfold Path

As above mentioned, the three states are indispensable to attain to the
Nibbna and these three states can be divided in the eightfold noble paths;
Morality group
Right speech, Right action, Right livelihood,
Concentration Group
Right effort, Right mindfulness, Right concentration Wisdom Group
Wisdom group
Right thinking, Right understanding
Right Speech
Speech must be true, beneficial and neither foul nor malicious. We
should speak always of good things. If we must talk, at least we might say
something useful and helpful. Speech must be kindly, direct, forceful and
not silly.
Right Action
Our all action must oppose to killing, stealing, sexual misconduct and
drunkenness. Action must be prompt and yet well considered and it must be
unselfish. We should do what we can to help to others. We live in society.
So whatever we do will be take effect on great many people. All actions are
meant to be used for services.
Right Livelihood
Way of living by trades other than those, which increase the suffering of
all beings. The livelihood may cause no harm to any living thing. We should
not obtain our livelihood by harming any being. Everyone has a right to
make a reasonable profit in the course of their bargain. But one must also
look up his duty, In the case of laity refraining from wrong livelihood by
means of immoral physical and verbal actions.
Right Effort
Right effort is a prerequisite of right attentiveness. What is desired of us is
not mere abstinence from evil, but the positive doing of good. Buddha
made a short statement, cease to do evil, learn to do good.
Right Mindfulness
Right mindfulness leads us to see correctly and to attain a point of

view from which we see beyond the pairs of extremities. We should be
conscious of our movement and acts, both physical and mental. We should
be conscious of the felling which arise in us and recognize them. The
practice of perfect attention is a means of learning to know oneself and to
know the world in which one lives, consequently to acquire right
understanding. The stages are alarms of mind. It is the ever-ready mental
clearness in whatever we are doing, speaking or thinking.
Right Concentration
It is right concentration of thought upon a single object, narrowing the
field of attention. Meditation is to be practiced only after concentration. In
concentration we start with simple objects and in meditation we carry the
clear conception of that simple object to the higher mental and intellectual
levels. Concentration makes our consciousness steady without leakage and
meditation filled it with clear vision and wisdom.
As his power of concentration increase the nature of forces in him
becomes more and more vivid. By meditation on a chosen object we will
observe that object clearly and understand the function of it in conjunction
with other things. We enlarge our knowledge and wisdom therefore. When
meditation is fully developed, it opens up ways of intuition and many
supernormal powers. These powers may be obtained even before on
reaches the state of Nibbna.
Right thinking
Right thinking is free from greed and sensuous desire, aiming at an
escape from the cycle of birth and death. Right aspiration is for the welfare
of all living beings and non-injury of all living beings. Right thinking i.e. a
pure state of mind, free from sensual lust, from ill will and from cruelty; in
other words thoughts of self-renunciation, of goodness and of mercy.
Right Understanding
The aim and object of Buddhism is right understanding of the true
nature of existence. Whenever he contemplates, there arises in him the right
understanding of the real fact that there is no such thing as you, somebody,
and I else, head, hand, etc; but only a collection of elements.
After the right understanding, knowledge arising has come clear in
respect of the whole body. Person who understand and practice the true
Dhamma, possess tranquility of mind. To be of real perfect, to ensure an
absolute inner progress, all our efforts must be based upon our own
understanding and insight. All absolute inward progress is rooted in right
understanding and without right understanding there is no attainment of
perfection and of the unshakable peace of Nibbna.
Conclusion
Having pondered over the four Noble Truths, it would be clearly
known that all kinds of amusements in the sensual world are not the true
value and not the greatest happiness as they are deal with the suffering in
some way or in other way. Recognizing this real situation of the worldly
happiness as the sense but not real true, one must find out real happiness
that is Nibbana through following and practicing the noble eightfold paths
and abandoning the craving or desire and impurity from the mind. By doing
this, one will obtain the greatest happiness in this very life.
Primary Sources;
1. Damien Keown (ed).Contemporary Buddhist Ethics, Surrey; Routledge
Curzon, 2000 (Buddhism and Virtue, (p.25-37)
2. The Buddha and His Teachings and What the Buddha taught.
3. The FIRST Discourse of the Buddha Adhipati Sayadaw (S I B A).
4. Wallpolla Rahula, Buddhist Cultural Centre, Colombo, Sri Lanka,
1996. Fundamentals of Buddhism,
5. Nyanatiloka Mahathera, Buddhist Publication Society, Kandy, Sri
Lanka, 1994.
6. Dhammavuddho Thero, Inward Path, Pinang, Malaysia, 1997.
7. THRAVDA BUDDHIST ETHICS.
THE NATURE OF BUDDHIST ETHICS:
WESTERN PHILOSOPHICAL EVALUATION
Ashin Visuddha
MA Student
Introduction
The Buddhist Ethics which delivered by Buddha is the natural laws of

Ethics. These are not made by man. All things including, men and their
theories are subject to change but these only things that can never change
under any circumstance is truths. These Buddhist Ethics is Morality (Sla),
Concentration (Samdhi) and Wisdom (Pa ) etc. If they followed the
ultimate way of the Buddhist Ethics, at last, anybody can reach the cessation
of suffering (Nibbna).
But the Western Ethics is ever changing things under any
circumstance. These are created by man. So these are not the natural. These
are just only the conditional truths but not ultimate truths. A key aspect of
Western ethics is that moral prescriptions should be universally applicable to
all people who can understand them. Buddhism, though, is generally
gradualist in approach, so while it has ethical norms which all should follow
a sense of sympathy with fellow beings, others only apply to those who are
ready for them, as their commitment to moral and spiritual training deepens.
1. Overview on the Buddhist Ethics

Buddhism contains in an excellent moral code, including one for the
monk and another for the laity, but it is much more than an ordinary moral
teaching.
Morality (Sla) is only the preliminary stage and is a means to an end,

but not an end in itself. Though absolutely essential, it alone does not lead
to ones Deliverance or perfect purity. It is only the first stage on the Path of
Purity. Beyond morality is wisdom (P a ). The base of Buddhism is
morality, and wisdom is its apex. As the pair of wings of a bird are these two
complementary virtues. Wisdom is like unto mans eyes; morality is like unto
his feet. One of the appellatives off the Buddha is Vijjacanasampana 1
endowed with wisdom and conduct.
Of the four Noble Truths that form the foundation of Buddhism, the
first three represent the philosophy of the Buddha '3 teaching; the fourth
ethics of Buddhism based on that philosophy.
Morality in Buddhism not founded on any doubtful divine revelation,
nor is it the ingenious invention of an exceptional mind, but it is a rational
and practical code based on verifiable facts and individual experience. In
the opinion of Prof. Max Muller the Buddhist moral code is one of the most
perfect which the world has ever known.
Prof. Rhys Davids say, "Buddhist or no Buddhist I have examined
every one of the great religious systems of the world; and in none of those
have I found anything to surpass in beauty and comprehensiveness the
Noble Eightfold Path of the Buddha. I am content to shape my life according
to that path.
It is interesting to note that according to Buddhism there are deeds
which are ethically good and bad, deeds which are neither good nor bad,
and deeds which tend to the ceasing of all deeds. Good deeds are essential
for one's emancipation, but when once the ultimate goal of the Holy Life is
attained, one transcends both good and evil.
The Buddha says, " Righteous things (Dhamma) you have to give up:
how much more the unrighteous things (Adhamma)."
1
Perfecting the Wisdom and Practice Ability (Super ability of Buddha,).
The deed which is associated with attachment (Lobha), ill-will (Dosa)

and delusion (Moha) is evil. That deed which is associated with non-
attachment (Alobha), goodwill (Adosa),and wisdom (Pa), is good.
The deeds of an Arahant,2 a Stainless One, possesses no ethical value
as he has gone beyond both good and evil. This does not mean that he is
passive. He is active, but his activity is selfless and is directed to help others
to tread the path he has trodden himself. His deeds, ordinarily accepted as
good lack creative power as regards himself. Unlike the action of worldling
his actions do not react on himself as a Kammic effect.
His actions, in Pi, are called Kiriy (function). Purest gold cannot
further be purified.
The mental states of the four types of supra-mundane Path
consciousness, namely, Sotapatti (Stream-Winner), and Sakadgami (Once-
Returner), Angami (Non Returner) and Arahatta Worthy), though
wholesome (Kusala), do not tend to accumulate fresh Kamma, but , on the
contrary, tend to the gradual cessation of good and evil deeds. In these types
of supra-mundane consciousness the wisdom factor (Pa ), which tend to
destroy the roots of Kamma, is predominant; while in the mundane types of
consciousness volition (Cetan) which produces Kammic activities is
predominant.
What is the criterion of morality according to Buddha? The answer is
found in the admonition given by the Buddha to young Smaera Rhula.
If there is a deed, Rhula, you wish to do, reflect thus: Is this deed
conducive to my harm, nor to others harm, or to that of both? Then is this a
bad deed entailing suffering. From such a deed you must resist.
If there is a deed you wish to do, reflect thus: Is this deed not
conducive to my harm, nor to others harm, nor to that of both? Then is this
a good deed entail happiness. Such a deed you must do again and again.3
2
Arhat in Sanskrit, a fully liberated saint who has experienced Nibbana by uprooting and destroying his or
her attachment, hatred and delusion.
3
Ambalatthikarahulovada Sutta of MN, ll
In assessing morality a Buddhist takes into consideration the interests

both of himself and other animals not excluded.
In the Karaya Metta sutta the Buddha exhorts: Mat yath
niyaputta myus ekaputtamanurakkhe, 4 As the mother protects her
only child even at the risk of her own life; even so let one cultivate
boundless towards all beings.
The Dhamapada states:
Sabbe tasanti daassa sadde bhyanti maccuno, attana upama
katv na haneyya na ghtaye,
All rear punishment, to all life is dear. Comparing others with oneself,
let one neither hurt nor kill.5
To understand the exceptionally high standard of morality the Buddha
expects from his ideal followers, one must carefully read the Dhammapada,
Siglovda sutta, Byagghapajja Sutta. Magala Sutta.
As a moral teaching it excels all other ethical systems, but morality is
only the beginning and not the end of Buddhism.
The original Pi term for Buddhism is Dhamma, which, literally,
means that which upholds or sustains. The Dhamma is that which really is. It
is the Doctrine of Reality. It is a means of Deliverance from suffering and
Deliverance itself. Whether the Buddha arises or not the Dhamma exist from
all eternity. It is a Buddha that realizes this Dhamma, which ever lies hidden
from the ignorant eyes of men, till He, an Enlightened One, comes and
compassionately reveals it to world.
In the Majjhima Nikya the Buddha says, One thing only does the
Buddha teach, namely, suffering and the cessation of suffering. This is the
Doctrine of Reality.
Udna states: Just as, O Bhukkhus, the might ocean is of one flavor,
the flavor of salt, even so, O Bhukkus, this Dhamma is of one flavor, the
flavor of Deliverance (Vimutti).This is the Means of Deliverance.6
4
Kariniayametta Sutta of KN
5
Dhp.129
6
Sonavagga pali of KN, III
This sublime Dhamma is not something apart from oneself. It is purely

dependent on oneself and is to be realized by oneself. As such the Buddha
exhorts: Attadip viharatha attapaisara7 Abide with oneself as an island
with oneself as a refuge.
Buddhist ethics recognizes the objectivity of moral value. It brings
great benefits to this life and the lives hereafter. Therefore, a person should
try his best to observe the moral values with understanding and as often as
he can.
2. Scope of Ethics and its kinds

The term Ethics derives from the Greek ethikos, that which pertains
to ethos, character. It is also Moral Philosophy from the Latin custom.
Popularly, ethics is described as the science treating of morals8 but since
precise definition of the term is lacking it is necessary to state the ground
which a consideration of Ethics is intended to cover. G. E. Moore, in his
Principia Ethica, 9 refusing to take as adequate a definition of Ethics as
dealing with the question of what is good or bad in human conduct',
proceed to declare: I may say that I intent to use Ethics to cover more than
this a usage for which there is, I thick, quick sufficient authority. I am using it
to cover the general enquiry into what is good.
Ethics as it evolved in the West may be said to have three branches: 1)
Descriptive ethics, 2) Normative ethics, 3) Meta-ethics. Broadly speaking;
the job of the first is to given an objective account of the moral prescriptions,
norms, and values of a community or group and to show how action guiding
precepts and principles are applied in specific contexts. The second branch,
normative ethics, proposes general rules and principles governing how we
ought to act and tries to define the character and shape of the good life; or
7
Mahaparinibbana Sutta of DN
8
Odhams Dictionary of English Language Illustrated, Odhams Ltd, 1946; The Elements of Ethics, H, John
Muirthead, London, 1910 ,;p 4 A Manual of Ethics S. John Mackenzie, London, 1929, p. l
9
Principia Ethica, G. E Moore, Cambridge University Press, Reprint 1954, p.2
the life we should lead. It also aims to offer justification and validation for
norms it seeks to establish.10
Finally, Meta-ethics sees its task as providing conceptual clarification
by analyzing the meaning of moral terms and characterizing the logical
relation in moral arguments. It critically examines the logic of ethical
legitimation and validation, and considers the overall question of the
vindication of competing ethical systems.
Applying this classification to the present volume, in setting out the
basic moral teachings of Buddhism the previous paragraph was concerned
mainly with descriptive ethics; the present paragraph discusses questions
that are broadly of a Meta-ethics nature; and the remainder of the volume
addresses problems in normative ethics. Since our focus will be primarily on
the application of normative principles to particular issues (for example,
abortion, euthanasia. ecology, and war).
3. Comparisons with Western Ethical System

Various scholars have reflected on the question of what is the nearest
analogy to Buddhist ethics in Western ethical theory. One theory it is
commonly likened to is Utilitarianism,11 which holds that a specific act (Act
Utilitarianism), or a general type of action (Rule Utilitarianism) is right if, and
only if, it results in a greaser amount of happiness, or a reduction in
unhappiness, for anyone affected by it. That is, the rightness of an action
consists in the nature of its effects.
However, in Buddhism, while good action are seen as leading to
future happiness as a karmic fruit, they do so because they are right; they
are not right because they happen to lead to happy karmic fruits. These
good actions are seen as having happy karmic fruits12 for the agent will be
one factor relevant to his motivation for doing such acts:
10
BUDDHIST ETHICS; A Very Short Introduction, Damien Keown, Oxford: Oxford University ENSSJOOS.
Ethics East and West, p 21.
11
Dhammasiri, l989, 24-27; Kalupahana 1976: 61
12
Keown, 1992: 8-23
Buddhism says that, if one wants to attain prosperity, amicable social

relationships or a good reputation, self-confidence or clam and joy , a good
rebirth or progress towards Nibbna, then act in such and such a way; for
this is how such things are fostered. If one behave otherwise, then one will
suffer in this and subsequent lives, as a nature (karmic) result of
unwholesome action.
Nevertheless, happy fruits are not what make good actions good.
Motive and intention are crucial, though when simple joy is observed to
arise from an action, it is often a sign that it is a good action, and the
immediate effect of an action on the happiness of other is one factor in
assessing it.
Another Western analogue for Buddhist ethics is Kantian ethics ,
which see what is good as residing in a good will, which respects other
people as ends in themselves rather than as a means to ones own ends.
While there are clearly some similarities with Buddhist ethics, Buddhism
does not ignore the actual results of action on others as opposed to the will
or motive behind it. More importantly, Kantian ethics is deontological, or
based on duty.
For Buddhism, thought, moral constraints are not imposed on people
without regard to their own good and the Buddha said that he gladly taught
others out of compassion and sympathy, not because he felt that this was a
burdensome duty. A moral life is not seen as a bald ought, but as uplifting
source of happiness, in which the sacrifice of lesser pleasures facilities the
experiencing of those which are more enriching and satisfying, for both
oneself and others.
A key aspect of Western ethical system is that moral prescriptions
should be universally applicable to all people who can understand them.
Buddhism, though, is generally gradualist in approach, so while it has ethical
norms which all should follow a sense of sympathy with fellow beings, others
only apply to those who are ready for them, as their commitment to moral
and spiritual training deepens. This most obviously applies to the monastic
level of commitment as compared with that of an ordinary lay person.
A monk or nun vows to follow over 200 percepts or training rules, as
compared with the usual five of a lay person. Many of these relate to
behavior which does not directly harm other beings and thus do not come
under the scope of ethics, as such - but are simply part of a training system
to help a person overcome his or her greed, hatred and delusion; the roots
of any behavior which does harm others.13
The level of morality and general conduct of a monk or non is
expected to be of a higher level than of a lay person, because he or she has
made the commitment to be ordained. Actions which would be to totally
unacceptable for a monk or nun, such sexual intercourse, are acceptable
(within certain limits) for a lay person.
Conclusion
The Buddhas teaching that everything in life changes (Anicca) and
that nothing is permanent, not even anything in us (Anantta), is the starting
point for Buddhist Ethics. This is clearly dependent on Buddhist beliefs. The
key issue here is the problem of suffering which arises through dissatisfaction
with the world and our constant desires. Dissatisfaction occurs because
people constantly crave (desire) for things and that such things, when
gained, are unable to truly satisfy them. The problem of why suffering arises
and how it can be overcome is explained by the Buddha in the Four Noble
Truths. So, the Buddhist Ethics is truths, natural and not made by man. The
Western Ethics is basically a study of what it means to live morally, or the
study of the basis on which people make their decisions about moral issues.
So this is made by man, not natural. This is conditional truths but not
ultimate truths. This does not provide us with the knowledge of what is
morally right or wrong, good or bad.
13
An introduction to Buddhist ethics: foundation, values and issues, Peter Harvey, Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 2000. Comparison with Western ethical System, p. 49-51.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
U Vicittabhivamsa.Ven. Mahabuddhavam ,Vols-I,Yangon, Myanmar:

Department of Religious Affairs, 2002.
Majjhimapannasa Pali, Majjhimanikaya , Yangon, Myanmar: Department of
Religious Affairs, 2002.
Udana Pali, Kuddakanikaya, Yangon, Myanmar: Department of Religious
Affairs, 2002.
Ashin Dhammasamivamsa, Dhammapada Vols-I, Thirdth Edtion, Khin cho
Tun Press, Yangon, Myanmar, 2007.
Peter Harvey, An introduction to Buddhist ethics: foundations, values, and
issues, Cambridge University Press, 2002.
Damien Keown, Buddhist Ethics: A very short introduction, Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 2005.
Ashin Kittisara, Ethics in Theravada Buddhism (Ph.D Thesis), University of
Mumbai, 2005.
.
HUMANS LIFE WITH THEIR WHOLESOME AND UNWHOLESOME
ACTIONS
Ma Hemasiri
MA Student
Kamma is a Pali word, meaning action. It is three kinds:

(1) Bodily action (Kyakamma),
(2) Verbal action ( Vacikamma), and
(3) Mental action (Manokamma).
The Buddha divides Kamma ethically right down the middle into two
different classes, wholesome Kamma (Kusala Kamma) and unwholesome
Kamma (Akusala Kamma). Unwholesome Kamma is which is spiritually
harmful and morally blameworthy. Wholesome Kamma is action which is
spiritually beneficial and morally praiseworthy.1
Cetan (volition) is the main source of Kamma, the word Cetan is a
special term in Buddhism, the definite meaning of which cannot be rendered
into any other language. Cetan is the main cause of every action bodily or
verbal or mental which may be good or evil. Nothing can be accomplished
without due to Cetan. But as these actions are accomplished due to cetana
and the main cause Cetan is called Kamma.
Kamma can be explained in this way: if you sow good deeds, you will
reap a good harvest. If you sow bad deeds, you will reap a bad harvest. In
the Dhammapada, Kamma is explained in this manner: the mind is the chief
of all good and bad states. If you speak or act with a bad mind, then
1
Ven. Khemacara, How to live the world.
unhappiness follows you just as the wheel follows the hoof of the ox. If you
speak or act with a good mind, then happiness follows you like the shadow
that never leaves you.2
The repetition of actions is habit and habit becomes ones character. In
Buddhism, this process is called Kamma. The Kamma force cannot be
controlled by inactivity. Vigorous activity for good is indispensable for ones
own happiness. Escapism is the resort of the weak, and an escapist cannot
run away from the effects of Kamma law. The Buddha says, there is no place
to hide in order to escape from Kamma results.3
Buddhists are encouraged to do good deeds not for the sake of gaining
a place in heaven. They are expected to do good in order to eradicate their
selfishness and to experience peace and happiness at each present moment.
When each present moment is carefully controlled the future well-being is
assured.4
He for whom there is neither this shore nor the other shore, nor yet
both, he who is free of care and is unfettered. Him do i call a holy man.5
There are two basic criteria for distinguishing wholesome and
unwholesome Kammas. One is the intention behind the action. If an action
is intended to bring harm to oneself, harm to others or harm to both oneself
and others, that is unwholesome Kamma which conduces to the good of
oneself, to the good of others or to the good of both is wholesome Kamma.
All action arises from certain mental factors called roots. These are the
causal factors underlying action or the sources of action. All unwholesome
actions come from three unwholesome roots, greed, aversion and delusion.
Greed is selfish desire aimed at personal gratification, expressed as grasping,
craving and attachment. Aversion is ill will, hatred, resentment, anger and a
2
Ven Vimalacara. Kamma is the result, India, 2003.
3
A 3.3415; Abh. 3.393: MA. 3.54
4
Sri.Dhammananda, What Buddhist believes, 131.
5
Dhp. 385.
negative evaluation of the object. Delusion is ignorance, mental un-clarity

and confusion.
We also find the roots in the wholesome side: non-greed, non-aversion
and non-delusion. Non-greed becomes manifest as detachment and
generosity. Non-aversion is expressed positively as good-will, friendliness and
loving kindness. Non-delusion is manifested as wisdom, understanding and
mental clarity. Due to these roots we have to be very careful when we judge
actions of our own and of others.
The working of Kamma is so complex and so subtle that it is almost
impossible to make definite predictions. All that we can know with certainty
are the tendencies, but that is enough to guide our actions. The desire to
remove ourselves from others is rooted in non-craning. Cultivation of the
three wholesome mind states decreases the incidence and influence of
unwholesome states of mind.
Generosity is the antidote for greed. Compassion and loving kindness is
the antidote for hatred. Wisdom is the antidote for delusion. As we witness
the external collapse of world financial structures, we are presented with a
golden opportunity to look within and honestly appraise our own
involvement in the three unwholesome states of mind. Radical appraisal
requires a bare attentiveness to actualities that can be very painful.
Cultivating the three wholesome states of mind generosity, compassion, and
wisdom helps us bear the pain of staying present with painful insights.
The bare attention is best applied with generosity and compassion
toward our own failings, misperceptions, and deeds. We must extend this
generosity and compassion to include the insights that arise from radical
appraisal. Insight combined with compassion and loving-kindness toward self
and others blossoms into wisdom.
Ten unwholesome actions from Buddhism; killing - dont kill any living
being - Person, ant, bird, spider or any other living being. No one has any
right to take the life of another. Stealing - dont take what isnt freely given to
you. Sexual misconduct abstains from anything sexual or sensual. False
speech - originally associated false speech with dont lie. Slanderous speech -
dont slander or claim hatred of another being. Harsh speech - dont speak
unkindly to another. Gossip - dont passes idle information to others.
Covetousness - dont spend energy wanting what others have, whether it is
another person, a vehicle, a house or a laptop. Ill will - dont wish ill will on
anyone or anything. Let each be who they are and accept who they are and
accept who they are without judgment. Wrong view - dont close your mind
to ideas that you dont fully understand.
Ten wholesome actions described in Buddhism are the exact opposite
of the ten unwholesome actions; do not kill or destroy any living being, plant,
animal, and so forth. Do not steal; avoid sexual or sensual situations and
practice. Tell the truth. It shall set you free. Does not slander, do be a bigot,
dont judge, and dont be prejudice another. Use your words wisely and
kindly. Do not pass on the gossip and try not to listen to it. Love you and
your life, not someone elses. Do not wish harm or illness on another. Open
your mind to all possibilities.6
The principle of the law of Kamma is that beings are reborn according
to the nature and quality of their actions. Past actions are said to welcome
one in a future life like a person being welcomed by kinsmen.7
Deeds are ones own beings are heir to deeds, deeds are matrix, deeds
are kin, deeds are arbiters. Deeds divide beings that are to say by lowness
and excellence.8
Acts of hatred and violence tend to lead to rebirth in a hell, acts bound
up with delusion and confusion tend to lead to rebirth as an animal, and acts
of greed tend to lead rebirth as a ghost. It is also said that by constantly
6
www. Buddhivihara.org, Kusala and Akusala.
7
Dhp, 219-20.
8
M. III, 203.
committing evil deeds we are reborn in hell, by doing many we become

spirits, and when we do only a few we are reborn as an animal. Rebirth in a
hell is also seen as particularly due to both doing evil actions and
encouraging others to do them, by approving of and praising such actions.
Abstaining from evil actions and encouraging others to do so leads to a
heavenly rebirth. The opposite good actions lead to a heavenly rebirth or the
opposite kinds of human life. Poor, ill or ugly people are not to be presently
blamed them, and the important thing is how they behave in the present and
how others act towards them.9 if a person gives something to a monk with
longing, with the heart bound, intent on a store, thinking i enjoy this after
death, it is said that he will be reborn for a while in the lowest of all the
heavens.
Wholesome and unwholesome are meant pleasant feeling and
unwholesome thoughts. Pleasant feelings that lead to unwholesome thoughts
are rooted in sensual things. Most people are preoccupied with such things
as sex and food. If they get what they want, they rejoice. However, their joy
leads to more desire, and so for many people their so called happiness is
founded on desire. If this desire is not fulfilled they are frustrated and
unhappy. This means the emergence of unwholesome thoughts, which bring
the agents of expansion, namely craving, conceit and wrong view into play.
The pleasant feelings that we should avoid are mentioned in the
Salayatanavibaga Sutta of Majjhima Nikya. The discourse likens sense-
objects to human dwellings because they keep people in confinement.
People derive pleasure from contact with them or from memories of that
contact. There are six sense-objects and their respective sense organs.
9
M. III, 203-206.
The way to avoid pleasant, but unwholesome, feelings is to be mindful

at the moment of seeing, etc. In sensual thoughts because pleasure, the
meditator must note and reject them.
In the Satipahna Sutta, the Buddha says, when walking he knows, I
am walking. This saying refers to clear awareness of rigidity a motion, but as
he notes walking, the meditator is also aware of the hardness and softness,
the warmth and coldness and the heaviness and dampness in the feet and
the body. Though the element of po is intangible it can be known through
contact with the other elements that are bound up with it.
In the beginning, the meditator constantly watches the abdominal
rising and falling. A feeling of joy may arise but it disappears when it is noted
and usually does not intrude if the meditator keeps on watching the rising
and falling.
When the Buddha speaks of unwholesome joy, this means that we
should focus on mind and matter in order to head off sensual joy, and that if
such joy arises we should note it and reject it at once. Having realized the
impermanence and dissolution of matter, the meditator knows that all matter
that he has seen before and is seeing now is subject to impermanence and
unsatisfactroiness. This insight knowledge causes joy, and such joy may be
described as the pleasant feeling that is rooted in liberation from sensual
desire. One who practices insight meditation is also aloof from attachment
and all sensual objects.
The Buddha stressed wholesome pleasure, wholesome indifference as
the remedy. It may be hard for unenlightened people to understand this but
the Buddhas answer is relevant to the question. For the Devas, mind is more
obvious than matter, and among the elements of mind, feeling is more
obvious than the others. So the Buddha told Sakka to contemplate his
feelings. In many of the Buddhas teachings on insight meditation,
contemplating matter takes precedence over contemplating consciousness.
In the Dhammapada, to avoid evil; to do well, to purify the mind.

This is the advice given by all the Buddhas.
.
SECTION B
BIOETHICS
THE CHOICE OF LIFE AND DEAD: BUDDHIST BIOETHICAL REASONING
Ashin Aggadhamma
MA Student
Introduction
Among the ethical world there are two fundamental ethical questions
which force on the subject about the supreme object in life and the latter is
how to be used as guidance for good and evil action when there are moral
confliction and confusing on it. On the case of bio ethical reasoning, it will
be examined with Buddhist perspective point of view to the question about
the life on which questioned thus;
Is it corresponding with morality to die through the
Choice of own or the Choice of other?
The clearest answer was phrased by the Buddha. Before answering
this question, it would be clearly known about the life and dead and how
should we behave toward the life.
It needs to extend to elaborate the idea of life and dead. According to
Buddhism the life is seen in two reflections of the ultimate reality standard
point of view and conventional point of view. In the ultimate reality point of
view, the life of sentient being is nothings but the combination of mind and
matter which originated by the exclusive cause. In other word, life is no
more but the process of the cause and effect alone.
When a sentient being is considered as a combination of mind and
matter, there is no more questions to ask in the case of killing because there
is no chapter to state which is right and which is wrong but an individual so
called person is consisted of cause and its effect alone which flourishing in
their process. In that Opinion, life itself is not enjoyable and dead also is not
depressible. In the ultimate reality point of view, a statement of the Buddha
about the life is most popular that all sentience being have their own
Kamma, they inferior the result from the past Kamma, they are relationship
with their Kamma.
In fact, such kind of conception is not work in the practical world and
it is only for the person who is beyond the conception of the real world.
Because the present moment is compound of action Payoga, wisdom Pa
and past causal force Kamma so there is no point relying on the past causal
force.
Value of the life

The Buddha never praises the life and never ignorance the value of
life when the chief disciple of the Budddha named Sriputta inform to the
Buddha that he is going to give up his longevity in seven day. In the
Aguttara Nikya, the message which openly expressed about the life by the
Buddha is that the life is like the pee and it is not worthy to praise but life is
an instrumental to attain the goal of life which is final purification and
ultimate liberation. So life itself is nothing but it can be a tool to open the
treasure hidden within the life.
But unfortunately, some scholars bring to their task misleading
assumption to the stories of suicide and infer mistakenly from that
background statement. Taking some example, they claim the proposition
about the life. In their assumption, the Buddha sometime allowed the action
of suicide if the greatest result is to be happening and another kind of
suicide is rejected if the greatest good result is uncertain. In fact, such kind
of statement of the Buddha is not to be found on the Buddhist texts but the
The choice of life and dead: Buddhist Bioethical reasoning 87
proposition is their misinterpretation. According to Buddhist bioethical

reasoning, life must be used as an instrumental and during the life time, it
should not be reduced and killed by own choice or the choice of other.
Supreme object in life

According to the discourse named Uuppa that means the raft
discourse, the Buddha pointed out that life is suffering and dead also is
suffering. However whatever happens to a man thereby he might straight to
attain the greatest happiness. It was said that man is the measurer of
everything and within man the valuable thing is wisdom and virtue through
which one can be perfect and ideal man. Putting it in mind, life should be
used to be valued and in order to attain the highest state of life. Why men
are trying to escape by the wrong way like suicide?
The Buddha suggested to the problematical world thus we all have
problems within ourselves and these problems are not beyond us but within
us. According to Buddhism, man is his own master and the destiny is on his
hand to be created and the future fate is in his hand to be cultivated in the
length of the life span. Every single moment of life is regarded as golden
second on that one can create and evaluate the life up to the highest value.
It is not possible to predict the future what will be happening. No one can
say the thing which will be happening even about a single next moment of
life and it is also not proper to search for the reason for the right of man to
die by their own choice or choice of other. So before the life span, the
longevity should not be reduced by force or by choice.
Dead is suffering
It was said by the Buddha that dead itself is accompanied with sorrow,
pain, lamentation and grief as long as the desire for life or attachment to the
object connected with the life. Thereby no one want to die and every one
scare to confronted with the dead because dead containing on a life is
suffering. In the Buddhist texts, the psychological point was clearly
discovered that everyone is full of the fear of dead and harmed.
Putting the fact on mind, the Buddha proclaimed the ethical theory of
not to killing any sentience being because killing is normally wrong and it
create a great deal of grief and suffering and deprive the person who is killed
of the future happiness he would have experienced.
A question may arise here that how about a person whose terminal
disease and deadly suffering. He is felt painfully with the disease and his
mind is deprived in twenty four hours and seven week waiting to his last
breath. Which is better for him to letting die or letting harm in the terminal
disease?
The situation occurs in most time and some men want to cut down
their life before the life span that not yet gone out as the unbearable mental
problem based on the terminal case like cancer overcomes to him. But, on
that case, the Buddha declares that it is not morally acceptable point hence
it derived from the negative state of mind which is called the attachment of
annihilation of life. In fact, it is mental depredation and mental surrender.
Tears of dead
It was common that an ordinary sentient being weep and have tearful
face when they confronted with the dead because everyone is with fear of
dead as far as have desire for his life. Even a person is trying to suicide to
himself in order to liberate from the serious problems but at this very time of
dying, his mind is full of the fear and tears rolled down on cheek. It can be
considered that suicide is unwholesome, immorality and un-benefice
because it is based on the hatred of mind. Suicide or having other killed
action reproduces sorrow and lamentation. Here the philosophical ethical

perspective of the Buddha about the good action is that a good action is
always accomplished with the innocent beautiful mental factors like none
fear happiness and will ripe the good beneficence. It would be set up
through the non-greed, non-hatred and non-delusion and accompanied
with the loving kindness, compassion and wisdom.
In fact, in the moral ethical conduct there is never sorrowful after
having don and the pleasant feeling and result are waiting for him.
Killing is evil
Killing oneself or killing to another is rooted on the hatred and
whatever becoming from the hatred is evil. So it is not corresponding with
the morality and ethical conduct because the value on the ethical theory is
to get happiness and to less the harm. In the canonical texts, one popular
ethical code is expressed thus when one is about to do an action by body or
by speech or by thought, before doing it he must reflect upon his action thus
if it was done to me, shill I prefer it or not or will harm me or not? If the
answer is positive, one is allowed to do so toward the others. Otherwise, I is
not allowed by and not corresponded with the ethical perspective view but
it is really evil action.
On whatever action, one must put his foot on the others shores and
thereby there will be negative opinion of what should not do and positive
conception of what should do.
No right to choice on died and dead

As above stated, life is not amen for long but life can mean of goal. A
person is dying but he is not to be allowed to make suicide or to make him
killed with mercy. But a thought may be happened to him that the dead is
final state of the misery and if l embrace the dead, it would be no more
misery. Then he chose to die through cruel way or let other to make so. In
fact, such kind of thought is leading to the foolishness of mind and they
falsely make consolation themselves through the wrong view. If they take
one step forward in the direction of the future, the result from that doing
wrong will lead to the woeful state after dead of destruction of the body. So
the killing to oneself is to make uncertain future to be certain future of
woeful.
It is obvious that is it not practical to kill ourselves in order to finish off
our misery, sorrow and grief. But the practical thing is to find out the cause
of suffering and to remove it.
The important thing to be noticed here is that there can be no peace
or happiness for a man as long as he has craving for, desire to and wrong
View.
So to overcome the current problem is to remove such kind of mental
defilement using the present time hence there is no reason to break down
the life because a single time can change the problem to be benefice.
The Buddhist attitude on the suicide

In the Buddha time, that happened even in the Buddha's time. A
monk jumped down from mountain but can't succeed in his endeavor. On
account of it, the attitude of the Buddha on the bio ethics was claimed that
there is no point killing oneself and it was not ethical moral solution but it is
murder said by the Buddha.
Suicide is no more than murder and thereby the dead is not answer to
all of the life problematic questions. But during the time from birth to the
last, the life must be used as an instrumental and as a tool to finish off all
problems and life should be used as a tool to attain the supreme object of
life. It must be known the connection with life and problems in life that as
long as the desire for, attachment, craving to the life there will not be the
final happiness. So avoiding suicide which based on the desire for
annihilation of life, one must solve the tangle of life following the theory
how we live in this very life.
Reference
Prjikakanda
Peter Hervey. An Introduction to Buddhist ethics
.
A CRITICAL STUDY OF BUDDHIST ETHICAL JUSTIFICATION
FOR THE INVOLVEMENT IN WARS
Ashin Kumuda
M.A Student
Introduction
Conquer the angry one by not getting angry (i.e. by loving-kindness);
conquer the wicked by goodness; conquer the stingy by generosity, and the
liar by speaking the truth.1
Give up anger, abandon conceit, and overcome all fetters. Ills of life
do not befall one who does not cling to mind and body and is free from
moral defilements.2
Enmity indeed never cease by enmity, this is an ancient law or
universal law.3
"He abused me, he ill-treated me, he got the better of me, he stole my
belonging," the enmity of those harbouring such thoughts cannot be
peaceful.4
In the age of globalization, people of different races, cultures and

religions have come to live and work together much more closely than at
any other times in history and the multi-racial, multi-cultural societies have
1
Members of Sixth Sagha Council, Dhammapada Ahakath (DhpA), (Verses & Stories), Trans. Daw Mya
Tin (Yangon, Myanmar: Ministry of Religious Affairs, 1995), 354
2
DhpA, Trans, Daw Mya Tin, 351
3
4
become the global phenomena. Along with this emergence, there also arise
unwelcome aftermaths of the biases and prejudices on the basis of diverse
colours, creeds, cultures and others simultaneously producing hate speech
and hate action, racial and religious conflicts and worst of them, extremism
and terrorism.
The Taproot of Conflicts

At every corner of the world, we can see wars, fighting each other,
killing each other, torment, invasion and annexation. In accordance with
Buddhism, greed hatred and delusion known as the root causes of
unwholesome actions and desire, anger, ignorance and fear known as four
biases or prejudices (Agati) are the taproot of human conflicts. Conflicts arise
from attachment to material things such as sensual pleasures, properties,
land, wealth, economic dominance, political superiority, intolerance, blind
faith etc. They lead to strong desire or covetousness for more sense-
pleasure, which also leads to conflicts between all kinds of people: rulers
with rulers, nobles with nobles, parents with their sons and daughters,
siblings with siblings, friends with friends, teachers with pupils, etc.
Whenever the covetousness and impatience arise in our inner core, there
will surely arise conflicts big or small if we cannot control our inner
tendencies which latent within us. We can find some of these elements in
all conflicts, whether international, intra-state, interreligious, social or
personal. We often see these causes in others, but it is more challenging to
recognize them within our own thoughts and actions. Wherever conflicts
arise among living creatures, the sense of possession is the cause.
What are the ways in peace-building in Buddhism?

The ethical implications of the Buddha's teachings on
interdependence are that no acts are without consequences for us or others.
A critical study of Buddhist ethical justification for the involvement in wars 95
Whatever the outcome of violence, conflict may be, the result is ultimately
detrimental to both victor and victim. Inner peace as a prerequisite for outer
peace is a central tenet of Buddhist teachings. Mental discipline, critical self-
reflection, and the cultivation of empathy, compassion, and loving kindness
are crucial to achieve social justice and peace.
Every religion has an outer shell and an inner core. The outer shell
consists of rites, ritual, ceremonies, beliefs, myths, and doctrines. However,
there is an inner core which is common to all religions. This is the universal
teaching of morality, charity, disciplines, purity of mind, loving-kindness,
compassion, goodwill, tolerance, and insight.
The foundation to become conflicts and wars is misdeed. Misdeed
here ordinarily means three kinds of physical misdeeds and four kinds of
verbal misdeeds. Livelihood in wrong way by doing evil deeds is wrong
livelihood. When one earns one's livelihood in the wrong way, wrong action
and wrong speech are also accomplished. As consequence, there will be no
happiness, peace as long as conflicts and wars flourish. The way of
promoting peace is by following the five precepts. Buddhists or non-
Buddhists, anyone who observes the minimum five precepts at least
abstinence from killing brings about peace and harmony everywhere.
People do not fear or doubt those who observe and practice the five
precepts; for they are not murderers, thieves, immoral persons, liars and
drunkards, but good-hearted people who try to spread peace, harmony,
brotherhood and solidarity.
The Buddha's Dhamma

The Buddha said, "Animosity can be eradicated by its opposite- which
is love, patience, forgiveness and so on. Animosity cannot be eradicated by
animosity. Violence can be ceased by non-violence. Violence can never be
ceased by violence, and hatred can never be ceased by hatred. Through

pure love only, they can be ceased. This is an eternal law." This is Dhamma.
What is called Dhamma in the world has nothing to do with
Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Judaism, Islamism, or any other "ism".
Dhamma is a simple truth. Dhamma teaches us not to harm others. We first
harm ourselves by generating mental negativity. When we remove such
negativity, we can find peace within ourselves which in turn strengthens
peace in the world. Although we are human beings, there may rise up to the
surface of our lives at any time unexpectedly. These potentialities or
tendencies are dormant within us in various degrees.
We have to control our mind. The Buddha preached that we, human
beings consist of both mind and matter. Mind is forerunner
(Manopubbhagam Dhamm)5, mind is chief in life, mind is the master of
man, mind moulds the human life, mind makes happiness and suffering,
and that mind creates beauty and ugliness. Today's world is full of chaos,
crime, misery, evil and violence. Nations are arming themselves to their
teeth. Humanity is in danger and humans are frightened by arms races
among countries and by humans. Weapons of mass destruction are capable
of killing countless numbers of human lives at any moment like nuclear
bombs and weapons.
Lying, gossip, argument, abusing, backbiting, harsh speech and
frivolous talk generate hatred, which also leads to conflict between all kinds
of people. People do not love those who act like this, who is angry, cruel,
hostile etc. Moreover, he or she who commits five precepts produces fear,
enmity, mental pain and grief in the present life as well as in the future life.6
Therefore, a violent conflict is the first step of the war.
5
DhpA, Trans, 136
6
AN, 5 vols, 180.
The Values of Human Life

On one occasion, there were two cities named Kapilavatthu and
Koliya, situated on either sides of the Rohin River.7 Unfortunately, they did
not have enough rain to plant paddy and crops in a year and became
drought. The farmers living in both sides wanted to cannel the water for
their own use from the river to their fields. But, there were not enough
water in the river for both sides to cultivate, mature or ripen paddy and
crops. In that case, they denied, argued, used abusive words, quarrelled and
accused each other. The conflict started between the farmers came to their
minister, rulers and all prepared to go to war for the water which is of little
value to sacrifice their lives, which are of so much value and pricelessness.
Likewise, from ancient time until now, religious and ideological wars
such as Kliga war campaigned by King Asoka in India in the third century
B.E, war between Sinhalese and Tamils campaigned by King Duhagmani
in Sri Lanka, Crusades, bloody revolution, King Anawrathar (1044-1077)
campaigned against King Manuhar of Thathone, First World War, Second
World War, war in the Middle East, Syria, ISIS terrorists, battle in
Afghanistan, and conflicts in Mitthilar and Rakhaine State, long-term civil
war in Kachin State, Myanmar etc. became. When wars become in the
world, all beings have to suffer bodily and mental pain as well as will lose
their properties, wealth, peace and stability except those who are selfish,
invaders, extremists, and terrorists.
A prince called Vidadbha annihilated the entire Sakya clan simply
because he harboured a grudge against them for a slight insult. We have to
learn from that example and seek rather to follow in the footsteps of the
great king whose name was changed from Chaa (cruel) Asoka to Dhamma
(righteous) Asoka because he had the wisdom to walk the path shown by
the Buddha. Emperor Asoka is given as the model for a Buddhist ruler. After
7
DhpA, 2 vols, 165.
a bloody campaign in the 13th year of his reign, Asoka renounced violence
and vowed henceforth to rule by Dharma. The edicts promulgated
throughout his extensive empire speak of tolerance and compassion. He
stated thus 'conquest by Dharma is preferable to conquest by force.'
Decline of Buddhism
Although there were the flourishes of Budddha Ssan during his
reign, it was oppressed by the dynasty of Suga, Thohanbwar etc. This
means the Buddhists took a down-turn if the State is not support and fled
from those places. In the 11th century, when invading Muslim Turks
smashed Buddhist monasteries and Universities, it appears that the monks
offered no resistance. The monks did not defend themselves against
aggressors although some say that those monks were learning Vedas and
Gambhra. On the other hands, there were no records the history of
annihilation on Buddhist monks by invaders and no Buddhist kings who
seek to repel invaders by force.
The historical background to the Buddhist involvement in war in
different countries can be seen in the early history of India, Srilanka and
Myanmar during the reign of King Duagmai and King Anawrahtar who
was the first founder of Myanmar Kingdom. Their victories were glorified in
their history of respective country to sustain the longevity of Buddha's
teachings. King Manhar was under arrest by the latter for the saying of
irrespective words and no willing to share the sacred Dhamma. Sometimes,
the role of monks; Shin Arahan etc. also involved in peace-building. Over
the centuries, the monks have often been used by kings to help negotiate an
end to a war. Shin Disarparmoakkha was an evident in the late history of
Bagan.
During the reign of King Mindone throne by the year 2396 B.E, the
prominent Buddhist monks were the important role in non-violence action.
We heard that although the prince, Kanaung invented weapons, bombs to

defend the invasion of British Colonial as Myanmar is going to fall her self-
independence, the action was prohibited by the king as the monks forbade
in the disguise of killing any living-beings.
In 1885, Myanmar lost her independence and took a down-turn in
her destiny although she has existed under self-rule peacefully for many
years. She remained under the colonial rule for about a hundred years.
Theravda Buddhism was on the decline as it lacked the support of the
State. She regained her independence and became a sovereign State in
1948. National martyrs died or were killed during the colonial time. As the
results of revolution against British Colonial Government by General Aung
San and those who sacrificed their lives, the War on Myanmar has been
ceased. But still there are the long destructive civil war, violence, conflicts,
and rebellions in some part of Myanmar. Although nearly all heroes were
Buddhists, they sacrificed their lives for their next new generations. Daw
Khin Kyi, the wife of General Aung San became a widow after her husband
has died. And Daw Than Khin, the wife of Galone U Saw also do the same.
The former said to the latter that 'both of us are now widows. All beings are
heirs to their kamma.' By doing so, Daw Khin Kyi did not take revenge upon
Daw Than Khin and forgave her for the death of a martyrs in the terrible
attack.
Cakkavattisihanda Sutta
Economic prosperity and equitable distribution of wealth was
necessary. When people are poor, and there is loss of wealth, arises
resentment and rebellion. In the Cakkavattisihanda Sutta narrated in the
form of a legend, the Buddha showed that if action is not taken to distribute
wealth among people, poverty increases. When poverty increases, theft
commences and spreads. Then weapon carrying increases, conflicts arise,
killing takes place, lies are told. And there is breakdown of law and order
and deterioration of human values. A country can be in turmoil by war,
rebellion or aggression, due to violence motivated by greed, hatred,
delusion and pride, and results from resorting to violence. The sovereignty
of the country where a war breaks out will be never got the taste of peace or
freedom.
Prince Dghvu
On one occasion, Brahmadatta, the King of Ksi, having arrayed a
fourfold army, marched against Dghti, the King of Kosala and conquered
his troops, vehicles, territory, storehouse and granaries. Dghti, the King of
Kosala, fled from his town beforehand and lived in a potters house in
Benares with his wife as a wanderer. There his wife gave birth to a son. They
gave him the name of Dghvu. When prince Dghvu attained years of
discretion, his parents made him live outside the town not only to learn arts
and crafts but also to escape from their foe. One day, both parents were
captured. Dghti saw his son, Dghvu, spoke before they were killed, thus
Dont you, dear Dghvu, look for, dont look close for, enmity indeed
never cease by enmity and enmity indeed cease by loving-kindness. Later
King Brahmadatta established Dghvu in a confidential position of trust.
One day, King Brahmadatta accompanied by his army, went out
hunting. The King got on the chariot, Dghvu drove it and he drove it such
a manner that the army went by one way and the chariot went by another.
The King lay down having laid his head on Dghvus lap and fell asleep at
once, because he was very tired. It was a good time for him to revenge. He
drew his sword from its sheath but he did not kill because he remembered
his fathers words spoken before death. When the King knew about that,
they granted life to one another took hold of one anothers hands and
promised to do no harm. In addition, the King asked Dghvu the

explanations of his fathers words.
He answered that Enmity indeed never cease by enmity, which
means, you killed my parents, so I deprive of your life, those who wanted
your welfare will deprive of my life and those who wanted my welfare will
deprive of their lives, therefore enmity indeed never cease by enmity. But
now we granted life to one another therefore enmity indeed ceased by
loving-kindness. The King gave back his parents wealth and gave him his
daughter.8
Conclusion
To sum up, only to sign on the paper, we cannot stop the wars and
we cannot prohibit not shooting. In our surroundings, to take great care,
there are two important kinds: living beings and inanimate things. Of them,
living being is the most important kind to establish peace. It is right, because
to see people as people is of vital importance. As ordinary men, we do not
see people in surroundings as people. We see them as ruler and follower,
employee and employer, millionaire and pauper, Chinese and Indian, black
and white, upper caste and lower caste, this view of partiality or bias, is the
root of human conflict to go to the war. Therefore, we need the right view
of impartiality.9
Last but not least, I want to mention a clear example of venerable
Sundarasamudda 10 during the Buddha's time. He was seduced by a
courtesan on the seven-tiered pinnacles to have sex with her and to become
8
Members of six Sagha Council, Vinaya, 3 vols (Yangon, Myanmar: Ministry of Religious Affairs, 2004)
487-495.
9
Shwe Aung, The Buddha: Peerless benefactor of huminity, Trans. U Hla Maung (Sule Pagoda Road,
Yangon: U Thein Sein, 1995) 12, 20.
10
Members of six Sagha Council, Dhammapada Ahakath (DhpA) (Verses and Stories), Trans. Daw Mya
Tin, (Yangon, Myanmar: Ministry of Religious Affairs, 1995) 474
her husband. There went on a struggle between him and her as he was
negligent and unmindful. This was very difficult and extreme for him more
than nuclear weapons on the battle field of sensual pleasures. He alone had
to fight back, beat the beloved sensuality and compete with her in this battle
field.
As ordinary people or the worldlings (Puthujana), we have never
thought that we should forsake, abandon, or give up the sensual pleasures
and it is the hardest battle field in the world. At last, as he heard the
Buddha's words my son, be resolute and get rid of love on wealth and
sensual pleasure, he practiced, attained Arahatship and broke through the
roof into the sky by his supernormal power. Those who are overcome and
eradicated the sensual pleasures can be indeed called winners in the battle
field of Kiles (defilements).
References
1. Mahvaggapli & its translation
2. The Buddha: Peerless benefactor of Huminity, Translated by U
Shwe Aung
3. Dhammapada Ahakath (DhpA)(Verses and Stories), Translated
by Daw Mya Tin
4. Vinaya 3 vols
5. An introduction to Buddhist Ethics by Peter Hervey
6. Buddhist Ethics by Damien Keown
A STUDY OF WAR AND PEACE
FROM BUDDHIST ETHICAL POINT OF VIEW
Ashin Jotipalalankara
MA Student
Enmity indeed never cease by enmity. This is an ancient law or

universal law.1
He abused me, he ill-treated me, he got the better of me, he stole
my belonging, the enmity of those harboring such thoughts cannot be
peaceful.2
Nowadays, in every part of the world, we can see wars, fighting
each other, killing each other, torment and annexation. Why do the wars
become? Who will suffer or lose and who will benefit when the wars
become? In accordance with Buddhism, greed, hatred and delusion
known as the root of the unwholesome actions, are the root of human
conflicts Desire, anger, ignorance and fear known as four prejudices
(Agati) are also the root of human conflicts. When they motivate
someone, he or she persecutes others. Conflict often arises from
attachment to material things: sensual pleasure, property, land, wealth,
economic dominance or political superiority. Sensual pleasure leads to
strong desire or covetousness for more sense-pleasure, which leads to
conflict between all kinds of people: rulers with rulers, nobles with
nobles, Brahmins with Brahmins, householders with householders,
mothers with sons and daughters, fathers with sons and daughters,
1
Members of six Samgha Council, Dhammapada Athakatha (DhpA) (Verses and Stories), vol. 1, Trans.
Daw Mya Tin (Yangon, Myanmar: Ministry of Religious Affairs, 2003) 33.
2
DhpA, vol. 1, 29.
brothers with brothers, brothers with sisters, sisters with sisters and friends
with friends.3
In Anguttara Nikaya,4 there are nine types of thought to arise
human conflict and wars concerning with anger:
(1) Thought that he or she has done disadvantage to me,
(2) Thought that he or she is doing disadvantage to me,
(3) Thought that he or she will do disadvantage to me,
(4) Thought that he or she has done disadvantage to my beloved
and friend,
(5) Thought that he or she is doing disadvantage to my beloved
and friend,
(6) Thought that he or she will do disadvantage to my beloved
and friend,
(7) Thought that he or she has done advantage to my enemy or
opposite,
(8) Thought that he or she is doing advantage to my enemy or
opposite and
(9) Thought that he or she will do advantage to my enemy or
opposite.
Lying, gossip, argument, abusing, backbiting, harsh speech and
frivolous talk generate hatred, which also leads to conflict between all
those kinds of people. They do not love and adore one who is angry,
cruel, antagonistic or defective. Moreover, he or she is remorseful and
regretful in accordance with his or her actions.5 Moreover, he or she who
commits five precepts produces fear, enmity, mental pain and grief in the
present life as well as in the future life. Therefore, a violent conflict is the
first step of the war.
3
Majjima Nikaya (Middle Discourses of the Buddha), Trans. Bhikkhu Nanamoli (Massachusetts, USA:
Bhikkhu Bodhi, 1995) 181.
4
AN, 5 vols, 180.
5
Members of six Samgha Council, Adguttara Nikaya (Numerical Discourses of the Buddha), 5 vols
(Yangon, Myanmar: Ministry of Religious Affairs, 2005) 222.
On one accession, there were two towns named Kapilavatthu and

Koliya, situated on either sides of the Rohini River. The farmers of both
towns cultivated the fields watered by the Rohini River. Unfortunately,
one year, they did not have enough rain to plant paddy and crops. The
farmers living in both sides wanted to cannel the water just once more or
for their own use only from Rohini River to their own fields because there
was not enough water in the river for both sides to cultivate, mature or
ripen paddy and crops. In that case, they denied, argued, used abusive
words, quarrelled and accused on both sides. The conflict that started
between the farmers, came to their ministers, rulers and all on both sides
prepared to go to war for the water from Rohini River, which is of little
value to sacrifice their lives, which are of so much value and priceless.6
Likewise, from ancient time until now, religious and ideological
wars such as Kaliga war campaigned by King Asoka in India, war
between Sinhalese and Tamils campaigned by King Duhagman in Sri
Lanka, crusades, bloody revolution, First World War, Second World War,
destroying World Trade Centre, battle in Afghanistan, Syria became.
When the wars become in the world, all beings will suffer bodily and
mental pain as well as will lose their benefit and wealth except one who
is selfish.
Enmity ceases only by loving-kindness; it is a universal law.7
He abused me, he ill-treated me, he got the better of me, he stole
my belongings, the enmity of those not harbouring such thoughts can be
peaceful.8
Conquer the angry one by not getting angry or by loving-kindness;
conquer the wicked by goodness; conquer the stingy by generosity and
the lair by speaking the truth.9
6
DhpA, 2 vols, 165.
7
DhpA, vol. 1, 33.
8
DhpA, vol. 1, 29.
9
DhpA, 2 vols, 66.
Indeed, non-greed, non-hatred and non-delusion known as the

root of wholesome actions, are the root of human peace according to
Buddhism. Removing desire, anger, ignorance and fear known as four
prejudices (Agati),10 are also the root of human peace. Forbearance and
forgiveness is the best morality, of cause, Patience is the key of
Paradise.11 People love and adore one who is patient, gentle, and
sympathetic and loving-kindness. A person who observes five precepts
does not produce fear, enmity, mental pain and grief not only in this life
but also in next life. When they motive someone, he or she helps others.
Peace often arises from non-attachment more than need to material
things: sensual pleasure, property, land, wealth, economic dominance or
political superiority. It is contentment, which leads to peace between all
kinds of people.
On one occasion, Brahmadatta, the King of Ksi, having arrayed a
fourfold army, marched against Dghti, the King of Kosala and conquered
his troops, vehicles, territory, storehouse and granaries. Dghti, the King
of Kosala, fled from his town beforehand and lived in a potters house in
Benares with his wife as a wanderer. There his wife gave birth to a son.
They gave him the name of Dghvu. When prince Dighvu attained
years of discretion, his parents made him live outside the town not only
to learn arts and crafts but also to escape from their foe. One day, the
barber of Dghti informed on Brahmadatta that they were living in a
potters house in Benares. Brahmadatta bond and brought to kill them
from street to street and cross-road to cross-road. Dghti saw his son,
Dighvu, among the people and spoke before they were killed, Dont
you, dear Dghvu, look far, dont look close for, enmity indeed never
cease by enmity and enmity indeed cease by loving-kindness. Later King
Brahmadatta established Dghvu in a confidential position of trust.
10
Members of six Samgha Council, Dgha Nikya (Long Discourses of the Buddha), 3 vols (Yangon,
Myanmar: Ministry of Religious Affairs, 2005) 147.
11
DhpA, 2 vols, 153.
One day, King Brahmadatta accompanied by his army, went out

hunting. The King got on the chariot, Dighvu drove it and he drove it
such a manner that the army went by one way and the chariot went by
another. The King lay down having laid his head on Dghvus lap and fell
asleep at once, because he was very tired. It was a good time for him to
avenge. He drew his sword from its sheath but he did not kill because he
remembered his fathers words spoken before death. When the King
knew about that, they granted life to one another took hold of one
anothers hands and promised to do no harm. In addition, the King asked
Dghvu the explanations of his fathers words. He answered that
(1) Not looking long for, means, not bearing enmity long,
(2) Not looking close for, means, not hastily breaking with the
friends and
(3) Enmity indeed never cease by enmity, means, you killed my
parents, so I deprive of your life, those who wanted your welfare
will deprive of my life and those who wanted my welfare will
deprive of their lives, therefore enmity indeed never cease by
enmity. But now we granted life to one another therefore enmity
indeed ceased by loving-kindness. The King gave back his parents
wealth and gave him his daughter.12
In my point of View, only to sign on the paper, we cannot stop the
wars and we cannot prohibit not shooting. In our surroundings, to take
great care, there are two important kinds: loving beings and inanimate
things. Of them, living being is the most important kind to establish
peace. It is right, because to see people as people is of vital importance.
As ordinary men, we do not see people in surroundings as people. We
see them as ruler and follower, employee and employer, millionaire and
pauper, Chinese and Indian, black and white, upper caste and lower
12
Members of six Samgha Council, Vinaya, 3 vols (Yangon, Myanmar: Ministry of Religious Affairs,
2004) 487-495.
caste, this View of partiality or bias, is the root of human conflict to go to

the war. Therefore, we need the right View of impartiality.
To sum up, in our mind by cultivating the four illimitable or
sublime states such as (l) loving-kindness, (2) compassion, (3) appreciative
joy and (4) equanimity, we can firmly establish the real peace of the
world. That is quite all right as proverb: Love conquers all things.
Moreover, when we cultivate those four factors in our mind, we can see
people in surroundings as people. Of cause, it is the right View of
impartiality.13
13
Shwe Aung, The Buddha: Peerless benefactor of Huminity, Trans. U Hla Maung (Sule Pagoda Road,
Yangon: U Thein Sein, 1995) 12, 20.
SECTION C
ENVIROMENTAL ETHICS
ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS ON FIVE PRECEPTS
Ashin Indacara
MA Student
Introduction to Environmental Aspects and Five Precepts

Environment means the conditions that affect the behaviour,
development of somebody or something and the physical conditions that
somebody or something exists in. Aspect means a particular part or
feature of a situation, an idea, a problem, etc. and a way in which it may
be considered.
Mixing an environment and an aspect, the concept of
environmental aspects is a key component in environmental
management and describes the relevant issues, on the other hand, the
term that can be used for the important issues in the environment.
Buddhism, by synopsis, consists of Morality, Concentration and
Wisdom. Of them, morality (Sla) encompasses the three factors of Right
Speech, Right Action and Right Livelihood of the Noble Eightfold Path. In
this context, morality is focused on the Five Precepts.
In considering the five precepts, all Buddhists accept the five
precepts as their basic ethical guidelines. Using the five precepts as a
handle, all Buddhists know how to deal with many of the real issues of
our days.
Underlying the rules for monastic life and laypeoples conduct
respectively, the concept of morality manifests itself in the five basic
precepts: (1) not to kill any living beings; (2) not to take what is not freely
given by the owner; (3) not to indulge in sexual misconduct; (4) not to
lie; (5) not to drink intoxicants that lead to carelessness.
Traditionally, instead of the bland recital of the above precepts,
we ought to make a mental note that all five precepts are under a theme
of non-violence. Thus, the five precepts require their adherents to abstain
from doing violence to: (l) the life and body of people, animals, and other
living beings; (2) other peoples property; (3) that which is clearly loved
by others; (4) other peoples rights and characters, and (5) ones own
conscience and intellect.
Description of Environmental Aspects on Five Precepts
(1) First Precept: I undertake the training to refrain from killing.

Life is easily taken, but impossible for us to give. As we do not
enjoy dying ourselves, it is unwise to use our knowledge to destroy
others. Here, non~ violence does not only mean the absence of
violence, but the presence of care, of good will, of mindfulness, and
charity toward other beings. Non-violence describes itself in compassion
and shows the sense of appreciation concerning the happiness and well-
being of others.
Environmental Aspects: In the first precept, we promise not to

destroy and sanction the destruction of any living beings. Through
accepting this precept, we recognize our relationship to all lives and
realize that harming any living creature harms oneself. Identifying
ourselves with others, we can never slay or cause to slay. The first precept
which is its meaning of non-violence (ahimsa) not only refers to directly
taking the life of a living being through intentionally destroying its body,
also refers to indirect actions and non-actions.
For example, the removal of natural habitat from wildlife and other
living beings will destroy or harm these beings. The pollution of bodies of
water will result in the dying or suffering of fishes and other aquatic lives,
including other forms of land life which feed on water life.
Buddhas mindfulness about the environment created a variety of
rules and precepts for the lives of forest monks. The Buddha also
prescribes the form of rules: not to cut branches of trees, not to wear
sandals made from palm leaves or young bamboo, and not to use tooth-
wood of certain sizes, etc. He provided the rules about how to urinate,
how to use water, etc. which were remarkable in their environmental
consciousness.
(2) Second Precept: I undertake the training to refrain from stealing.

The second precept involves more than simply not stealing.
Careless borrowing, for instance, would be included here when,
subconsciously, one does not have any intention to return the item. Also,
embezzlement, fraudulent business dealings, adulteration of food should
be included.
Environmental Aspects: Stealing involves the discounting of other

beings and a lack of respect for their dignity and rights as individuals. In
this sense, stealing can be considered violence against people and their
property.
This precept raises the question of possession of living things. For
example, who is the owner of a tree? The person who planted it? The
birds and insects which inhabit it? The people who live under its shade
and who nurture and protect it? The person who owns the forested area?
The country which includes the tree in its boundaries? No one really
owns the tree, but earth, Nature or Dhamma itself. It grew a tree
according to its own laws.
A tree, if undisturbed, lives its life according to Dhamma, the very
law of nature. Everyone may sit in its shade, eat some of its fruit, and find
shelter under its branches when it rains. These are the gifts that nature
gives us as presents through every tree. If we cut the tree down, we take
away these gifts from other beings that might come the same way. A tree
belongs to itself.
Buddhism states that main cause of theft, immorality and violence
is poverty. All social systems say to punish when arising cause of theft,
immorality and violence. But, the Kutadanta Sutta in Dgha-nikaya
explains that punishment will not change society. In order to stop crime,
Buddha suggests that economic conditions of people should be
improved.
(3) Third Precept: I undertake the training to refrain from sexual

misconduct.
The Dhammapada states: From lust springs grief, from lust springs
fear. For one who is wholly free from craving there is no grief; whence
then fear?1 There is no fire like lust; there is no grip like hatred; there is
no net like2 Like the other precepts, we must delusion; there is no river
like craving practice this precept and avoid the structures of male
dominance and exploitation of women.
Environmental Aspects: The third precept of morality towards

sexual behavior should be extended to the complexities of exploitation of
the natural environment. It is a form of rape, interrupting the dignity, and
violence. Greed, craving, ignorance, and aversion are the basic forces for
exploitation. With deeper comprehending of the third precept, the
natural environment cannot be made an object of ones selfish and
desirous behavior because of the realization that ones greed will only
result in suffering.
(4) Fourth Precept: I undertake the training to refrain from false
1
Dha. 215
2
Dha. 251
Speech.
This is considered to be one of the most difficult precepts for
people to keep. It includes not only lying, but harsh speech, backbiting,
and idle gossip. The fourth precept is much more than not telling lies. It
implies that one speaks the truth only, not to engage in idle talk, and not
to use unfriendly words or unwholesome phrases. It calls for skillful,
thoughtful, and truthful use of our oral and written communications.
Environmental Aspects: Lying or not telling the truth can be both

gross and subtle. Often, public and private sectors involved in the
environment and development will pay only lip service to conservation
and ecological values and considerations. Public relations or information
programs often do not present the real issues, facts, and alternatives
beyond glossy brochures. It biased approaches which strive to present an
organizational image to the public.
There is the difference between the language and approach of
daily life and the spiritual life of Dhamma. This difference may neglect
certain truths. Everyday language is based on physical things and on
experiences, accessible to the ordinary person. With its basis on the
physical rather than the spiritual, it serves only for tangible and concrete
things perceived under ordinary, everyday experience.
By contrast, Dhamma language has to do with the mental world
which is intangible and non-physical. In order to be able to speak and
understand this Dhamma language and approach, one needs to gain
insight into this mental world. In not taking this insight and approach, one
may miss the truth. Rites, rituals and use of ordinary and Dhamma
language are needed to help laypeople in daily life and ethics of
Buddhas teachings toward life and the environment.
(5) Fifth Precept: I undertake the awning to refrain from substances

that intoxicate and lead to carelessness.
The Buddha taught: There are six dangers of drink: the actual loss of
wealth; increase of quarrels; susceptibility to disease; an evil reputation;
indecent exposure; ruining ones intelligence.3 The Fifth precept refers
both refraining from consuming any intoxicating substances such as
alcohol and drugs as well as avoiding involvement in their production and
trafficking. It is also concerned with the immediate and long-term effects
of intoxicating substances.
Environmental Aspects: According to several agricultural extension

agents, alcohol consumption by farmers involved with cash crops,
sometimes, results in large decreases in funds available to families with
consequent loss of nutritional foods for children. These alcohol and drug
pressures can contribute to illegal acts and overexploitation in order to
obtain needed money for continued use as Well as regular living
expenses.
The use of narcotic drugs not only proves hazardous to the physical
and mental well-being of its consumer and his relatives, but also causes
great damage to nature by its production.
Conclusion
Now, I had made an assignment paper named Environmental
Aspects on Five Precepts. Looking after oneself is protection to others.
Observing the five precepts is to give the faultless gifts. One observes the
five precepts. In doing so, he gives freedom from danger, freedom from
animosity, freedom from oppression to limitless number of beings.
Buddhist moral precepts provide a wholesome foundation for personal
and social growth. We do not practice to please a supreme being, but for
our own good and the good of society.
3
DN. vol. 3. 148
As individuals, we need to train in morality to lead a good and

noble life. On the social level, we need to help and maintain peace and
harmony in society and also, facilitate the progress of the common good.
Reference:
Daniel H. Henning, Ph.D. A manual for Buddhism and deep ecology:

special edition by the world Buddhist University. 2006
Dhammapada. Verse: 215, 251.
DN. Vol. 3. Siglovda Sutta, 148.
.
A PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF BUDDHIST ETHICS TO
ECOLOGICAL SUSTAINABILITY FOR FUTURE GENERATION
Ashin Tejavamsa
MA Student
Originally, ecology was just a branch of biology studying

ecosystems, But now it is becoming, as well, a system of social and
political thought which sees environmental destruction as only one more
symptom along with poverty and the unequal distribution of wealth and
power of our entire unhealthy modern worldview and belief
environmental sustainability, using the biological concepts of healthy
ecosystems as metaphors for society as a whole.
Regarding Buddhist attitudes towards nature and the environment
is based on the premise that our relationships with other beings,
especially those of other species, are significantly shaped by the
understanding of personal identity that we bring to those relationships.
With a conception of personal identity that is fundamentally trans-
human, Buddhists have traditionally shaped the problem of inter-species
relationships in quite different terms, and as a result we should expect
traditional Buddhist environmental ethics to look quite different from its
counterpart in the West. While it is beyond the scope of this chapter to
explore the Western side of this comparison, one brief example of a
central theme in Western environmental ethics with help us see the
contrast more clearly.
Actually, ecology is the studying, how living beings relative to one
another and to their surroundings that the branch of biology. It is very
interested subject because that is relationship the Buddhist ethical system.
First of all we should better take a studying about the earliest day of the
world and appearance of the first human beings. From the stand point of
archaeology, this period basically coincides with the Stone Age. In the
primitive communal system the relationship to the means of production
was the same for all members of society. Consequently, the mode of
obtaining a share of the social product was the same for all. For this
reason, the term primitive communism is applied to this system, which
is distinguished from succeeding stages of socioeconomic development
by the absence of private property, classes, and the state.
There are various viewpoints concerning the origins of the primitive
communal system.1 In the earliest period of history, human beings and
society developed. People lived in a formative society that many Soviet
scholars call these primitive human herds. If the Archanthropoi are
considered (for example, Pithecanthropus, sinanthropus, Atlantropus, and
Heidelberg man) are considered to be the first human beings, the origin
of the primitive human herd dates from about 1,000,000 B.C. If pre-
Sinjanthropus, or Homo habilis (capable human), is considered to be the
first human beings, the origin of the primitive herd dates from at least
2,000,000 BC, and perhaps earlier. As the primitive communal system
develops, the clan gradually loses many of its original functions, including
its economic ones, and ceases to be the foundation of the community. It
man continue to exist for a long time, but primarily as an institution
regulating marital relations, ensuring the defence of its members, and
supervising the observance of traditions, worship, and rituals. In this
capacity the clan is encountered in class society (for example, among the
ancient Greeks and the Romans). At a later stage of the primitive
communal system the main economic unit was the commune, which
usually consisted of representatives of many clans.
The weakness of human beings in the struggle against nature was
particularly telling in the earliest stages of the primitive communal system.
1
See: The Great Soviet Encyclopaedia (1979). Primitive Communal System
A practical application of Buddhist ethics to ecological sustainability 119
The first humans (Archanthropoi)2 settled in a comparatively small area

restricted to regions with a warm climate (Africa, East and South Asia, and
South-western Europe). The dominant form of human activity was usually
hunting, including collective hunting for large animals. Wooden spears
and clubs, as well as stones, served as weapons. Gathering, which
apparently supplied most of the food, played an important role. It is an
indisputable fact that Sinanthropus used fire, although it is probable that
they had not yet learned how to make it. With the transition to
Paleoanthropoi (Neanderthals), hunting became the main source of
livelihood. Humans became acclimatized in regions with harsh
conditions.
Economizing the Buddhist Worldview: The Buddha claims that the
world is led by the mind. Based on this view we understand that the
universe or ecosystem of Buddhism appears from the mind. The evidence
is uttered that in the Agga a Sutta of the D gha Nikya, The first beings
were self-luminous, subsisted on joy and flew through the skies, until
greed entered their minds. This caused the gradual loss of their radiance
and of their ability to subsist on joy and to fly. The moral decline affected
the external environment as well. When the world was formed, beings
descended from the realm of the resplendent Deities and came to this
world. They had mentally-created bodies lived on joy, shone naturally,
and flew in the air. At that time, the whole world as covered with water.
There was no moon, no sun, no stars, and no days or nights, nor were
there months, seasons, or years. Further, there was no gender distinction.
Beings were just called beings.
A long time passed, and the tasty earth appeared on the waters.
Then, a desirous being tasted this earth with his finger. He liked it, and
craving arose in him. The other beings followed his example and began
to make morsels of the earth with their hands and eat them. Because of
2
Marx, K. Konspekt kmgr L. G. Morgana drevnee obshchestvo. IN Arkhiv Marksa I Engelsa, vol. 9.
Moscow, 1941.
as improving their passionate greed more and more, their natural light
disappeared. But the moon and sun, so did the stars, days and nights,
months, seasons, and years, the tasty earth, tasty creepers, the fragrant
rice without bran or husks, grew without being cultivated all were
appeared but their passionate greed attach more and more on tasty
objects. Because of their passion all good tasty objects disappeared step
by step. Concern with this Sutta, one can understand that the relationship
between human beings, consciousness or one faculties and nature are
dependent, therefore; they influence together.
Naturally, the world is simply and lovely itself, with boundary fresh
air, with Greenfield everywhere, it has precious natural sources that
boundary with various species of living beings including plants and
animals. Plants and beings are mutual benefit each other, depending on
each other like that plants produce Oxygen by using Carbon dioxide.
And also beings produce Carbon dioxide but they need to Oxygen for
their alive. On the Universe there are composed by the earth, by the
water, by the atmosphere and by the sun-shine as systematically.
All natural forest have great abilities to be purify water what it is not
purify, they can absorb like great generators, like great mortar, like great
pump to reach the water up to the top of the higher mountain. Therefore
the beautiful streams, water-falls, rivers are flowing on the world. Rare
plants, rare water. Boundary plants boundary water. That is natural cause
and effect that identical the Buddhas causal law Kamma Niyma.
Now a day, in the world, global warming is threatening to the
people. Sometime terrible storms break through the people life,
sometime dreadful floating water, etc. The natural disaster award the
counter-part result to the human world as a result of wasting natural
sources. Why?
In Myanmar, in modern age, a lot of natural resources were wasted
by the selfish persons. For example, in Kachin state; the jade land,
Mandalay Division, Moe got; ruby land, in Sagaing Division, Monywa;
Lipadaung Copper Hill, in Sagaing Division; Kalaywa; Thet Chaut; the

vast natural Coal land, most of reserved forests and also in Arakan state;
the vast natural Gas, etc,. these all are wasting as a disorderly manner
every day and time. Why?
According to the Buddhist perceptive view, these all are happened by
the selfish manner of people that is passionate greed; Lobha that depend
on delusion; Moha. In consequence, we are left with substantial and
pertinent data, while we are still attachment in Akusala; unwholesome
there may be wasting the natural qualities and natural resources every
day and time.
Consider the place of rights in contemporary discussions of
environmental ethics. One major strand of contemporary environmental
philosophy seeks to secure moral consideration for other species and
eventually for eco-systems as a whole through the extension of the
concept of individual rights. Problems arise for this effort because the
notion of rights has been historically linked with notions of human
responsibility and duty, capacities which other species are not seen to
share.
One solution is to assert the notion of a right to moral consideration
tied not to the capacity for an anthropocentric concept of responsibility,
but rather to a notion of intrinsic value, an attribute shared by all beings
regardless of their species. Both these notions of rights and values, along
with their concomitant problems, arise from the same distinctly Western
notion of a permanently fixed sense of selfhood, one in which
autonomous selves are seen to possess rights and values that must be
secured and even protected from the self-interests of other autonomous
individuals, whether within ones own species or across the species line.
And even if the rights of others (individuals or species) are successfully
and convincingly negotiated, the question remains of how to change
established behavior patterns that are in conflict with the newly defined
rights. And this problem of changing existing behavioral conditioning is all
the more intractable if that conditioning itself is tied to the axiomatic

assumption of a fixed (and species-specific) self-seeking to preserve its
own rights. Any ecological perspective grounded in this set of
assumptions will result in an adversarial compromise at best, one that will
have to be enforced at every point that it runs contrary to the perceived
self-interests of the dominant individual.
It has become commonplace to assert that Buddhism locates the
individual in profound inter-relationship with the rest of sentient
existence, and ultimately with all of the ecosphere. Most frequently this is
argued rather vaguely as an extension of the first Buddhist ethical precept
of non-injury or, in a philosophically more sophisticated manner, This
understanding of the emptiness doctrine asserts that, if all things are seen
as empty of intrinsic existence, then all things must be seen as
interrelated, and the only possible course of action becomes one that
seeks to compassionately sustain all of existence. What is often not
adequately noted is simply the logical development of the basic Buddhist
principle of conditionality, the same principle that underlies the non-
substantiality of the self and the interrelatedness of the different life-forms
as depicted in Buddhist Cosmology.
Failing to acknowledge this continuity results in a lop-sided view of
Buddhism, one that obscures the developmental dimension of the
tradition. If contemporary Buddhists seek only to affirm inter-relatedness
as a traditional expression of the contemporary ecological perspective,
then the real contribution that Buddhism might make to cross-cultural
and inter-faith discussions of environmental ethics will be lost.
Turning to Buddhism simply as a traditional sanction for an already
scientifically established ecological perspective on our problems adds
little to what we already have. What is needed is not another affirmation
of ecology but rather an actual method for developing an ecological
sensibility and then expressing that sensibility in practice. This Buddhism
offers, but only to the extent that we recognize that the Buddhist
affirmation of interrelatedness is deeply embedded in a comprehensive

developmental path or virtue tradition, one that seeks nothing less than
the radical transformation of the typically human conception of self and
self-interest.
What then is this praxis by which Buddhists have sought to express
their conception of the self-in-relation to the rest of existence? Having
noted the fundamentally different concept of a substantial self with which
Western traditions have approached the problem of environmental
degradation, we should note before continuing that the Buddhists were
quite aware of how commonly human action arises from such a
substantialist notion of self and personal identity. From the Buddhist
perspective, we are dealing not just with a cultural difference.
Therefore to be sustaining in our environment the traditional
Buddhist ecology approach to recognizing moral consideration actually
needed for other individuals will necessarily proceed quite differently,
whether that consideration is extended, to other humans or to other
species. Rather than reifying the prevailing Sense of an autonomous self-
interested individual with its complement of rights, Buddhism seeks to
transform the very way which the individual conceives of himself.
Traditionally, Buddhist "environmental ethics" has thus been less a matter
identifying and securing rights. Rather it has been much more a matter of
undertaking a practice of affirming and eventually realizing the moral
applying.
.
THE BUDDHIST ATTITUDE TOWARDS TREES AND FOREST
Ashin Vimalalankara
MA Student
The survival mankind has to depend on natural environment

especially, trees and forests for his food, clothing, shelter, medicine and
other requisites. The trees and forests are natural valuable resources for the
living beings. They are natural beauties which give beings useful
appurtenance. There are many noticeable knowledge, Buddhist attitude and
ethical actions about the ecosystem for value and status of the natural lush-
trees and lush forests on our earth in Buddhism.
In the Buddhist sacred cannons Forest, according to the Vinaya
method firstly, is described thus: Except the village and its precincts, all is
forest.1 According to the Abhidhamma method it is described thus: Having
gone out beyond the boundary post, all that is forest.2 But according to the
Suttanta method its characteristic is this: A forest abode is five hundred
bow lengths distant.3 When threatened with danger, men go to many a
refuge, to mountains and forest, to parks and gardens, and to sacred trees.
But anyone is not liberated from all evil consequences of existence (Dukkha)
for having come to such a refuge.4 People seek refuges and worship at
various things such as mountains, trees, forests, parks, gardens, birds,
animals, imaginary forms, and deities or gods with the hope of their
protection, liberation from misery and suffering, rewards, happiness and
riches in life. Trees and forests are sacred substances that the people think to
take refuges from ancient period till now. But according to Buddhist moral
teaching they are not real refuges. Anyone cannot exempt from misery,
pain, or suffering, and punishment, with taking refuges at the tree and
forests. Anybody cannot obtain any their help, their protection, rewards,
prayers, happiness and bliss by worship them. However trees and forests are
holy abodes of holy persons, holy ascetics, holy monks and spirits. Everyone
who want to live holy alone pure-life avoiding physical pleasures, who want
to experience the taste of liberation from suffering, approached to the
forests and lived at the foot of trees. It is also the holy place where noble
persons used to be born. The important events in the life of the Buddha
took place under the tree in the forest: there a noble prince, named
Siddhattha, who was destined to be the greatest religious teacher of the
world was born under Sal (Sla) tree in the Lumbini forest at Kappilavatthu.
He leaves to the forest and struggle under tree for six years for
enlightenment and liberation. The trees and forests are very comfortable
environment for ascetics for meditation. The ascetic Siddhattha discovered
the Noble Truth Dhamma (Sacca) and he attained the enlightened
Buddhahood in the Uruvela forest at the foot of the Boddhi tree. He
became the incomparable omniscient teacher of the spirits (Deva) and men.
Art the Buddhist attitude, the trees and forests are also the holy places
where the Dhammas was taught. The Buddha began his Dhamma wheels
and missionary activity in the Isipatana forest, at the deer park among the
trees near Benares.5 The Buddha always dwelled and taught the Dhamma in
the forests, such as Uruvela forests, Veluavana, (Bamboo Grove)
Nigrodrama, Jetavana, Andhavana, and Slavana est. and finally he chose
to pass away between two magnificent Sal (Sla) trees in Kusingara. Other
many ascetics and monks also live in the forest in the shadow of the tree. In
the Buddhist monastic discipline, the tree is one extra acquisition, one of
the four resources for a monk. If no dwelling place there, monks must dwell
for life at foot of three.6 Accordingly the forest and the trees are said to be
the ideal natural place, holly accommodation and lodgings for ascetics and
Buddhist monks in the earliest day in Buddhism. At the beginning of
Buddhism, when the Lord Buddha did not yet admit the accommodations
and lodgings for his follower Buddhist monks, they stayed here and there: in
forest, at root of tree, on a hillside, in a glen, in mountain cave, in the
cemetery in a forest glade, in the open air, on a heap of straw, etc. Early in
the mornings they went out from this and that place.7
Moreover, the trees and forests are not only the abodes of powerful
non-human beings such as: tree-deities (Rukkhadeva), Yakkha but also the
dwelling habitat for various animate animals: insets, bird, and quadrupeds.
And they are the natural resources of food, clothes, and medicinal staffs for
all life. Some people regarded as animate beings to the trees that tree are
organisms, they are living things.8
A certain Alavi Bhikkhu was chopping down a tree. The deity
(Devat) living in the tree said to the Bhikkhu, Venerable sir, do not chop
down my home to build a home for yourself. The Bhikkhu, disregarding
her, kept right on chopping and injured the arm of the Devatas child. The
Devata thought: What if 1 were to kill this Bhikkhu right here? Then another
thought occurred to her: But no, that wouldnt be proper. What if I were to
tell the Blessed One of what has happened? So she went to the Blessed
One and told him of what had happened. Very good, Devat, very good.
Its very good that you didnt kill the Bhikkhu. If you had killed him today,
you would have produced much demerit for yourself. Now go, Devata.
Over there is a vacant tree. Go into it. The Devat lived always there
without moving. Thereafter, The Buddha prohibited the monks from
damaging the plants and trees, urination, excretion and spitting above them
and the Buddha decreed the monastic rules: The damaging of a living plant
is to be confessed.9
The tree (tree-deities, Rukkhadeva) also have to keep three-Dhamma.

When the grubber takes the roots, the stripper the bark, the plucker the
leaves, the picker the fruit, there is not any cause for the tree deities
(Devata) to mope and pine thus keeps tree (tree deities) tree Dhamma.10
We also should not break the branch of a tree, that has given shelter for all
and under shelter of which we rest and sleep, for we would be a betrayer of
his friend, yea, an evildoer.11 According to Buddhas word, the person who
plants and make to grow up the tree-park, gardens, and forests, develops in
meritorious action, merits for all day and night, he has to reach to the
heaven (Sagga)12 because the trees, the forests give necessary materials:
shadow, fruits, flowers, medicine, foods, woods to do accommodations for
all. Sakka the king of Tvatisa deities (Deva) planted the Kovila-tree, his
wives Sitta planted the flower garden, and the Nanda dug the pond in their
previous life. So they experience bliss happiness in Tvatisa heaven.13
The Buddha always lived in the forest because he see the two results
observing his own pleasant way of living in this very life and feeling
compassion for future generations.14 And also he often encouraged the
monks so that the monks approach and meditate at the foot of tree in the
forest. This is the lord Buddhas attitude towards trees and forest: Monks
the work to be done by a teacher for his disciples, seeking their good by
compassion, because of compassion, that has been done for you by me.
Monks at the foot of these trees, in these empty places (make your
habitations)! Contemplate (Jhyatha) monks! Be not slothful! Let there be no
occasion for you to reproach yourselves afterwards! This is our command to
you. The Buddhas constant advice to his disciples was to resort to natural
habitats such as forest groves and glades where they would find quiet and
peace of mind undisturbed by human activity.15 The disciples of the Buddha
seeing the Jna or concentration in their mind lived in the forest. The forest
was such a good place for zealous meditation. But, it is very hard to live with
pleasure in the forest for ordinary persons. A hard thing it is to dwell

secluded; it is hard to find delight in living alone; the woods strain the mind
of a monk who has not won concentration of mind.16
According to raika Sutta and Rukkhamulika Sutta the aims of
monks living in the forest are different each other. And the same, the aims
of monks living at foot of tree (are different with each other.) One is forest -
gone and settled at the foot of tree out of folly and blindness, one out of evil
desires and longings, one mad and insane, one at the thought: It is praised
by Buddha and their disciples, and one is forest gone and settled at foot of
tree just because his wants are little, just for contentment, just to mark (his
own faults,) just for seclusion, just because it is the very things.17
Any hypocrite ascetic, bad-minded is not able to reside hypocritically
for a long time in the forest with unpurified of hypocritical bodily conduct,
verbal conduct, mental conduct, and unpurified in livelihood by hypocrisy.
The remote jungle-thicket resting places in the forest are hard to endure,
seclusion is hard to practice, and it is hard to enjoy solitude. The jungles
may rob the mind of recluse, if he has no concentration. Whenever recluses
and ascetics, unpurified in bodily conduct, unpurified in verbal conduct,
unpurified mental conduct, and unpurified in livelihood reside in remote
jungle-thicket resting places in the forest, then owing to the defect of their
unpurified bodily conduct, unpurified verbal conduct, unpurified mental
conduct, and unpurified in livelihood these recluses and ascetics evoke
unwholesome fear and dread.18
Of thirteen kinds of ascetic practices, the forest-dwellers practice and
the tree-root-dwellers practice have been allowed by the Blessed One to
Ascetic monks. In Ngita sutta the Buddha commended the monks dwelling
in the forest in various ways and he pleased the monks with their forest
abiding.19 They, who are dwelling in the forest, can attain these benefits. A
forest-dwelling Bhikkhu who has given attention to the perception of forest
can obtain hitherto unobtained concentration, or preserve that already

obtained. And the Buddha is pleased with him, according as it is said: So,
Ngita. I am pleased with that Bhikkhus dwelling in the forest.20 And when
he lives in a remote abode his mind is not distracted by unsuitable visible
objects, and so on. He is free from anxiety; he abandons attachment to life;
he enjoys the taste of the bliss of seclusion, and the state of the refuse-rag
wearer etc. becomes him.21
In the same way, there, in the tree-root-dwellers practice, are many
effects. He, who dwells at the foot of tree, practices in conformity with the
dependence, because of the words The going forth by depending on the
root of a tree as an abode. It is a requisite recommended by the Blessed
One thus Valueless, easy to get, and blameless; perception of
impermanence is aroused through seeing the continual alteration of young
leaves; avarice about abodes and love of [building] work are absent; he
dwells in the company of deities; he lives in conformity with [the principles
of] fewness of Wishes, and so on.22
As above-mentioned, the forests and the trees are holly places where
the all of Buddhas and all of noble persons resided and they commended in
various ways. The trees and forests are natural valuable resources for the
living beings. They are natural beauties. But the beauties of them depended
on the human. If an ethical action of mankind is good, fair and right, the
natural beauties of the lush-trees and lush-forests in environment will never
decrease. In the Cakkavatt Sutta and Aggaa Sutta the Buddha pointed
out the relevance between our moral and ethical actions and the natural
resources. And then the Blessed One predicted about the coming future,
when humans become more degenerate: Gradually human health will
deteriorate so much that life expectancy will diminish until the average
human lifespan is reduced to 10 years. At that time all delicacies such as
honey will have disappeared from the Earth. The coarsest food today will be
considered as the most delicacy.23
In this universe, in antecedent events, since the people were ablaze
w1th unlawful lust, overwhelmed by depraved longings, obsessed by wrong
doctrine, on such as these the sky did not rain down steadily. It was hard to
get a meal. The crops were bad effect with mildew and grown to mere
stubs. Because of malnourished food human mortality rates increased.24
Therefore, our earth, In order to be always more beautiful with the natural
lush-trees and lush-forests, our moral action need to be best, fairest and
rightful.
REFERENCES:
1
Vinaya III p.56.
2
Vibhiga p. 260
3
Visuddhimagga I p. 70
4
Dhammapada p. 188, 189
5
Vinaya III p 13, 27
6
Vinaya III Mahvagga 277
7
Vinaya IV p 289
8
Vinaya III Mahvagga 277
9
Vinaya II p 51, 269
10
Anguttara II .pp, 325
11
Petavatthu, verse, 259
12
Sayutta Nikya I Vanaropa Sutta p 30
13
Dhammapada Ahakath I p 263
14
Aguttara Nikya I Balavagga p 60
15
Anguttara Nikya II p 502; Majjima nNikya I Dwedhavitakka Sutta p 166.
16
Aguttara Nikya III Upli Sutta pp 420.
17
Anguttara Nikya 2 pp192
18
Majjhima Nikya I pp 20
19
Aguttara II pp 300
20
Aguttara Nikya II p 300
21
Visuddhimagga I p 71
22
Visuddhimagga I p 71
23
DhighaNikya I P. 47
24
Aguttara Nikya I Paloka Sutta p 159
Buddhist Perspectives on the Eco-crisis
An introduction to Buddhist ethic
SECTION D
ECONOMIC ETHICS
DUTIES WITH MEANS OF LIVELIHOOD
Ma Kancanacari
MA Student
It is clear from the preceding account that a high standard of duty is

expected regarding ones family, friends and associates generally; if one
remains in the household life one must fulfil those duties. No less
demand is made in the conduct and management of ones professional
or business affairs, and moreover, it is recognized that a moral person
should expect and achieve success in his ventures. The Buddha gave five
reasons why a moral person should desire to be possessed of means.
Firstly, by his work, diligence and clear-sightedness he could make
happy himself, his parents, wife and children, servants and workpeople.
Secondly, he could make happy his friends and companions. Thirdly, he
could be able to keep his property from the depredations of fire, water,
rulers, robbers, enemies and heirs. Fourthly, he would be able to make
suitable offerings to his kin, guests, deceased [Peta], kings and devas.
Fifthly, he would be able to institute, over a period, offerings to recluse
and others who abstain from pride and negligence, who are established
in patience and gentleness, and who are engaged in every way
imperfection themselves. At the same time, whether his wealth increases
or whether it does not, he should not be disturbed in his mind if he
knows that his reasons for trying to amass it ware good.
In the meantime the householder successfully amassing wealth by
lawful and honorable means, by his own energy and effort, enjoys
ownership, well-being, independence in the sense that he dies not run
into debt, and blamelessness. His parents, wife and children, servants and
workpeople, honor him, to give alms and make charitable gifts. All of
these wish him long life and protection, and by reason of his virtue it may
be expected that he will not go into decline.
Having attained to some success, it is necessary to make it
enduring. Four reasons are given for failure to do so, namely, failing to
seek what has been lost, not repairing what is decayed, eating and
drinking to excess, and putting immoral and unreliable men or woman in
responsible positions.
The Buddha was once visited by Pasenadi, King of Kosala at the
unusual hour of noon. The king explained that there had just died a
wealthy man who had left no instructions regarding the disposal of his
property; therefore Pasenadi had ordered that the goods should be
thought to the royal residence. He had gone about in a wretched little
chariot with only a leaf-awning. Since this man had not utilized his wealth
properly, either on his own account or on that of his parents, wife,
children, work-people, friends, Samaa or Brahmins, it would be
confiscated by ruler of robbers, destroyed by fire or water, or
appropriated by heirs for whom he had no regard.
He was told to use his wealth, not only from others but to some
extent on his own behalf. He was even told to live in a suitable locality.
There were, of cause, many people who thought often of the final parting
with their belongings and so looked for something of more durable
nature then wealth to which they could devote their energies. King
Pasinadi once asked the Buddha if there were anything of profit
attainable in the things of present world which would also be value in the
world beyond.
The Buddha gave the four things leading to happiness in the
present world as attainment of energy (Uhnasampad), attainment of
watchfulness (rakkhasampad), association with people of high moral
standing (Kalynamittat), and the leading of a balanced life
(samajvikat). The second, attainment of watchfulness, should be
interpreted as care of ones possessions, so that they would not be stolen
or taken from one or come to any harm. By associating with friends of

high moral standing one should emulated the virtues of confidence
(Saddh), morality (Sla), Charity (Cga) and wisdom (Pa ) displayed by
the best of ones associates.
The four things leading to welfare and happiness in the world
beyond were giving by the Buddha as confidence based on
understanding and experience, morality, generosity or charity, and
wisdom; these are also the four that the layman should seek in his
associates.
The duties of children to their parents were stressed if India from a
very a very early date. Rukkhadhamma Jtaka expressed the value of the
solidarity of a family, using the sing the simile of the trees of a forest;
these are able to withstand the force of the wind whereas a solitary trees,
however large, is not. The Buddha confirmed and emphasized the family
relationship, exhorting all persons who decided to remain in the worldly
life to maintain the family ties together with the honor and dignity of the
family as a social unit.
Of the more advanced type of advice given to householders much
was of necessity directed to the relationship between husband and wife
since they were to be considered by their children as devas. The strong of
Nakulas parents is a point. Here the father lay ill, and the mother,
reminding him that death with a worried mind was followed by bad
results, reassured him on these points: that she could support the
children and maintain the household by spinning cotton and carding
wool; that since she and the father had led a good life together for
sixteen years she would not re-marry; that she would welcome the
Exalted One and members of the Sagha even more warmly than
before: that as long as there existed any Upsik she would keep the
Moralities in full, would acquire calmness of mind, become established in
the Dhamma and Discipline (Dhamma and Vinaya), put .an end to
doubt, abolish indecision, be self-confident, not relying on others and live
in the Teachers teaching. The Buddha remarked on his great gain in

having such a wife as Nakulas mother, compassionate and solicitous for
her husbands welfare, for a counsellor and teacher, and said that as long
as he had any woman lay-disciplines at all se should be one of them.
The duty of supporting ones parents is included in the three good
things proclaimed by the wise, the other two being the practice of charity
(dna) and the going forth into the homeless life (Pabbajj). The debt to
ones parents is, in general, impossible to repay; it can be discharged only
in a case where the child arouses in his parents confidence in the
Dhamma, settle and establishes them in morality, replaces their
meanness by generosity, or dispelling their foolishness, settles and
establishes them in wisdom.
In the case of good companions where a mutual friendship is already
established, certain duties are incurred. Loyalty to ones friends brings
service and support, freedom enemies, a welcome home after ones
travels, and success in ones undertakings. One should live up to ones
promises and should regard with friendliness any object or person that
has done one a service. For example, one should not break a branch of a
tree that has sheltered one, if one has accepted hospitality for a night and
taken food and drink from the person; one should never entertain
unfriendly thoughts of him or contemplate any unkind act towards him. If
one hears gossip concerning a friend one should examine the matter
carefully before accepting is as true; a chance word of a stranger should
never separate friends.
While Buddhism emphasizes a personal lay ethic of giving, moral
restraint and right livelihood and a more elaborate monastic code, it by
no means neglects the area of lay inter-personal and social relationship.
Nevertheless discourses to the laity are not generally given in the form of
disciplinary rules, as: the wider lay society was so open to changing
circumstances of space and time that the monk did not consider it as a
subject appropriate for fixed rules.
An important text in this area is the Siglovada Sutta described by

the Emperor Asoka and Buddhaghosa as the Vinaya, or code of discipline
of lay people. Here the Buddha comes across Sigla, worshipping the
directions in pursuance of his fathers dying wish. The Buddha counsels
him that there is a better way to serve the directions; by proper actions
towards six types of persons. Before outlining these appropriate actions,
he first teaches Sigla the proper way for a lay person to conduct himself
or herself in general.
Buddhism greatly values social harmony and cohesion, as seen in
the value placed on the four foundations of social unity, as found in the
Siglovada sutta: giving (Dna); kindly speech (Piyavca); helpful action
(Atthacariy); impartion treatment and equal participation (Smanatat); or
even mindedness to pleasure and pain (Samnasukhadukkhata).
A society of self-disciplined, self -reliant people will be peaceful,
and in turn support individual growth and development. In this process,
the importance of associating with good people is often stressed, so that
good qualities are stimulated, reinforced and spread.
Over the ages Buddhist rulers have periodically taken note of the
advice of leading Buddhist monks. While monks are generally expected
to keep aloof from overt political activity, this is not always the case. In
modern times, in Tibet, monks and nuns have been active in
demonstrations against the Chinese Communist colonization of the
country. In Burma, monks have sometimes led the populace in
demonstrations against the present corrupt military regime.
References:
1. Peter Hervey, An Introduction to Buddhist Ethics: foundations,

values and issues, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000,
p. 97-100, 109-118.
2. Hammalawa Saddhatissa, Buddhist Ethics: the path to Nirvana,
London: Windom Publication, 1987, p. 117-134.
3. Winston L. King, In the hope of Nibbana: The Ethics of Theravada
Buddhism, 2nd edition, USA: Pariyatti Press, 2001, p. 163-193.
AN ANALYTICAL STUDY OF ECONOMIC ETHICS IN BUDDHISM
Ashin Nyanadipa
MA Student
This systematic topic to An Analytical Study of Economic Ethics in

Buddhism should be studied anyone interested in Buddhism, including
students, scholars, leaders, managing directors, general managers, business men
and general readers. Economic prosperity covers a wide range of issues: type of
work or business practices, the approach to work in general and
entrepreneurship in particular, the use to which income is put, attitudes to
wealth, the distribution of wealth, critiques of politico-economic systems such
as capitalism and communism, and the offering of alternatives to these in both
theory and practice. In a Buddhist context, it also conveys a consideration of
such issues in relation to lay citizens, governments and the Sagha.
Buddhist lay economic ethics

Right Livelihood is one of the requirements of the Buddhas Noble
Eightfold Path. It is clear, therefore, that there must be such a thing as Buddhist
economics. Buddhist countries have often stated that they wish to remain
faithful to their heritage. So Burma: The New Burma sees no conflict between
religious values and economic progress.
Spiritual health and material well-being are not enemies: they are natural
allies. 1 We can blend successfully the religious and spiritual values of our
1
The New Burma (Economic and Social Board, Government of the Union Burma, 1954
heritage with the benefits of modern technology.2 We burmans have a sacred

duty to conform both our dreams and our acts to our faith. This we shall ever
do.3 All the same, such countries invariably assume that they can model their
economic development plans in accordance with modern economics, and they
call upon modern economists from so-called advanced countries to advise
them, to formulate the policies to be pursued, and to construct the grand
design for development, the Five-Year Plan or whatever it may be called. No
one seems to think that a Buddhist way of life would call for Buddhist
economics, just as the modern materialist way of life has brought forth modern
economics. Economists themselves, like most specialists, normally suffer from a
kind of metaphysical blindness, assuming that theirs is a science of absolute and
invariable truths, without any presuppositions. Some go as far as to claim that
economic laws are as free from metaphysics or values as the law of
gravitation. We need not, however, get involved in arguments of methodology.
Instead, let us take some fundamentals and see what they look like when
viewed by a modern economist and a Buddhist economist.
There is universal agreement that a fundamental source of wealth is
human labour. Now the modern economist has been brought up to consider
labour or work as little more than a necessary evil. From this point of view of
the employer, it is in any case simply an item of cost, to be reduced to a
minimum if it cannot be eliminated altogether, say, by automation. From this
point of View of the workman, it is a disutility to work is to make a sacrifice
of ones leisure and comfort, and wages are a kind of compensation for the
sacrifice. Hence the ideal from this point of View of the employer is to have
output without employees, and the ideal from this point of View of the
employee is to have income without employment.
2
Ibid.
3
Ibid.
The consequences of these attitudes both in theory and in practice are,

of course, extremely far-reaching. If the ideal with regard to work is to get rid of
it, every method that reduces the work load is a good thing. The most
potential method, short of automation, is the so-called division of labour and
the classical example is the pin factory eulogized in Adam Smiths Wealth of
Nations.4 Here it is not a matter of ordinary specialization, which mankind has
practiced from time immemorial, but of dividing up every complete process of I
production into minute parts, so that the final product can be produced at
great speed without anyone having had to contribute more than a totally
insignificant and, in most cases, unskilled movement of his limbs.
The Buddhist points of View on the function of work

The Buddhist point of View takes the function of work to be at least
threefold: to give man a chance to utilize and develop his faculties; to enable
him to overcome his ego centeredness by joining with other people in a
common task; and to bring forth the goods and services needed for a becoming
existence. Again, the consequences that flow from this view are endless. To
organize work in such a manner that it becomes meaningless, boring,
stultifying, or nerve-racking for the worker would be little short of criminal; it
would indicate a greater concern with goods than with people, an evil lack of
compassion and a soul-destroying degree of attachment to the most primitive
side of this worldly existence. Equally, to strive for leisure as an alternative to
work would be considered a complete misunderstanding of one of the basic
truths of human existence, namely that work and leisure are complementary
parts of the same living process and cannot be separated without destroying the
joy of work and the bliss of leisure.
Two types of mechanization
4
Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith.
From the Buddhist point of view, there are therefore two types of
mechanization which must be clearly distinguished: one that enhances a mans
skill and power and one that turns the work of man over to a mechanical slave,
leaving man in a position of having to serve the slave. How to tell the one from
the other? The craftsman himself, says to Ananda Coomaraswamy, a man
equally competent to talk about the modern West as the ancient East, can
always, if allowed to, draw the delicate distinction between the machine and
the tool. The carpet loom is a tool, a contrivance for holding warp threads at a
stretch for the pile to be woven round them by the craftsmens fingers; but the
power loom is a machine, and its significance as a destroyer of culture lies in
the fact that it does the essentially human part of the work. 5 It is clear,
therefore, that Buddhist economics must be very different from the economics
of modern materialism, since the Buddhist sees the essence of civilization not
in a multiplication of wants but in the purification of human character.
Character, at the same time, is formed primarily by a mans work. And work,
prper1y conducted in conditions of human dignity and freedom, blesses those
who do it and equally their products. The Indian philosopher and economist J.
C. Kumarappa sums the matter up as follows:
If the nature of the work is properly appreciated and applied, it will stand
in the same relation to the higher faculties as food is to the physical body. It
nourishes and enlivens the higher man and urges him to produce the best he is
capable of. It directs his free will along the proper course and disciplines the
animal in him into progressive channels. It furnishes an excellent background
for man to display his scale of values and develop his personality.6
Considerations of modern economist and Buddhist economist
5
Art and Swadeshi by Ananda K. Coomaraswamy (Ganesh & C Madras
6
Economy of Permanence by J. C. Kumarappa (Sarva-Seva Sangh Publicati Rajghat, Kashi, 4th edn., 1958).
From the Buddhist point of view, this is standing the truth on its head by
considering goods as more important than people and consumption as more
important than creative activity. It means shifting the emphasis from the worker
to the product of work, that is, from the human to the subhuman, surrender to
the forces of evil. The very start of Buddhist economic planning would be a
planning for full employment, and the primary purpose of this would in fact be
employment for everyone who needs an outside job: it would not be the
maximization of employment nor the maximization of production.
Women, on the whole, do not need an outside job, and the large-scale
employment of women in offices or factories would be considered a sign of
serious economic failure. In particular, to let mothers of young children work in
factories while the children run wild would be as uneconomic in the eyes of a
Buddhist economist as the employment of a skilled worker as a soldier in the
eyes of a modern economist. While the materialist is mainly interested in
goods, the Buddhist is mainly interested in liberation. But Buddhism is The
Middle Way and therefore in no way antagonistic to physical well-being. It is
not wealth that stands in the way of liberation but the attachment to wealth;
not the enjoyment of pleasurable things but the craving for them. The keynote
of Buddhist economics, therefore, is simplicity and non-violence. From an
economists point of View, the marvel of the Buddhist way of life is the utter
rationality of its pattern-amazingly small means leading to extraordinarily
satisfactory results. For the modern economist this is very difficult to
understand. He is used to measuring the standard of living by the amount of
annual consumption, assuming all the time that a man who consumes more is
better off than a man who consumes less. A Buddhist economist would
consider this approach excessively irrational: since consumption is merely a
means to human well-being, the aim should be to obtain the maximum of well-
being with the minimum of consumption.
Modern economics and Buddhist economics

Another striking difference between modern economics and Buddhist
economics arises over the use of natural resources. Bertrand de Jouvenel, the
eminent French political philosopher, has characterized Western man in
words which may be taken as a fair description of the modern economist:
He tends to count nothing as an expenditure, other than human effort;
he does not seem to mind how much mineral matter he wastes and, far worse,
how much living matter he destroys. He does not seem to realize at all that
human life is a dependent part of an ecosystem of many different forms of life.
As the world is ruled from towns where men are cut off from any form of life
other than human, the feeling of belonging to an ecosystem is not revived. This
results in a harsh and improvident treatment of things upon which we
ultimately depend, such as water and trees.7
The teaching of the Buddha, on the other hand, enjoys a reverent and
non-violent attitude not only to all sentient beings but also, with great
emphasis, to trees. Every follower of the Buddha ought to plant a tree every
few years and look after it until it is safely established, and the Buddhist
economist can demonstrate without difficulty that the universal observation of
this rule would result in a high rate of genuine economic development
independent of any foreign aid. Much of the economic decay of south-east,
Asia is undoubtedly due to a heedless and shameful neglect of trees.
Even if this were dismissed as a long-term View there is the immediate
question of whether modernization, as currently practiced without regard to
religious and spiritual values, is actually producing agreeable results. As far as
the masses are concerned, the results appear to be disastrous-a collapse of the
rural economy, a rising tide of unemployment in town and country, and the
growth of a city proletariat without nourishment for either body or soul.
7
A Philosopb y of Indian Economic Development by Richard B. Gre (Navajivan Publishing House, Ahmedabad,
India, 1958).
In conclusion it is in the light of both immediate experience and long

term prospects that the study of Buddhist economics could be recommended
even to those who believe that economic growth is more important than any
spiritual or religious values. For it is not a question of choosing between
modern growth and traditional stagnation. It is a question of finding the
right path of development, the Middle Way between materialist heedlessness
and traditionalist immobility, in short, of finding Right Livelihood.
.
HUMAN LIVELIHOOD BETWEEN MORAL AND IMMORAL CONDUCT
Ashin Nyanavara
MA Student
Generally, there are two kinds of livelihood dependent on moral

and immoral conduct. If moral conduct is simple, it is only moral
conduct. However, moral conduct is right livelihood (Samm jva) when
moral conduct turn into livelihood. Similarly, immoral conduct becomes
wrong livelihood (Macch jva) when it turns into livelihood. When
someone commits immoral conducts, not as professional job, the
immoral conducts are just only immoral conducts, but not as livelihood.
When someone does evil deeds, the immoral conducts, as livelihood, he
earns his livelihood in the wrong way. Not earning ones livelihood by
doing any evils is right livelihood, but wrong livelihood is earning ones
livelihood by doing evils (Duccaritas). Refraining from evils ordinarily
means refraining from three kinds of physical evil deeds: evil deeds of
killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct; and from four kinds of verbal evil
deeds of false speech, slanderous speech, harsh speech, and frivolous
talk. Three physical evil deeds and four verbal evil deeds should be seen
as immoral conducts. The abstinence from these seven evil deeds should
be known as moral conduct. When one earns ones livelihood in moral
conducts, right action (Samm Kammanta) and right speech (Samm
Vc) are automatically accomplished. When earning ones livelihood in
immoral conducts, right action and right speech are also automatically
accomplished.
Nowadays, we can easily see most of the people earning their
livelihood by killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct. How one earns his
livelihood by killing should be seen as a butcher, an angler, a professional

murder, and a professional hunter. A butcher is to kill living beings for his
livelihood. An angler is to kill fishes for his livelihood. A professional
murder is to kill people for his livelihood. A professional hunter is to kill
animals for his livelihood. In whatever cases they kill for purposes for
their livelihood, their livelihood is wrong livelihood. Killing for purposes
such as robbery, assignment to kill by other people, professional jobs like
fishery and butchery, are vocationally aligned physical evil deeds
(Kyakamma Duccaritas). Killing by way of hate or impulse, without
expectation of any material gain, is vocationally non-aligned physical evil
deeds. Other evil deeds should be divided 1 If a person earns his
livelihood with evil deed of killing, he or she may be reborn in hell after
his or her death. After from the hell, when reborn as a human, he or she
would receive such evil effects or results: short life, disease-fullness,
constant grief caused by separation from the loved ones, and constant
fear.2 People earn their livelihood by killing because the primary reason is
that they do not know they can gain such bad results. Some people earn
livelihood by stealing. The immoral conduct of stealing is just only evil
deed when it is not livelihood. However, stealing for the purposes of
livelihood, it is wrong livelihood. Professional thieves, robbers, kidnapers,
profiteers, and illegal traders should be seen those who earn livelihood in
the wrong in that they earn their livelihood by stealing. Their professional
jobs are concerned with theft. The nature of Kamma is just like while
there is a light, there is a shadow. While there is a Kamma, there is the
effect of Kamma. If a person earns his livelihood by stealing, his evil deed
of theft will bring him such bad results: (1) poverty, (2) misery, (3)
disappointment or unfulfilled desires, and (4) dependent livelihood. 3
Some people earn livelihood by sexual misconduct, for example, as
1
Janakbhivasa, Kokyint Abhidhamma, Trans. U Nyi, Practical Aspects of Buddhist Ideals, (Central
Milton Keynes, MK9 2BE: AuthorHouse, 2010), p. 74.
2
Nrada Mahthera, The Buddha and His Teachings (TBHT) (Kandy, Srilanka: Buddhist Publication
Society, 2010) 209.
3
TBHT, p 209.
prostitutes, or prostitute traders. In these days, trading young women for

prostitutes is occurring almost in very corner of the world. That people
earn livelihood in such wrong way is like destroying the world where they
live. Earning livelihood by doing evil deeds is like poisoning oneself dead
because evil Kamma destroys the doer just as the fruit of bamboo
destroys its bamboo plant. Some people earn livelihood by lying. For
example, some layers give false evidence at a court of law for material
gain, give unlawful advocacy, and some professional public lecturers give
false speeches, false tales, or false make-up stories to the public. Besides
that, some preachers preach false Dhamma to the laypeople and direct
them to the wrong ways. Some agents give special promise to anyone for
work, take a great amount of money for service, and then run away from
him without giving any service. They earn livelihood by lying directly or
indirectly.
In addition, a layperson or follower should not engage in five types
of business: (i) business in weapons (being an arms salesperson), (ii)
business in human beings or animals (trading slaves or skin trade and
keeping animals for slaughter, (iii) business in meat (being a slaughterer,
meat salesperson, hunter or fisherman), (iv) business in intoxicants (, and
(v) business in poison.4 Wrong livelihood is also seen as any mode of that
is based on trickery or greed.
It is noticed that refraining from physical and verbal evil deeds
(Duccaritas) is Virat (abstinence). Although occasioned to talk falsehood,
one purposely avoids telling it: if that is not to do with livelihood, it is
Sammvc Virati (abstinence from falsehood); in cases of livelihood, it
is Sammjiva Virati (abstinence from wrong livelihood). On occasions to
kill, one purposely avoids killing: if that is not to do with livelihood, it is
Sammkammanta Virati (abstinence from evil actions); in cases of
livelihood, it is Sammjiva Virati (abstinence from wrong livelihood).
4
Aguttara Nikya, Vanijja Sutta (business: wrong livelihood) vol. 3, 208; Peter Harvey, An
Introduction to Buddhist Ethics, (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2000), 188.
Samm jiva (right livelihood) means abstinence from the above-

mentioned evils in earning ones livelihood. Right livelihood is the
deliberate abstinence from wrong livelihood 5 There are four kinds of
Right Livelihood according to The Manual of Buddhism by Ledi Sayadaw:
1. Duccaritamicchjva Virati (abstinence from wrong livelihood by
doing evil deeds),
2. Anesanmicchjva Virati (abstinence from wrong livelihood by
searching in the wrong or improper ways),
3. Kuhandimicchjva Virati (abstinence from wrong livelihood by
dishonest or deceptive ways or improper ways),
4. Tiracchnvijjmacchajiva Virati (abstinence from wrong
livelihood with the worldly arts such as occults, occult science,
palmistry, etc.).6
The first means abstinence from earning a livelihood by committing
any of the three-fold physical evil deeds and four-fold verbal evil deeds.
Five kinds of merchandise already mentioned above are included in this
chapter. The second means abstinence from earning a livelihood by Isi
and Bhikkhus by acquiring gifts and offerings by any of the twenty-one
improper means, e.g. by giving fruits and flowers, and so forth. The third
means abstinence from the five improper ways of earning a livelihood
under this head, namely: Kuhana, Lapana, Nimitta, Nippesana, Lbhena
Lbha Nijigsana. The fourth means abstinence from the worldly arts as
the worldly arts are contrary to Isi and Bhikkhus practice of Dhamma. It
is improper for Isi and Bhikkhus to earn a livelihood in such modes.
In conclusion, it is important for one to know how to earn his
livelihood in the present life because wrong livelihood has the ability to
produce hell-rebirth or woeful state next life, and in this present life, he
may be rebuked by the wise. If a person lives himself, he should avoid
5
Bhikkhu Bodhi, ed, A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma, 3 ed. (Kandy, Sri Lanka: BPS, 1999)
89.
6
Ledi Sayadaw, The Manuals of Buddhism, edited by The English Editorial Board (KABA-AYE, Yangon,
Burma: Union Buddha Sasana Council, 1965) 418-419.
earning his livelihood by committing the seven kinds of evil deed as

mentioned above and trading the five improper kinds of merchandise
because the wrong livelihood is capable of destroying those who earns in
such modes of evil deeds.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Aguttara Nikya, 3 vols.

Janakbhiva sa. Kokyint Abhidhamma. Trans. U Nyi, Practical Aspects
of Buddhist Ideals, Central Milton Keynes, MK9 2BE: Author
House, 2010.
Nrada Mahthera. The Buddha and His Teachings. Kandy, Srilanka:
Buddhist Publication Society, 2010.
Bhikkhu Bodhi. gen. ed. A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma, 3
ed. Kandy, Sri Lanka: BPS, 1999.
Ledi Sayadaw. The Manuals of Buddhism. edited by The English Editorial
Board. KABA-AYE, Yangon, Burma: Union Buddha S sana Council,
1965.
Shwe Aung, U. The Buddha: Peerless Benefactor of Humanity. Yangon:
Myawaddy Press, 1995.
Harvey, Peter. An Introduction to Buddhist Ethics. New York: Cambridge
University Press, 2000.
Saddhatissa, Hammalawa. Buddhist Ethics: The Path to Nirvna. London:
Wisdom Publications, 1987.
Keown, Damien. The Nature of Buddhist Ethics: Aspects of Sla. New
York: Palgrave, 1992.
.
IMPLEMENTATION OF BUDDHIST MORAL VALUES IN
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT TOWARDS GREATER ECONOMIC PROSPERITY
Ashin Dhammacara
MA Student
Introduction
Buddhism has its practical focus on happiness and communal harmony in
this lifetime. It has many solutions to offer to today's business world, which is
often full of confusion and difficulty. The alleviation of suffering is the basis of
the Buddha's first teaching, the Four Noble Truths. These noble truths say that
suffering exists everywhere, that it has a cause, that it can be cured, and that
there is a remedy in the practices of balance and awareness. How does this
idea of suffering apply to businesses?1
Buddhist economic behavior personal and social ethics, aligned
economic institutions, and the attitude toward property and wealth. In a
Buddhist Economic System-in Practice, he highlights applications of such
principles, in redistribution of income, radiation, trade, competition, and
economic policy.
Buddhist economic ethics that is Buddhist values with regard to wealth
and economic activity, either within society or within the Sagha are often
slighted in Western scholarly studies of Buddhism even though they play a
significant role as a part of overall Buddhist philosophy regarding social life and
even enlightenment itself. This is due perhaps partly to an implicit
interpretation of Buddhism among some scholars as being a religion focused
1
OM Ashtankar Dr. Relevance of Buddhisim for Business Management. P.1
primarily upon an individualistic pursuit of enlightenment rather than also a set

of practiced social, political, and economic ethics. To an extent of course this
characterization holds true, for at least a part of both the Theravda and
Mahyna traditions. Yet it also ignores clearly developed Buddhist attitudes
and values toward economic activities, some explicitly expressed in the various
Vinaya codes for monks, others less explicitly, but still clearly enough, in various
stories and Suttas which lay out general principles of behavior for lay believers.
1. Business Values
Every corporation concerns itself with and develops business values that
conform to its own identity which is always sought and found within the
personality of the companys owner; devised from future challenges facing the
company, and with the collective values fostered amongst its employees. These
existing values subsequently compare to the values that should be professed by
the company in accordance with its new challenging and globalizing vision.
Several business values that should be professed by a company are:
1. Global Ethics (GE)
2. Good Corporate Governance (GCG)
3. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
4. Company Values (CV), 2
namely: integrity, compassion, innovation,
synergy, commitment, and teamwork-based cooperation. All the
universal business ethic Values above, if we mind thoroughly, have
existed within Buddhist teachings - mainly, those implicitly contained
inside the Mangala-Sutta or Sigalovada-Sutta, and other suttas.
2. Buddhist Ethics
The Buddhist Pacasla moral ethics had been globally accepted and
developed by international communities. For this reason, it is also called
2
Herman S. Endro. Business Ethics: The Buddhist Perspective. P-3
Implementation of Buddhist moral values in business management 155
Global Ethics. Until now, the Pacasla concept has been perceived amongst
Buddhist community as individual moral ethics. Yet it has not been developed
further into social ethics. Indeed when somebody holds the Pacasla strongly,
they contribute to create a greater, happier society; and this should not take a
long time if this is described as social ethics. What is meant by social ethics, is:
Buddhist Pacasla ethics should be embraced and developed within any
organization (association, company, or state). It will be built through several
activities below:
1. Training oneself to avoid killing (Patipt veramani)
2. Training oneself to avoid stealing (Adinadn veramani)
3. Training oneself to avoid immoral conduct (Kmesumichcr veramani)
4. Training oneself to avoid dishonesty (Musvd veramani)
5. Training oneself to avoid intoxicating drink and meal
(Surmerayamajjapmdahn veramani)
Those Buddhist ethics addressed towards individual people are not

mandated commandments; rather, Buddhist precepts are self-promised, and
witnessed by the community. This demonstrates that someone seriously intends
to prepare oneself to avoid the five awful-conducts performed through
thoughts, speech, and deeds that harm oneself, as well as other people in the
community.
3. The Foundation of Buddhist Business Ethics

The foundation of Buddhist business ethics, Five Precepts are: not
killing, not stealing, no sexual misconduct, not lying, no consuming of
intoxicants as standards for being human, and as standards for developing
modern enterprises and economic-markets. In society, currently, where
materialism excels over anything else, people use all kinds of approaches to
make money, even refuse to have anything to do with, or at the expense of kin
and friends bent solely towards profit severely affecting peoples ethical views.3
These Buddhist business ethics, Pacasla could be developed into both
social and business ethics as follows:
1. To avoid killing and torturing

Buddhist Value: To respect every sort of life.
Business: Should avoid human trafficking, animal trading, torturing,
weapon business, illegal logging.
Corporate Social Responsibility: The corporate should participate to
promote the efforts towards natural conservation, environmental preservation,
and animal protection. It should advocate also every effort against Violence
within both family and society. Explanation: Most of developed countries had
eliminated death penalty from their penal code for human-rights reasons. Every
act of torture treatment is against human rights by state agencies, and is
compulsory for violators to be punished. For example: the US Army soldier in
Iraq who perpetrated torture had been punished. According to human rights
values, governments have no authority, at any time, to undertake any
abduction of any person without a valid reason.
2. To avoid stealing
Buddhist Value: To respect others wealth (be it as both movable and
immovable goods).
Business: To avoid the business of stolen and smuggled goods or
commodities, including illegal logging/forest products, fishery, and mining as
well as intellectual property piracy. Businesses running corruptly through
bribery, budget mark-up, and collusion should be avoided, for it will rob and
seize wealth to the detriment of the whole society.
3
Li ling. Buddhist Ethics and Economics. P2
Corporate Social Responsibility: Corporations should participate in

government effort to fight against corruption. This participation could be
manifested, for instance, by making posters, publishing public and business
advertorials addressed to support the efforts. Explanation: States have
experienced great destruction caused by stealing state and private properties
(corruption). Unfortunately, this stealing was by people acted for religious
communities and determined to be, by no means, a sense of this being a great
sin. Indonesia is famously known as country of thieves being the second most
corrupt country in the world.
At the corporate level, a business-owner should not take away or steal
employees rights and should not pilfer state capital, whether by undertaking
bribery, practicing illegal logging, avoiding tax payments, or any others.
Business-owner should avoid robbing consumers rights by means of decreasing
weight and setting inadequate price and material content.
The business-owner compulsion in morality is to increase the prosperous
life of the employees and their families, as well as that of the improvement of a
better, wealthier life of society on wider scale based on their contribution and
corporate capacity. It is the business-owners obligation to manage the business
morally and ethically.
3. Avoiding Immoral Sexual Conduct

Buddhist value: To respect the sustainability of family and dignity (of
oneself and other as well).
Business: Should avoid the business of pornography, sexual
entertainment, sexual toys, prostitution, and many similar activities.4
Corporate Social Responsibility: Corporations could participate in efforts
to enhance the wealth and health of the family, to overcome HIV/AIDS, and to
prevent sexual harassment and misconduct, in the workplaces and in society.
4
Herman S. Endro. Business Ethics: The Buddhist Perspective. P-l0
Explanation: A good corporation should disseminate written regulations about

gender-deference for both man and woman, stating the rules against and
punishment for sexual harassment in all forms, whether in modest forms that
usually assumed to be common and the more crude acts of sexual harassment
which are against moral codes. These rules should are equally valid for
common employees, and for the middle and high-level corporate managers.
4. Avoiding dishonesty, gossip, slander, and dissention

Buddhist Value: To hold firmly to the truth, not falsehood
Business: Should avoid the business of print and electronic media
containing dishonesty, gossip, slander, and dissention.
Corporate Social Responsibility: Corporations could participate in
competitions for selecting the best corporation performing corporate social
responsibility as well as good corporate governance principles. Explanation:
Experiences illustrate government officers who often and shamelessly
committed public fraud. For them, we have had a joke: he has everything, but
the only thing he has not, is shame. Ones dignity depends on how much
shame (Hiri) he has, as well as the guilt (Ottapa) he feels when he has done an
immoral deed. The bad habit of defamation, rumor, and dissention commonly
found inside the political ambiance, is to be avoided. Ethical politics is praised
by the Sophists. Within authoritarian governments, newspapers dare not to
bare open facts and data from fear of the government revoking publishing
rights.
5. Avoiding intoxicating drink and meal

Buddhist value: To respect the (both individual and societal) health as the
greatest asset.
Business: The business of food and drinks that intoxicate and lower the
consciousness, such as: drugs, narcotics, alcoholic drink, opium, etc.5
Corporate Social Responsibility: Corporation could participate as
sponsors for some efforts to deal with drug abuse and the uncontrolled smoking
habit amongst adolescents. Explanation: It is a crime to produce, sale, and use
food, drink, or anything intoxicating or causes addiction. Everywhere in the
world, efforts are undertaken to forbid and address heavy punishments
enforced both by state and by universal God or Dhamma laws. According to
Kamma (law of action): those who carry out actions will obtain immense
Kammaphala (Kamma result) either in the present life or in the next birth.
The physical and moral damage done to a nation from drugs is
unimaginably enormous. Many generations of both poor and wealth nation-
states have been attacked by the plague of drugs. Both corporate and worker
associations have obligations to illuminate, prevent, and to take proper
measures for deterring employees of all social classes from awful acts, and
clubbing habits.
By following Pacadhamma, the employee and corporations will have
huge competent mental and physical assets for supporting corporate goals. Bad
health will be the detriment for both employee and corporate itself
competency maters little if employees have bad health.
4. Buddhist Business Management

In Buddhist economic-ethics, the careful and organized handling of
finances is emphasized. In fact, the Sin galov da-Sutta6 presents a very practical
economic formula to manage the household economy. The general meaning of
the formula is that one should use one part of his rightly earned income to
manage his day-to-day affairs, two parts should be profitably invested, and the
5
6
Pathtikavagga Pali. Dighanikaya. P-146
fourth part should be safe-deposited utilized only in times of need. There are
different interpretation regarding the division of wealth into four portions as to
whether all four portions should be equal and so an.
A more practical interpretation is that the proportioning can or more
precisely, should vary depending on the income and other related
circumstances. In this formula, there is more significance than what ones eyes
meet. Naturally the portion set aside for day to day expenses has to be
considerably larger than the other portions, for there are many duties and
obligation to be performed utilizing the wealth included in that portion. The
commentary gives details about such duties and obligations that include even
charitable work and payment of salaries for servants, etc. Besides, as many
other suttas show, it is this portion that one has to utilize in maintaining oneself,
family members, relatives, performing religious duties, and so on.
All economic development is dependent on fruitful utilization of labor,
and this depends on good employer-employee relations. Buddhist economic
ethic deals with this aspect in detail. Buddhism recognizes dignity of labor. Its
contractive criticism of the prevailing caste-based division of labor clearly
indicates Buddhism never advocates position or profession fixes social-status
and privileges.
5. The Four Qualities for Happiness and Well-being in this Life

The Buddha instructs rich householders how to preserve and increase
their prosperity and how to avoid loss of wealth. The Blessed One guided the
four qualities for happiness and well-being in this life.
1. The accomplishment of persistent effort (Uhna-sampad)
What is the accomplishment of persistent effort?
Whatsoever by activity a householder earns his living, whether by farming,
by trading, by rearing cattle, by archery, by service under the king, or by any
other kind of craft -at that he becomes skillful and is not lazy. He is endowed
with the power of discernment as to the proper ways and means; he is able to
carry out and allocate (duties). This is called the accomplishment of persistent
effort.
2. The accomplishment of watchfulness (rakkha-sampad)

What is the accomplishment of watchfulness?
Whatsoever wealth a householder is in possession of, obtained by dint of
effort, collected by strength of arm, by the sweat of his brow, justly acquired by
right means -such he husbands well by guarding and watching so that kings
would not seize it, thieves would not steal it, fire would not burn it, water
would not carry it away, nor ill-disposed heirs remove it. This is the
accomplishment of watchfulness.
3. Good friendship (Kalynamittat)

What is good friendship?
Whatsoever in Village or market town a householder dwells, he
associates, converses, engages in discussions with householders or
householders' sons, whether young and highly cultured or old and highly
cultured, full of faith (Saddh), [4] full of virtue (Sla), full of charity (Cga), full
of wisdom (Pa). He acts in accordance with the faith of the faithful, with the
virtue of the virtuous, with the charity of the charitable, with the wisdom of the
wise. This is called good friendship.
4. Balanced livelihood (Sama-jvikat)

What is balanced livelihood?
A householder knowing his income and expenses leads a balanced life,
neither extravagant nor miserly, knowing that thus his income will stand in
excess of his expenses, but not his expenses in excess of his income. "Just as the
goldsmith, or an apprentice of his, knows, on holding up a balance, that by so
much it has dipped down, by so much it has tilted up; even so a householder,
knowing his income and expenses leads a balanced life, neither extravagant nor
miserly, knowing that thus his income will stand in excess of his expenses, but
not his expenses in excess of his income.7
6. The Human Resources Policy

In order to place human resource management on a solid base, it is
firmly suggested for corporations managed or owned by Buddhists to have
business ethics, a corporate ethic code, and a human-resource policy.
Corporations should believe wholeheartedly that the corporate spirit as
work ethics constitute the main capital for creating the more humane working-
relationships and a durable, competitive corporation able to improve and
develop its business. The spirit does not only oblige the employee to be
professionally accountable of his performance, but provides him the chance
and motivation to take a more participatory role in building the corporation. In
so doing, the employee shares the benefit of serene work, work-safety, fairness,
freedom from discriminatory treatment, opportunity to progress, and wealth
improvement.
As a responsible patron, the company should neither give nor demand
opinions. Moreover, it should be responsible for human resources whether the
owner, manager or staff have the conviction, competence, motivation, and
opportunity to take upon the corporate-spirit as their life-style and ideology for
the workplace. For that reason, the corporation ought to set up Five Principle
Policies on Human Resource Management:
1. Non-discrimination, opportunities, and equal treatment to all employees.
2. Undertake sustained guidance-training in every aspect: technical,
managerial, and leadership-matters to conform to labor-demands and
technological development or other change.
7
Dighajanu-Sutta. Anguttara Nikava . P-107
3. To compensate fairly for wages, contributions, and performance

achieved.
4. To build steered, measurable and structured work-communication.
5. To obey legally-binding labour-laws
These five principle policies are the manifestation of Dhamma when
implemented would yield happiness for the companys stakeholders, i.e.:
shareholders, managers, employees, government, suppliers, and the wider
society.8
7. Conclusion
Buddhism believes the purpose of economic development is not merely
to meet personal benefits, but to strive for the benefit and salvation of all
beings. There are two kinds of giving: monetary giving and dharma giving, in
Buddhism; money giving assists those who need helps materially hence, this
kind of economic view is based on charity. From the viewpoint of Buddhism,
economic benefit, such as money there is nothing wrong with it in itself, but
it should be earned wholesomely or used properly -to be beneficial to all
sentient beings and society. But, owing to being too greedy and too self-
conscious, people become slaves to paper ,money, unconsciously, in
economic tidal waves; bad ideas such as self-enjoyment and self-display
through material prosperity are results from giving up ethical economics".
Hence, being aware of ethical economics is important for socioeconomic
development now, for all of us. When people become aware that economic
development is not merely for personal enjoyment and display, but serves for
whole society and humanity, then people would utilize the economy to benefit
society and future generations of offspring, for building greater environments
and opportunities for future lives. Therefore, ethical economics charity in
8
Buddhism not only has moral implications, but also serves as a fundamental
guarantee for building economic benefits for future generations of life.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
PRIMARY SOURSES
Pathikavagga-Pali. Dighanikaya. Yangon, Myanmar: Ministry of Religious Affairs
Press, 2004.
Itivuttaka-Pali. Khuddakanikdya. Yangon, Myanmar: Ministry of Religious Affairs
Press, 2004.
Suttanipdta-Pdli. Khuddakanikdya. Yangon, Myanmar: Ministry of Religious
Affairs Press, 2004.
Suttanipdta-atthakatha. Yangon, Myanmar: Ministry of Religious Affairs Press,
2004.
Dhammapada-atthakatha. 1 Vol. Yangon, Myanmar: Ministry of Religious
Attakanipata-Pali. Anguttra-Nikaya_ Yangon, Myanmar: Ministry of Religious
Milindapanha-Pali. Yangon, Myanmar: Ministry of Religious Affairs Press. 2004.
Visuddhimagga-atthakathd. Yangon, Myanmar: Ministry of Religious Affairs
Press, 2004.
SECONDARY SOURSES
Herman S. Endro. Business Ethics: The Buddhist Perspective. The Theravada
Buddhist Council of Indonesia Press, 1982.
OM Ashtankar Dr. Relevance of Buddhisim for Business Management. KITS
Press, 2012.
Li Jing. Buddhist Ethics and Economics. Buddhist Academy of China Press,
2007.
Min Tin Mon Dr. (trans). Of K. Sri Dhammananda, Dr. Buddhist Ethics and
Duties. Malaysia: Buddhist Missionary Society, 1996.
Peter Harvey. An Introduction to Buddhist Ethics. Cambridge University Press,
2000.
S. Tachibana. The Ethics of Buddhism, London: Oxford University Press, 1926.
.
SECTION E
SOCIAL ETHICS
THE PLACE OF SOCIAL NORMS IN BUDDHIST MONASTICISM
Ashin Kesara
MA Student
Social norms, the customary rules that govern behavior in groups

and societies, have been extensively studied in the social in Buddhist
monasticism. Some of the important differences between moral, social
and legal norms, as well as differences between norms and conventions,
have been blurred. Much attention instead has been paid to the
conditions under which norms will be obeyed. Moreover, since social
norms are seen as central to the production of social order or social
coordination, research on norms has been focused on the functions they
perform, and whether they do so efficiently.
Moreover, though a particular norm may persist because of some
positive social function it fulfils, there are many others that are inefficient
and even widely unpopular. Philosophers have taken a different
approach to norms. Norms are represented as equilibria of games of
strategy, and as such they are supported by a cluster of self-fulfilling
expectations. Beliefs, expectations, group knowledge and common
knowledge have thus become central concepts in the development of a
philosophical view of social norms.
Engaged Buddhism refers to Buddhists who are seeking ways to
apply the insights from meditation practice and Dhamma teachings to
situations of social, political, environmental, and economic suffering and
injustice. Social norms, like many other social phenomena, are the
unplanned, unexpected result of individuals interactions. This View
suggests that a study of the conditions under which norms come into
being, as opposed to one stressing the functions fulfilled by social norms.
There are three main canonical theories of conformity:
socialization, social identity and rational choice. Buddhist socialism is a
political ideology which advocates socialism based on the principles of
Buddhism. Both Buddhism and socialism seek to provide an end to
suffering by analysing its conditions and removing its main causes through
praxis.
Socialization
In the theory of the socialized actor, an individual action is equated
with a choice among several alternatives. Human action is understood
within a utilitarian framework as instrumentally oriented and utility
maximizing. Buddhist monasticism is one of the earliest surviving forms of
organized monasticism in the history of religion. It is also one of the most
fundamental institutions of Buddhism. Monks and nuns are considered to
be responsible for the preservation and dissemination of the Buddha's
teaching and the guidance of Buddhist lay people.
Monastic life
Buddhism has no central authority, and therefore many different
varieties of practice and philosophy have developed over its history,
including among monastic communities, sometimes leading to schisms in
the Sagha. The information presented here, unless otherwise noted,
characterizes only certain Buddhist monks who follow the most strict
regulations of the southern schools tradition. The oldest existing set of
texts concerning a Buddhist form of life are those texts comes from the
time of the Buddha, because of its relative age the Pi Canon is used by
some monastic communities to define their conduct and identity. / In
some schools of Buddhism, notably those lineages in South East Asia that
compose Theravda, the Buddhist monastic community is theoretically
divided into two assemblies, the male Bhikkhu assembly, and female
Bhikkhun assembly.
According to some stories, although his followers initially consisted
only of men, the Buddha recognized women as followers after his
stepmother, Mahpajpati, asked for and received permission to live as
an ordained practitioner.
We took our cure for the discussion of rights in the west from
etymology, and perhaps we can glean something further from this source.
Above it was noted that the English word 'right' is derived from the Latin
rectus meaning straight. Does this mean that the concept of right is alien
to Buddhist thought? Not necessarily. Alan Gewirth has pointed out that
cultures may possess the concept of rights without having a vocabulary
which expresses it. He suggests that it is 'important to distinguish between
having or using a concept and the clear or explicit recognition and
elucidation of it. Thus persons might have and use the concept of a right
without explicitly having a single word for it.
Gewirth claims that the concept of rights can be found in feudal
thought, Roman law, Greek philosophy, the Old Testament, and in
primitive societies. In connection with the last Finnis points out that
anthropological studies of African tribal regimes of law have shown that
the English terms a right and duty are usually covered by a single word
derived from the from normally translated as ought. He suggests that the
best English translation in these cases is due because due look both ways
along a juridical relationship, both to what one is due to do, and to what
is due to one.
It seems, then, that the concept of a right may exist where a word
for it does not. Could this be the case in Buddhism? In Buddhism what is
due in any situation is determined by reference to the universal moral
law, or Dhamma. Dhamma determines what is right and just in all
contexts in all contexts and from all perspectives. With respect to social
justice the Rev Vajiragnana explains;
Each one of us has role to play in sustaining and promoting social

justice and orderliness. The Buddha explained very clearly these roles as
reciprocal duties existing between parents and children; teachers and
pupils; husband and wife; friends, relatives and neighbors; employer and
employee; clergy and laity. No one has been left out. The duties
explained here are reciprocal and are considered as sacred duties, for if
observed they can create a just, peaceful and harmonious society.
Since Dhamma determines, for example, the duties of husbands
and the duties of wives, it follows that the duties of one correspond to the
entitlements or right of the other. If the husband has a duty to support his
wife, the wife has a right to support from her husband. If the wife has a
duty to look after her husband's property, the husband has a right to the
safe-keeping of his property by his wife. If under Dhamma it is the duty
of a king to dispense justice impartially, then subjects may be said to have
a right to just and impartial treatment before the law.
Should it be concluded, then that the notion of a right is present in
classical Buddhism? The answer depends on the criteria adopted for
having a concept. Dagger sets out the options; If one is willing to look
primarily for the idea or the notion, however it may be expressed, then
one can confidently say that the concept of rights is Virtually as old as
civilization itself.
On the other hand

If one insists that the form of expression is crucial so that a concept
cannot be said to exit unless there is a word or phrase that distinguishes it
from other concepts, then one would have to say that the concept of
right has its origin in the middle ages.
I think our conclusion should be that the concept of rights is
implicit in classical Buddhism in the normative understanding of what is
due among and between individuals. Under Dharma, husbands and
wives, kings and subjects, teachers and students, all have reciprocal
obligations which can be analysed into rights and duties. We must qualify
this conclusion, however, by noting that the requirements of Dhamma
are almost always expressed in the form of duties rather than rights. In
other words, Dhamma states what is due in the form A husband should
support his wife as opposed to Wives have a right to be maintained by
their husbands. Until rights as personal entitlements are recognized as a
discrete but integral part of what is due under Dhamma, the modern
concept of rights cannot be said to be present. In this respect, however,
Buddhism is far from unique, and a similar comment could be made
about many other cultures and civilizations. Finnis points out with respect
to Roman law;
It is salutary to bear in mind that the modern emphasis on the
powers of the right-holder, and the consequent systematic bifurcation
between right and duty, is something that sophisticated lawyers were able
to do without for the whole life of classical Roman law.
He also suggests, rightly I think, that 'there is no cause to take sides
as between the older and the newer usages, as ways of expressing the
implications of justice in a given context. A right is a useful concept
which provides a particular perspective on justice. Its correlative, duty,
provides another. These may be thought of as separate windows onto the
common good which is justice or, in the context of Buddhism, Dhamma.
It would therefore be going too far to claim that the notion of rights is
alien to Buddhism or that the Buddhism denies that individuals have
rights. In sum it might be said that in classical Buddhism the notion of
rights is present in embryonic form although not yet born into history.
Whether anything like the Western concept of rights has, or would,
appear in the course of the historical evolution of Buddhism is a question
for specialists in the various Buddhist cultures to ponder. In many
respects, the omens for this development were never good. Buddhism
originated in a caste society, and the Asian societies where it has
flourished have for the most part been hierarchically structured, The
preconditions for the emergence of the concept of rights would seem to

be egalitarianism and democracy, neither of which have been notable
features of Asian polity before the modern era.
On the other hand, a justification for the rejection of hierarchical
social structures is not hard to find in Buddhism one need look only at
the Buddhas critique of caste. Buddhism also holds, in the doctrine of
no-self, that all individuals are equal in the most profound sense. Like the
Christian doctrine that all men are created equal before God this would
appear to be fertile ground for a doctrine of natural rights. What seems to
have been lacking in both faiths, but perhaps more so in Buddhism, was
the will to incarnate this theoretical vision of man in the flesh of social
institutions.
Now a day, we must be said how to do social norms of Sitagu
Sayadaw. Sitagu Sayadaw is known for his charismatic leadership and
practices of socially engaged Buddhism. His organization has funded
many social projects in Burma, including water pumps, construction of
hospitals, including the Sitagu yudna Hospital in Sagaing in 1985, and
the Sitagu Buddhist Academy in 1998. Sayadaw is lauded for his
missionary and charity works, especially in the aftermath of Cyclone
Nargis in 2008 which killed upwards of 100,000 in the countrys delta
reigions.
BIBLOGRAPHY
1. First published in the journal of Buddhist Ethics 2 1995 pp.3 and
reprinted in Damien V. Keown, Charles S. Prebish and Wayne R.
Husted (eds) Buddhism and Human Rights (London: Curzoz Press,
1998). The permission of Curzon press to republish in the present
collection is gratefully acknowledged. This edition contains minor
modifications and formatting changes.

2. The text of the Declaration, along with commentaries and
supplementary information is available in Hans Kung and Karl-Josef
Kuschel, eds A Global Ethic. The Declaration of the Parliament of
the World's Religions (London: SCM Press, 1993).
3. Bodhi Monastery: the five Precepts Retrieved 2011-03-14. . .
4. Peter Harvey An introduction to Buddhist Ethics Cambridge
University Press 2000.
5. A Brief Biography of Dr. Ashin Nanissara. Sitagu Buddhist Vihara.
Theravada Dhamma Society of America. Retried 10 March 2012.
.
BUDDHIST ETHICAL REFLECTION ON GENDER INEQUALITY AND ITS
IMPACT ON SOCIETY
Ma Nandsri
MA Student
Introduction
Buddhas teaching supports gender equality as man and woman
possess the same spiritual capacities. That is the reason why the Buddha
gives the same teachings to both sexes. And he allowed women to become
female monks (Bhikkhn) and praised various titles for their qualities. In the
Buddhist Pi texts, female enlightened Arahants are common. The Buddha
taught that women had the same potential as men and that gender had no
influence on ones ability to achieve the goal of Buddhism (Nibbna). For
realizing the four noble truths, it does not matter whether one is male or
female. As long as the defilements have not yet been eliminated, neither
men nor women free from suffering; when they are all eliminated the
suffering comes to an end, there is no distinction of male and female in the
goal of Buddhism.
Insignificant of gender to see Dhamma

In the Therghtha Pi text, here is the clear vision of gender in
Buddhism. Once, Som Ther was tempted by when traveling in the forest.
Mra states that women are not intelligent enough to attain enlightenment,
Som replies with a verse which indicates the significance of gender to
spirituality:
What does womanhood matter at all

When the mind is concentrated well,
When knowledge flows on steadily
As one sees correctly into dhamma.
One to whom it might occur,
Im a woman or Im a man
Or Im anything at all-
Is fit for Mra to address.
The Buddha and Bhikkhn Sagha Organization

It should be said that the Buddha is the first leader in the world who
appreciated the democratic policy which adopts equality and dignity of
human being because he is the One who criticized and went against social
discrimination and cast system that views the people classifying social status.
Besides that, the event that women are given equal rights in Buddhism
is obviously seen. In one occasion, the Buddhas step mother asked the
Buddha for the female monk ordination. That matter was reported to the
Buddha by venerable nanda. The Buddha objected the Buddha to allow
them to get female monk ordination.
The Buddha kindly explained to nanda that He did not want to
allow them because his Ssan might not last long if they came into it as
monks. On other hand, the relationship problem might occur between the
male monks and female monks. Another thing we could think about that
matter is that the Buddha seemed emphasizing on case that would probably
appear between the female monks who are devoted and the followers of lay
persons who devote to them. When nanda could not get allowance from
the Buddha, he asked the Buddha.
Buddhist ethical reflection on gender inequality and its impact on society 177
Venerable Sir, if the women become the female monks in Ssan,

they would not be worthy to attain the fruit of Sotapanna, Sagadagami,
Anagami and Arahatta.
The Buddha replied nanda..if women in this Ssan were
ordained female monkhood, they were worthy of achieving the fruit of
Sotapanna, Sagadagami, Anagami and Arahatta1
This dictum proposes the idea that the male or female can obtain the
same consequence in performing the meditation in the right time of the
Buddha Ssan. There is no distinct affect for them between male and
female individuals. As a result, it should be understood that there is no any
reason to ignore, degrade and discriminate the female as well.
Later on, the Buddha allowed the female people to be ordained with
eight kinds of Garudhamma.
The monks I give assent to the male monks to ordain the females to
be monks: thus, he yielded the females to receive their monkhood.
The Buddha approved the females to become female monks in his
Ssan.
Woman position at the Buddha time

The Buddha gave women full freedom to participate in a religious life.
The Buddha was the first religious Teacher who gave this religious freedom
to women. Before the Buddha, womens duties had been restricted to the
kitchen; women were not even allowed to enter any place of worship or to
recite any religious scripture. During the Buddhas time in India, womens
position in society was very low. In ancient India the position of women
does not appear to have been a very happy one. Generally women seem to
have been looked upon as being inferior to men. And, at that time, they
were considered as the lowest level of castes. Their freedom was extremely
1
Vin. Vol. IV. 422, 447
limited. Their main role was considered to be that of housewives, managing

the affairs in the house according to the wishes of their husbands. The
Buddha was criticized for the establishment of bhikkhn order when He
gave this freedom to women. His allowance of women to enter the
bhikkhn Order was extremely radical for the times. However the Buddha
allowed women to prove themselves and to show that they too had the
capacity like men to attain the highest position in the religious way of life by
attaining Arahantship. Every woman in the world must be grateful to the
Buddha for showing them the real religious way of living and for giving such
freedom to them for the first time in world history.
Buddhist concept on gender in Myanmar and its impact on society

Some people are criticizing on gender inequality in Myanmar. They
said that the women in Myanmar have less access to get involved in social
life than men do because the Buddhism seems to oppress the women
potentiality in Myanmar as compared with the womens rights in western
countries.
In Myanmar, there are some places where do not permit the women
to step on the platform of pagoda or very closed area of pagoda for instance,
women are prohibited from stepping on a closest area (based platform) of
Maharmyatmuni Buddha image and of Kyitthtiiyo stupa while the men are
able to do it. It is not because of religious regulations specially promulgated
only for the women but because of traditional belief. On the other hand,
there is a reason to consider why the women are prevented from treading
upon the platform of pagodas. That is said to be due to the religious training
rules of monks: there is a strict training rule reacted by the Buddha for the
monks the monk dose not intentionally touch the women (today-born
female infant to the old women going to die) with lustful desire. This
training rule was also prescribed for the Buddhist monks, not for the
women. By this training rule or law of Buddha, the Buddhist monks are not
used to closely communicate to the women and the women also in return
realize this point getting ready to follow for their moral respect to the
Buddhism. Consequently, the relationship between the Buddhist monks and
women remains virtue oriented behavior rather than social communication
centered-relation. If we whether a women or a monk break this sort of
religious law, it leads to impurity of monks morality that the Buddhists
reverend. According to Disciplines laid down by the Buddha, the
purification of moral virtue valued as life of a Buddhist monk and the virtue
exists in those who strictly follow the training rules of Buddha. According to
this training rule, the women in Myanmar also clearly understand feasible
relationship between monks and women that they should not come close to
monks when they communicate each other or they even make something
donation to the monks and they believe they must respect the monks by
considering their moral act of the monks should not touch the women.
This concept of Buddhas teaching became habitual amongst Buddhist
people in Myanmar: not only women but also men know their suitable
behavior to the monks so they strictly communicate to the monk with due
respect. Such a cultural habit later dominated the tradition of the whole
Myanmar Buddhist community and it influences over the peoples
perception in approaching even to secret Buddhist symbols such as-pagodas
or stupas or some Buddhist women should not come close to some Buddhist
sacred places such as-divan or platform of pagoda and they follow this
regulation of their own accord with deep understanding in mind, not by
force of Buddhism teaching. The Myanmar female Buddhists take a hold of
such a practice but there is no any of religious laws in Buddhism that are
intentionally reacted to suppress and discriminate the rights of female
individuals.
Another reason for that the prohibition of women from stepping over
the Stupas (Cetiya) is probable for their woman nature or for traditional
belief that carried on generation to generation but it is impossible to prove it
is because of Buddhism teaching. However, people need to approve that
there are a lot of genitivally different things given by the nature between two
people of man and women. For example, the man could not do something
that the woman does and in return, the woman does not afford the things
that the man does.
Non-discrimination in Buddhism
According to Buddhist Pi texts, Buddhism should be said to be a
world first religious communities that criticized and rejected theory of cast
system which was accepted by most of world population at Buddhas time
as well sex discrimination which is still seen accepted and practiced by some
religions in present time. The point that the Buddhism denies sex
discrimination can be approved according to so many evidences in Buddhist
Pi texts. The Buddhism teaches the Buddhist people Kamma theory which
views that individual action(Kamma) yields fruit for individuals as they have
done; no one can beget result of other persons behaviour (Kamma). It is the
unique teaching of the Buddhism that whoever a male or a female has to
experience the result based a male or a female has to experience the result
based on the action or behavior (Kamma) they have conducted.
It should be said that the Buddha is the first leader in the world who
appreciated the equality and dignity of human being because he is the One
who criticized and went against social discrimination and cast system that
views the people classifying social status.
Buddhist housewife
Buddhism does not consider women as being inferior to men.

Buddhism, while accepting the biological and physical differences between
the two sexes, does consider men and women to be equally useful to the
society. The Buddha emphasizes the fruitful role the women can play and
should play as a wife, a good mother in making the family life a success. In
the family both husbands and wives are expected to share equal
responsibility and discharge their duties with equal dedication. The husband
is admonished to consider the wife as a friend, a companion, a partner. In
family affairs the wife was expected to be a substitute for the husband when
the husband happened to be indisposed. In fact, a wife was expected even
to acquaint herself with the trade, business or industries in which the
husband engaged, so that she would be in a position to manage his affairs in
his absence. This shows that in the Buddhist society the wife occupied an
equal position with the husband.
Conclusion
It should be understood that the Buddhism is a teaching that considers
wider and deeper the rights for the status for all human beings without
discrimination against gender inequality. It is quite clear that the Buddhism
is very flexible and balanced teaching. That is why the Buddha permitted
the admission of women into the Sagh, though he was not in favor of it at
the beginning because he saw the possibilities of problems in the Ssan.
Once women proved their capability of managing their affairs in the Sagh,
the Buddha recognized their abilities and gave them respective positions in
the Bhikkhn sagh. Thus Buddhism allows the females even to become
the monks, and it is also undeniable that Buddhism gives the full individual
rights to the females equal to the males. There is not intentional
discrimination between the males and females, and the females can even
gain the highest attainment to Nibbna due to the appropriate practice to
noble paths. Buddhism transcends race, nation, caste and gender

differences as its highest spiritual achievement transcends obstacles or
discrimination of gender.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
PRIMARY SOURSES:
Clavagga Pli, Vinaya Pitaka. Yangon, Myanmar: Department of Religious
affairs, 1986.
Mahvagga Pli, Vinaya Pitaka. Yangon, Myanmar: Department of Religious
affairs, 1986.
Vinaya Pitaka, ed. H. Oldernberg, Pli Text Society, London. 1883.
SECONDARY SOURSES:
Peter Harvey, An introductions, values and issues, Cambridge University
Press, 2000.
Damien Keown, The Nature of Buddhist Ethics, Goldsmiths College,
University of London, 1992, 2001.
K. Sri Dhammnanda, What Buddhists believe, 4th edition, Malaysia:
Buddhist Missionary Society Malaysia, 2002.
U Thitthila, Essential themes of Buddhist lectures, revised edition, Selangor:
Sukhi Hotu Sdn Bhd, 1997.
BUDDHIST ETHICAL DUTIES AND DISCIPLINES
FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF MUTUAL RESPECT AND SOCIAL
HARMONY IN MODERN TIME
Ashin Rajinda
MA Student
Buddhist ethical duties and discipline

Now a modern day, we wonderfully experience the material
progresses that we never hope. As well as progressing like this, we have to
see more man's inhumanity to man wonderfully. The reason is that they tend
to neglect the spiritual well-being though they possess the opportunities of
material progresses and they tend to forget their obligations and duties to the
society they live.
Physical gain without spiritual support cannot provide the real
happiness. To be true happiness for all society, spiritual support and material
improvement must be balance on the same way. In that modern age our
urgently need is a code of ethics and morality which can give the guidance
for people not to blindly seek material improvement only and to look for
spiritual encouragement.
The Buddha wish to live in the highest standard lives for all. So
Buddhism teaches man to live in peace and harmony. Therefore the Buddha
Himself exhorted His followers not to take His Teachings on blind faith, but
to accept them after investigation themselves and enquiry what are really
acceptable or what are not acceptable.1 He did not like to accept without
clearly understanding.
1
Members of Sixth Samgha Council eds, Aguttara Nikya 1vols, 189-190.
The Buddha moreover teaches his followers to be kind, to be

compassionate, to be considerate to other, to be tolerance and to be
understanding in all activities and relationship. If there were express with a
simplest word: not to do any evils, to accumulate the good, to purify the
mind.2 This word, basically taught by all Buddha, not only was true in the
ancient periods but also will be true and applicable in the future.
Therefore, the Buddhas Teachings make development unselfish
ethical duties, disciplines, morality, generosity, concentration, wisdom,
loving-kindness, compassion and the true spirit for relationship between the
societies.
For the development of mutual respect

Everybody have their respective environment in which they live. No
one can exist in alone without community. All beings depend on each other.
As a human being, we are exceptional in our ability about to see what is
good or what is not good in our environment. We need to cultivate the
spiritual purity and spiritual strength to give what is need by others in our
society. In this way we can live peacefully and happily in our communities
what we face in our daily life.
To establish the peaceful and happy society, the foreseen Buddha, by
His great Enlightened Knowledge, gave the instructions in various views. In
these instructions, there are many disciplines what should be obeyed and
many duties what should be fulfilled. Such as: Husband and Wife: There are
many duties, according to Sigalovda Sutta, between the husband and
wife. The husband should minister on his wife: by being courteous to her,
by not despising her, by being faithful to her, by handing over authority to
her and by providing her with necessary adornments. In return, the wife also
must minister to her husband: by ordering the household well, by hospitality
to their relatives, by fidelity, by taking care of his wealth and by her
2
Members of Sixth Samgha Council eds, Dgha Nikya 2vols, 42.
Buddhist ethical duties and disciplines 185
industry. 3 There must be no thought of being superior either husband or

wife. One is a complementary of another. They should, in this way, honor
and respect on each other in their family, small society. So they will be the
good teachers of their children.
Parents and Children: The duties which fulfill between parents and
children are interrelate. A mother who has only her own son should love of
vital to him or protect him at the risk of her life, and also a son should serve
to the parents by placing on each shoulder.4
The duties of parents to their children were: the parents should show
their love to their generations by restraining them from bad deeds, exhorting
them to virtue, training them for a profession, arranging a suitable marriage
for them, and in due course handing over to them their inheritance. There
are also five ways what a child should minister to his parents: I am now a
supporter of parents who provide me at one time; I will perform their
duties; I will keep up their succession and tradition; I will follow the method
of inheritance; and I will make the merit deeds for him when they are
death5. In the Magala Sutta, the Buddha said, Aid for mother and father,
support for wife and children is one of the highest blessings).6 The basic
foundation of human society is the responsive relationship between parent
and children.
Teacher and Pupil: To develop the successful relationship the teacher
should be kind, patient, tolerance and understanding on his pupils. The
teacher can understand what the pupils need by using gentle approach in
the life of them.7
The teacher moreover should show his compassion or love for the
pupils by teaching well and happy; by seeing that they grasp their lessons
well; by instruction them in the arts and science; by teaching them in the
respectful manner; and by providing for their safety in every corner. On the
3
Members of Sixth Samgha Council eds, Dgha Nikya 3vols, 154-155.
4
Members of Sixth Samgha Council eds, Aguttara Nikya lvols, 63.
5
Members of Sixth Samgha Council eds, Aguttara Nikya 2vols, 37.
6
7
Dr. K Sri Dhammananda, Buddhist Ethics and Duties, Translated by Dr. M Tin Mon (Yangon,1997), 79-82.
other hand, the pupils should pay respect to their teacher by rising from the
seat; by attention on him; by interesting to learn; by helping his private
cases; and by respectful attentions.8
According to this teaching, both the teacher and pupil must be give
mutual respect by interrelation. The reason is that the pupil cannot totally
apprehend what the teacher means without reverence, as well as the
teacher also may not give fully explanation in his lecture unless he pay
attention on his pupils.
Layman and Monk: The relationship between monks and lay disciples
is play in an important role. The laymen provide for the monks by material
things and the monks also respond to them by spiritual providing, the
Dhamma which can be peace and real happy. The life of monks, who were
homeless, nothing possess, relies on laymen for their requisites and also the
laymen, who are full of defilements and sorrows, can swim the ocean of life
circle based on the monks. So the laymen can experience the true happiness
because of monks. Therefore it is also an importance role.
Friendship: Concerning the friend selection, the Buddha has advised
thus A person who is inferior to oneself in morality, concentration and
wisdom should not be followed or honored except for reason of
compassion; A person who is equal should be followed because the
conversation with him is so conducive to mutual profit and comfort; A
person who is superior should be followed or served because one would be
increase virtue, concentration and wisdom like him.9
Many scholars therefore used to say that a wise enemy is better than a
foolish friend. The Buddha moreover gives the instruction not to associate
with the fool, to associate with the wise, 10 because one might lead to
deviate from the right way thought by the Buddha by association with the
foolish man. On the other hand, one can finish all duties by association with
the Wise man who gives what is hard to give, does what is hard to do, and
8
9
Hammalawa Saddhatissa, Buddhist Ethics: the path to Nirvana, (London, 1987), 123.
10
Buddhist ethical duties and disciplines 187
who is long-suffering when it is hard to be so.11 Mutual love and respect

should be cherished above all things.
The relationship between husband and wife, parents and children,
teacher and pupil, layman and monk, and friend in companions are
relationship that should be developed gradually not by force but by
generosity and accommodation; not by harsh word but by politeness and
kindness. These are basic essential for a happy family and happy society in
our daily life.
For the development of social harmony

The Buddha gave many instructions which would be obeyed or duties
worthy to fulfill by a lay man. Even if one cannot fulfill these above duties,
he should, at least, restrain the five moral principles (Pacasla). It is norms
for a good society. There will be no real morality without knowledge; no real
knowledge without morality. They are bound up together such as heat and
light in the flame.12 So we need to pay respect to all and live in peacefully
in every environment by making to be balance knowledge and morality.
Sla is one of the noble practices. To be, in Buddhist Ethics, a moral
person we must avoid from evils by observing the precept and also we must
do good deeds. Among good deeds, shame of blame (Hir) and fear of
blame (Ottappa) are the most importance mental factors. These two are
called the guardian of the world. Unless these two Dhamma exist in the
world, there would be no differentiation like animals.13
By installing the noble spirit of living-kindness and compassion in our
hearts, we should be able to abstain from killing other beings. We should all
adopt the precept to refrain from stealing under any circumstances due to
we do not like others to steal our properties. Many lovely families have been
broken up because of inordinate sexual desires. So we must refrain from
committing adultery. In this modern time, the precept to abstain from lying
11
Members of Sixth Samgha Council eds, Aguttara Nikya lvols, 289.
12
Dr.KSri Dhammananda, Buddhist Ethics and Duties, Translated by Dr. M Tin Mon (Yangon, 1997), 130.
13
DhsA, 173-174
is very difficult, but we must observe this precept, telling lie because lying is
an obnoxious deed. We all should observe the precept to refrain from taking
intoxicants since many crimes in our country are caused by drug addicts.
Killing arises because of anger; Stealing because of greed; Sexual misconduct
because of sexual impulses; selfishness lead to Lying; and taking intoxicants
is also because of absence of self -control. These facts are arisen by angry,
greed, craving, concise, selfishness and non-understanding the truth. So by
reducing these unwholesome factors, we need to create the beautiful mind
and peaceful environment.
The perennial problems that beset human beings are due to inability
to subdue the emotions like hatred, greed and to replace them with loving-
kindness and compassion. The observation of the Buddha Hatred is never
appeased by hatred in this world; it is appeased only by loving-kindness14 is
always true for all human beings.
These guidance point out the spiritual guidelines, but they are not
enough. We must more exercise to radiate compassion and practice loving-
kindness to all beings. It may be promote the healthy ethical attitude. By
exercising like these one becomes incapable of indulging in killing, stealing,
lying, not only he avoid doing harm to others but also he develops good
deeds. By following these disciplines one can exist happy and peacefully in
his community or society, or one can create the beautiful environment not
making conflicts each other.
Now in that modern age, there are many troubles which the publish
have to face and many internal and external wars the people have to feel all
over the world. We can hope to promote the social harmony by radiating
compassion to those who are in much suffering, and by practicing the
loving-kindness to all whoever they are.
14
Members of Sixth Samgha Council eds, Khuddhaka Nikya: Dhp, 14.
ATTITUDE OF BUDDHA UPON WOMEN: BUDDHIST ETHICAL STUDY
Ma Sirimala
MA Student
Buddhism does not consider women as being inferior to men.

Buddhism while accepting the biological and physical differences between
the two sexes does consider men and women to be equally useful to the
society. The Buddha emphasis the fruitful role the women can play and
should play as a wife, a good mother in making the family life a success. In
the family both husbands and wives are expected to share equal
responsibility and discharge their duties with equal dedication. The husband
is admonished to consider the wife a friend, a companion, a partner. In
family affairs the wife was expected to be a substitute for the husband when
the husband to be indisposed. In fact, a wife was expected even to acquaint
herself with the trade, business or industries in which the husband engaged,
so that she would be in a position to manage his affairs in his absence.
Buddhism is widely known throughout the world as a religion of peace and
kindness. It is less known as a religion of gender-equality. And, in fact, many
Buddhists throughout the world are taught that women, because of their
characteristic karmic dispositions, are in capable of-awakening or of
becoming a Buddha, at least without first being reborn as men.
Furthermore, relatively few women have gone down in Asian history as
teachers. Moreover the Buddha himself has been commonly implicated in
this bias, for instance, although he created a twofold Sagha of monks and
nuns, he is said to have done so reluctantly, and he seems to have created a
degree of dependency of the latter order on the former. He is also reported

to have said, whatever religion women are ordained, that religion will not
last long. As families that have more women than men are easily destroyed
by robbers, as a plentiful rice-field once infested by rice worms will not long
remain, as a sugarcane field invaded by red rust will not long remain, even
so the True Dhamma will not last long.
Nonetheless, that the Buddha would harbor the slightest bit of ill-will
toward women, flies in the face of the complete awakening of the Buddha,
which entails that-he was utterly pure of thought, kind and well-disposed to
a fault, completely without defilement or bias of any sort, toward any living
being. It is true that authenticity of many of the passages that have been
attributed in this regard to the Buddha in the early scriptures has in fact
been questioned in modern scholarship. Nonetheless, even if we accept
these scholarly arguments we can indulge no more than a provisional sigh of
relief, for we must then attribute these passages instead to very early and
very influential disciples of the Buddha, to monks with the respect and
authority needed to shape the already widely disseminated early scriptures,
probably to Arahants what give? An image that shines through in the
discourses repeatedly is, in fact, that of a Buddha who had nothing but the
deepest kindness and respect for women, in stark contrast to the standards
of the society in which he lived. I think the evidence here overwhelms any
allegations of unkindness toward women on the part of the Buddha. The
Buddha in many places offered advice to householders about the roles and
status of the two ganders which must have stood out in his culture for the
reciprocity and mutual respect he recommended. For instance, he described
the respective duties of husbands and wives as follows;
In five ways should a wife as western quarter, be ministered to by her
husband; by respect, by courtesy, by faithfulness, by handing over authority
to her, by providing her with ornaments. In these five ways does the wise
minister to by her husband as western quarter, love him; her duties are well-
performed by hospitality to kin of both, by faithfulness, by watching over the
goods, he beings and by skill and industry in discharging all business. The
Buddha on learning of king Pasenadi of Kosala was displeased that his
queen had just given birth to a daughter rather than the desired son,
reassured the king as follows; A woman, 0 lord of the people, may turn out
better than a man. She may be wise and virtuous, a devoted wife, revering
her mother-in-Law. Getting to the issue of Buddhist practice the Buddha
stated unequivocally that women have the same potential for awakening
that men have. Women, nada, having gone forth are able to realize the
fruit of once returning or the fruit of non-returning or Arahantship. In early
text we have an even clearer statement of complete irrelevance of gender to
attainment. This tells of the nun Sonas encounter with Mara, who
characteristically tries to dissuade her from the path, in this case claiming a
woman cannot attain awakening. Sona, knowing better, replies what does-
womanhood matter at all, when the mind is concentrated well, when
knowledge flows on steadily as one sees correctly into Dhamma. One to
whom it might occur, I am a woman or I am a man or I am a anything at all
is fit for Mara to address.
The Buddha elsewhere attests to the great number of awakened
women disciples. The Buddha created a parallel nuns order about five years
after the start of the monks order. Although there was a rare precedent in
some of the Jain schools, the founding of the far more deliberately
constituted Buddhist nuns order must have represented a radical
breakthrough in opportunities for womens religious practice. And there is a
clear statement in his encounter with Mara at the end of his life that the
founding of the nuns order was his intention from the time of his
awakening. Not only did nuns ordination in Buddhism give women the
opportunity to opt out of an often oppressive patriarchal system, but to
partake in almost equal partnership with their monk brothers in the Third
Gem, which in the time of the Buddha, must have been an enormous
honor. It means that the Sagha in which all Buddhists, both men and
women, take refuge would now consist of both monks and nuns. This must
have also been a courageous decision given the standards of Indian society
and the practical concerns it brought for the protection of the nuns .in a
difficult and hazardous way of life. To understand the argument it is
necessary to understand the status of women in Buddhas India. By the
Buddhas time India had become a highly stratified society, in which each
person is born into a social caste with no prospect of upward mobility.
Spiritual practice and education were widely considered masculine pursuits.
Furthermore women were generally subject in all stages of life to masculine
authority. The last point is described, for instance, in the following ancient
passage, By a girl, by a young woman, or even by an aged one, nothing
must be done independently, even in her own house. In childhood a female
must be subject to her father, in youth to her husband, when her lord is
dead to her sons, a woman must never be independent.
The monastic rules have historically always bent to changing climate,
geography, technology and society. The Sagha would not have survived if
this were not the case. At this point in history it is imperative that any
semblance of gender inequality, symbolic or otherwise, be removed in a
Buddhism that thrives in a modern culture. l have said nothing about the
politics of how to get there from here, about untangling the force of ancient
traditions, of maintaining harmony and respect among conservative and
liberal elements in those traditions with regard to women s equality, about
how to introduce or reintroduce full ordination for women in those
traditions that lack it. It may take patience but the necessary adaption will
certainly happen. .I hope that l have shown for now that, whatever clothes
we wear, the project of realizing full equality for women within Buddhism is
totally in accord with the Buddhas original pure intentions which must
make the most feminist among us smile. The Buddha did not humiliate
women, but only regarded them as feeble by nature. He saw the innate
good of both men and women and assigned to them their due places in his
Teaching. Sex is no barrier to attaining sainthood. Sometimes the Pi term
to denote women is Mtugma which means mother-fold or society of
mothers. As a mother, woman holds an honorable place in Buddhism. Even
the wise is regarded as the best friend of the husband. It was also the
Buddha who raised the status of downtrodden women and brought them to
a realization of their importance to society. The Buddhas disciples fell into
the four categories of monk, nun, layman and laywoman. The difference
between the ordained and the lay persons was one of the degree of
commitment in following the path, and the life-style they follow. There are
no differences between male and female lay persons. However some
questions have been raised as to the relative status of monks and nuns.
There was general recognition that both men and women were capable of
equal spiritual attainment. The Buddha clearly had the realistic wisdom to
set more rules for women and delegate them to supervision of male monks.
The historical Buddhas perspective on the spiritual potential of
women is usefully described by Alan Sponberg as one of soteriological
inclusiveness. This does not assert, as such, the social equality of men and
women, but that the spiritual path is equally open to both, for sex and
gender differences are soteriologically insignificant. The Buddha gives a
statement which skillfully combines an elevation in the status of women-a
wise, virtuous woman may be better than a man and a comforting
statement to the king about getting a worthy grandson; nevertheless, early
Buddhism did not just look on women as child-bearers, and marriage was
not their only aim. To be an unmarried adult women was a legitimate rose,
and women might also become Buddhist nuns. it is said that the faithful
laywomen should encourage her beloved only son to emulate the best
laymen or monks, and her beloved only daughter to emulate the best
laywomen or nuns.
Miss I.B. Horner summarizes the elements of sexual equality that are
found in the early Buddhist texts; [1] The Buddha is said to have won
enlightenment for the sake of monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen and to
have taught Dhamma to all four. [2] The virtues and vices of all four groups
are said to have an analogous effect on the persistence or disappearance of
Buddhist knowledge and practice. Thus the Sagha is illuminated by a
monk, nun, layman or laywomen who is accomplished in Wisdom,
disciplined, confident...practicing according to Dhamma, and the same set
of virtues or vices leads to hell or heaven for a man or women. [3] Women
may have both the same spiritual limitation and the same spiritual limitation
and the same the same spiritual powers as men. [4] Nuns may develop to
the same extent as monks. [5] The Buddha said that he would not die until
he had monks, and nuns, and laymen, and laywomen, who could teach
Dhamma, establish it, expound it, analyze it, make it clear. [6] The Buddha
gave the same teachings to both sexes, and sometimes went out of his way
to teach women.
The Buddha agreed that women could become Arahats is seen from
his overview of his disciples achievements. Once we understand how
powerful everyday gender assumptions can be in shaping ongoing social
relationships in all spheres, we better understand why gender in equalities
are so difficult to overcome. Gender equality is not impossible to attain but
the struggle is constant and is sure to have ups and downs. My research also
suggests that the fight for gender equality will have to be waged at the level
of how people think, even as laws and institutional policies open new doors.
Our assumptions about what women and men can and should do have a
long way to catch up with the new possibilities created by education,

economic innovation and equal legal rights.
In the end, women or man, all beings seen and unseen are Anicca,
Dukkha, Anatta. Arguing concepts is endless. Better to cultivate Sla,
Samdhi and Pa. Better to realize the four Noble Truths and strive on
diligently toward awakening.
Primary Source
Sayutta Nikya
Dgha Nikya
Reference Notes
Buddhism in a nutshell
An introduction to Buddhist ethics
.
REVIEWS AND FEEDBACKS ARE WELCOME!
www.sitagustar.wordpress.com
www.facebook.com/sitagustars
www.facebook.com/sitagustar
www.twitter.com/sitagustar
sitagustar@gmail.com

The Lion's Outlook - Sitagu Students' Research Journal - Vol-07 - 2017

Diunggah oleh

Informasi Dokumen

Judul Asli

Hak Cipta

Format Tersedia

Bagikan dokumen Ini

Bagikan atau Tanam Dokumen

Opsi Berbagi

Apakah menurut Anda dokumen ini bermanfaat?

Apakah konten ini tidak pantas?

Hak Cipta:

Format Tersedia

The Lion's Outlook - Sitagu Students' Research Journal - Vol-07 - 2017

Diunggah oleh

Hak Cipta:

Format Tersedia

SITAGU RESOLUTION

WITH NO THOUGHT OF PRIDE OR GLORY

WITH UTMOST HUMILITY

TO MAKE BETTER THE WORLD WE LIVE IN AND

TO PROMOTE OUR SSANA

TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY

i The Lions Outlook, Sitagu Students Research Journal, Vol. VII

In no particular order, all papers in this journal are selected from

ii The Lions Outlook, Sitagu Students Research Journal, Vol. VII

It is great pleasure to release THE LIONS OUTLOOK, SITAGU

iv The Lions Outlook, Sitagu Students Research Journal, Vol. VII

Opening address at the 4th International Conference of ATBU 1

II. Sitagu Selection

Section A: Foundation of Buddhist Ethics

A good Buddhist- ethical enquiry into human character 5

v The Lions Outlook, Sitagu Students Research Journal, Vol. VII

The choice of life and dead: Buddhist bioethical reasoning 85

Section C: Environmental Ethics

Environmental aspects on five precepts 109

Section D: Economic Ethics

Duties with means of livelihood 133

vi The Lions Outlook, Sitagu Students Research Journal, Vol. VII

Section E: Social Ethics

The place of social norms in Buddhist monasticism 167

Sitagu Adhipati Sayadaw

At the outset, I would like to extend my warmest greetings to all

P Sanskrit language, which means Barley or Wheat. It was the

lucky enough to receive the Buddhas teaching disseminated by the

to be improved. I would like to point out here that to found an

FOUNDATION OF BUDDHIST ETHICS

To depend on others for salvation in negative, but to depend on oneself is

Be ye island unto yourselves; be ye a refuge unto yourselves, seek no

Here means concerning with the human being, how a Buddhist

The Buddha knew it would be difficult for people to follow his

In Buddhism, it is also important to support the poor and needy.

What is 'heat element?

mental factors together with matter [Rpa] in succession is called Sasra

How should be reformed our mind

Why are they called limitless (Appama) ?

In Myanmar such noble states of mind are collectively classified as

Eleven advantage of Mett

8. His mind is easily concentrated

in the hearts of good people. Therefore, although it is a Domanassa, this

Brahma is a term for Mother and Father. For what reason?

Brhmavihra. If you full of Brhmacariya your present life is the best

Primary sources: Pli texts and translation

Sabrahmaks Sutta in Devadtavagga , Duka-Tika-Catukka nipta

Dhammasaga Ahakath, Chatthasangayana CD-ROM, Version-3,

We must study the opinion of ancient and modern theorists

Is Buddhist Sagha Organization a Form of Democracy?

Such a strict democracy can be practiced within the Sagha

Buddhas Form of Government:

capital. Whosoever there be in the kings realm who devote themselves

Some Arguments of Buddhist Sagha Form of Government:

authority, though vested in a monarchy or in a personal ruler, was

Miriam prescribed by the Buddha.

Khongchinda, Dr Phramahachanya. The Buddhas Socio-Political Ideas.

Paiccasammuppdas short formula and twelve factors

When this is not, that is not (Imasmi asati ida na hoti);

Man-made ethics vs. Natural law of Paiccasammuppda

war is murder, while others will disagree. So man-made ethics cannot be

Psychological issues in Meta-ethics and Paiccasammuppda

attain happiness, to be dignified, or to fit in with society. Here by the