Ethics

Kamma

• Actions impact happiness/suffering in the present and the future

• People are rewarded/punished by their action, not for it

• Empowering —> change the future through their actions

• Skilful actions —> happier life now and in their future rebirth

• Benefits the individual and society because they act in a kinder way to everyone

Kamma Importance

• Impacts a Buddhists present life
  Pali Canon: “If one speaks or acts with a wicked mind, because of that, pain follows one. If one speaks or acts with a good mind, because of that, happiness follows one”
  Buddhists try to perform skilful acts to gain positive karma

• Impacts a Buddhists rebirth
  Pali Canon: “Beings who were endowed with bad conduct have re-appeared in a bad destination… But beings who were endowed with good conduct have re-appeared in a good destination”
  Buddhist will try live in accordance to the 8fold path
  ‘Right’ conduct to ensure a favorable rebirth

Rebirth

• Notion of ‘rebecoming’
  Believe in anatta - no fixed soul
  Sum total of their karmic energy which is reborn rather than a soul

Rebirth Importance

• Gives hope
  Pali Canon: “Beings who were endowed with good conduct have re-appeared in a good destination”
  Hope that if their current life is full of dukkha, their next one will be less so

• Gives comfort
  Mourners may find believing their loved one isn’t gone forever, just is continuing their journey in another form

Compassion/Karuna

• Compassion that Buddhists show for the suffering of everyone in the world

• Feeling concerned for those who are suffering

• Wanting suffering of others to be removed

• Buddhists will do what they can to try remove it

• Teaches that a Buddhist should care and show compassion for themselves and others

Compassion Importance

• One of the 4 sublime states that all Buddhists should develop
  Explain how a Buddhist should act towards others and themselves
  Skilful actions reduce the dukkha in the world

• Positive effect on society
  Dalai Lama: “The key to a happier and more successful world is the growth of compassion”
  If everyone acted this way, suffering would be reduced
  Supporting ROKPA (a Buddhist charity founded on compassion)

Loving-Kindness/Metta

• Buddhists show a loving, kind, friendly attitude to everyone

• Expression of the wish that all beings are happy and free from suffering

• Selfless attitude
  Shouldn’t expect anything back

• Form the basis of metta meditation
  5 step process which may involve visualisation of people being happy or people posing the metta attitude

Metta Importance

• One of the 4 sublime states that all Buddhists should develop
  Explain how a Buddhist should act towards others and themselves
  Skilful actions reduce the dukkha in the world

• Positive effect on society
  Pali Canon: “One should cultivate towards all beings and all the world loving-kindness”
  Metta helps get rid of the 3 poisons, thus reducing causes/acts of suffering

Metta vs Karuna

• Metta is a general desire for all being to be happy

• Karuna arises when metta comes into contact with another being
  Example: Act to help reduce suffering