Buddhist Ethics The Five Precepts

The Five Precepts I undertake to refrain from killing I undertake to refrain from taking what is not freely given I undertake to refrain from misusing sexuality I undertake to refrain from harmful speech I undertake to refrain from taking intoxicants

Ethics Ethics is about how we behave in everyday life Ethics offers a basic set of moral values and then sets out the type of action that is encouraged and that which is discouraged Buddhist ethics is based on compassion and universal love for all beings Any action that is motivated by greed, hatred, anger or ignorance will cause suffering to ourselves and to others Buddhist ethics are never dogmatic or rigid There are guidelines for both lay and monastic Buddhists

Lay Morality You become a Buddhist by taking the Three Refuges of the Buddha, dhamma and Sangha The main commitment is to refrain from causing harm and to adopt the approach of ahimsa (non violence) “In this world hate never dispelled hate. Only love dispels hate”

Lay Morality In Buddhism refraining from killing includes animals and insects Taking what is not freely given does not refer to only stealing but can include exploiting someone’s good nature Misusing sexuality includes rape, adultery, incest, prostitution, paedophilia etc. Harmful speech will include such things as lying, slander, harsh words, gossip etc Intoxicants are anything that clouds the mind or impairs judgement Some also believe that it includes smoking because it is harmful to the body

Monastic Morality Monks and nuns follow a strict life style in comparison to lay Buddhists As soon as they are ordained they undertake an additional 5 Precepts To abstain from solid food after mid-day To abstain from a luxurious bed To abstain from music and dancing To abstain from personal adornments Not to touch gold or silver (mostly Theravada)

Monastic ethics Eating after mid day can make the mind sleepy They take no alcohol at all They avoid places of entertainment because this is seen as a waste of precious time and could lead to sexual temptations Monks (and nuns) are celibate In the Buddha’s time very few people handled money so some of the rules have been adapted to accommodate this change A monk in the Theravada tradition also takes the 227 rules of the Vinaya These rules are recited once every two weeks by the whole community, this is called the Uposatha

Breaking the Rules If a monk breaks the rules he will be punished, rarely is a monk expelled from his order There are 4 acts which lead to expulsion: sexual intercourse, serious theft, murder and making false claims about having supernatural powers Less serious acts can lead to temporary expulsion However, there is nothing to stop him from following his religion after expulsion Women are lower in status than men, experienced nuns hold a lower position than young monks and there are more rules for women than for men

Mahayana Ethics There are very few differences between the two traditions The main difference is bodhichitta: the realisation of ultimate wisdom and limitless compassion which gives rise to the path of the bodhisattva Bodhicchitta means that all actions are completely selfless The motivation of bodhichitta arises from the realisation of no self, this marks an action as ethical The motivation for the action can determine whether the action is ethical or not An act performed for selfish reasons will create bad kamma

Answer the following questions What is wrong with gossip? Why is sex something a Buddhist should be careful about? How is alcohol linked to mindfulness? Why might is be easier for monks and nuns to follow the five precepts? Why should monks and nuns not wear jewellery or perfume? Why do you think that Buddhists refrain from killing animals and insects? Why are the precepts that only monks and nuns undertake not applied to lay Buddhists? Which of the five Precepts would you find most difficult to follow?