Exploring Buddhist Ethics and Teachings

Mar 6, 2025

Ethics of Buddhism Lecture Notes

Life of Buddha

  • Birth: Born around 563 BC in Kapilavastu, present-day Nepal.
  • Family: Family name Gautama, given name Siddhartha.
    • Father was a prince of the Sakya clan.
  • Prophecy: Mother dreamt of a white elephant entering her womb.
    • Saints foretold he would become a wanderer or a great king.
  • Childhood: Grew up in luxury, sheltered from suffering.
  • Four Encounters: Met a beggar, an old man, a leper, and a corpse, prompting his quest for life’s meaning.
  • Ascetic Period: Wandered for 6-7 years, practiced self-denial.
  • Enlightenment: Achieved under the Bodhi tree.
  • First Sermon: Given at Sarnath, gathered disciples.

Buddha's Personality

  • Compassionate and Intelligent
  • Independent Inquiry: "Believe only what you yourself judge to be true."

Sources of Buddhist Teachings

  • Pali Canon or Three Pitakas: Disciplined basket, discourse basket, exposition basket.
    • Exposition basket: Division into Mahayana (large vehicle) and Hinayana (small vehicle).

Basic Teachings of Buddha

Four Noble Truths

  1. Life is suffering (Dukkha)
    • Suffering includes pain, sickness, death, and separation from loved ones.
  2. Cause of suffering is desire (Tanha)
    • Craving for personal fulfillment leads to suffering.
  3. Cure is overcoming desire
  4. Path to eliminate desire is the Eightfold Path

Eightfold Path

  1. Right View: Correct knowledge and attitude.
  2. Right Thought: Proper aspiration.
  3. Right Speech
  4. Right Action
  5. Right Livelihood
  6. Right Effort
  7. Right Mindfulness
  8. Right Concentration
    • First three: Rational aspect.
    • Next three: Volitional aspect.
    • Last two: Emotional aspect.

Doctrine of Dependent Origination

  • Everything is under causation; explains the arising/passing of things.

Doctrine of Momentariness

  • All things are impermanent and passing.

Doctrine of Karma

  • Factors: External stimuli, conscious motives, unconscious motives.
  • Good karma vs. bad karma.
  • Not deterministic: Depends on action and circumstances.

Doctrine of Rebirth

  • Cycle of birth and rebirth due to ignorance of impermanence.

Nirvana

  • Goal of the Eightfold Path.
  • Cessation of suffering; not annihilation.

Moral Behavior in Buddhism

  • Two Aspects: Avoiding evil (negative) and cultivating good (positive).

Five Moral Virtues

  1. Restraint from taking life.
  2. Restraint from taking what’s not given.
  3. Restraint from indulgence in sensual pleasures.
  4. Restraint from falsehood.
  5. Restraint from intoxicants.

Ten Moral Virtues

  • Includes the Five Moral Virtues plus: 6. Restraint from slander. 7. Restraint from harsh speech. 8. Restraint from frivolous chatter. 9. Restraint from covetousness. 10. Restraint from malevolent thoughts.

Ethical Judgement

  • Good actions: Lead to detachment and happiness.
  • Bad actions: Lead to attachment and suffering.
  • Mirror of Dhamma: Good as truth, bad as untruth.

The Buddhist Golden Rule

  • "One who loves himself should not harm another."
  • Based on the commonality of suffering and happiness among all.

Conclusion

  • The love preached by Buddha: All-embracing, unconditional compassion towards all living creatures.