Good moral conducts and key principles

Kusala

Actions which are healthy, wholesome or skilful

Akusala

Actions which are unhealthy, unskillful or unwholesome

Understanding actions as kusala/ askusala

Understanding which of our actions are kusala requires skilful means. It is not enough to have good intention, we must also have a practical awareness of the consequences of our actions.

Evidence that intention is important

• It is a step on the Eightfold Path (Right Intention)

• Buddhists believe that intention affects the karma we generate

• No intention or a bad intention will lead to bad choices

• Intention more important to Mahayana Buddhists

• The Mahayana Perfections suggest that inner qualities such as wisdom and patience should be prioritised over specific actions

• The Three Poisons are at the centre of the Tibetan Wheel of Life, suggesting that it is intentions which motivate rebirth

Evidence that intention isn’t important

• Actions can harm people, intentions cannot

• Karma means 'action'

• Action is more important to Theravada Buddhists (lots more rules about actions)

• Good actions create habits which shapes intentions

• The Five Perfections of Theravada Buddhism suggest that training actions (such as abstaining from harm/wrong speech) are more effective than trying to shape intentions

Moral conduct

Moral conduct is absolutely central to the Buddhist Way of life. The Eightfold Path shows the importance of Right Speech, Right Action, and Right Livelihood. Therefore moral conduct even affects our jobs. Consider for example the Cruel Butcher who died gruesomely due to the bad karma he had generated in his life.

Eightfold path

• Right view

• Right intention

• Right speech

• Right action

• Right livelihood

• Right effort

• Right concentration

• Right mindfulness

• Right view

Evidence Buddhists believe in free will

• Buddhism says that in many respects we are free to control our choices. By following the Eightfold Path we can consciously improve our lives and those of others.

• Karma shows that actions are rewarded/punished which suggests they were performed freely

• Anatta can support free will because we are not limited by a fixed/predetermined self or identity

• Generally, the Buddhist perspective seems to be that people who are affected by the Three Poisons are not free whereas the enlightened mind is free

Evidence Buddhists don’t believe in free will

• Buddhism also says that in many respects we are not truly free. All beings are conditioned by karma from our past lives.

• The idea of dependent arising suggests that everything can be understood as the result of prior causes

• Free will be may limited by the Three Poisons, Five Hindrances etc.

Five precepts

• Do not harm or kill

• Do not take what is not freely given

• Avoid sexual misconduct

• Avoid false speech

• Do not take intoxicants

The nature of the Five Precepts is that although they are rules for all Buddhists, their main purpose is to teach how to live a kusala life. Therefore there is no strict punishment for a layperson who breaks these; instead they should reflect on why the rule was broken and how they can avoid making this mistake again.

Additional precepts

• To abstain from taking food at inappropriate times

• To abstain from dancing, singing, music and entertainments as wells refraining from the use of perfumes, ornaments and other items used to adorn or beautify the person

• To undertake the training to abstain from using high or luxurious beds

Mahayana six perfections

• Generosity (Dana)

• Morality (Sila)

• Patience (ksanti)

• Energy (virya)

• Meditation

• Wisdom (prajna)

The Six Perfections are essential to being an effective Bodhisattva. Focusing on improving ourselves in this way also allows us to access our Buddhanature more effectively.

Ahimsa

Ahimsa means ‘non-harming’ or ‘non-violence’. It is about showing a respect for all life which includes humans and animals.

Ahimsa applied to weapons of mass destruction

• WMDs totally inexcusable due to the scale of suffering and bad karma - there is always a less destructive option

• Some Buddhists may justify the use of WMDs as a deterrent however most would believe that suffering will only end once we show loving-kindness by reaching full disarmament

• WMDs particularly bad due to the harm to animal life - even during testing

• Engaged Buddhists, such as Josei Toda, have explicitly spoken out against use of weapons of mass destruction.

• Buddhists have often been involved in anti-war protests.

Ahimsa applied to the embryo and unborn child

• Life starts at conception and is the continuous of skandhas from a previous life, suggesting abortion is morally wrong

• Generally see abortion as wrong but may make exceptions for life of the mother (there will be harm in either case so ahimsa means minimising harm).

• It may be more skilful to save the life of the mother (who is closer to achieving enlightenment) than the baby

• Buddhist positions on embryo research may also be complex: on the one hand there will be harm to the embryos, which are alive; on the other hand, if there is the potential to cure disease, this would be seen as reducing Dukkha.

• Japanese Buddhists allow abortion but follow it with a ritual (Mizuko Kuyo) to relieve the parents of their bad karma and guide the child to a safe rebirth

Ahimsa applied to the use of animals

• Many uses of animals are not kusala - exploitation of animals is wrong as ahimsa applies to them as well as humans

• Buddha himself was opposed to animal sacrifice which was commonly practiced by Hindus during his lifetime. Buddhists would likely be opposed to practices such as intensive farming in which animals are mistreated in order to turn a greater profit (linking to greed, one of the Three Poisons)

• May still be considered worse to harm a human due to their greater karmic merit. However lots of Buddhist scripture (e.g. Hungry Tigress) show that it is noble to die for animals too.

• Most Buddhists are vegetarian and view working in the meat industry as against Right Livelihood (e.g. Cruel Butcher)