THE PRECEPTS:
BUDDHIST ETHICS IN ACTION
Ozmo Hyonjin
Piedmont, Ph.D.
The Buddha once said: “As a bee gathering nectar does not harm or
disturb the colour and fragrance of the flower; so do the wise move through the
world.” (Dhammapada:
Flowers, verse 49)
As the above quote implies, Buddhist
ethics are founded on actions that cause no harm to others. Action has to do
with karma and one’s intentions which put those actions into play. When our
intentions are good, there are good results, when our intentions are bad, there
are negative consequences. The Buddhist precepts were designed by the Buddha to
give practitioners guidelines of behavior to avoid misdeeds and wrongdoings.
They are not forced on us, but rather are points of training that we
voluntarily take to become more aware and to live harmoniously with others (Wu,
2001). How Buddhist define ethics, action, good and bad, and the guidelines, or
precepts, for carrying out these ethical concerns, will be treated in the
following paper.
ETHICS
Situational Ethics
Buddhist
ethics are based on situational ethics and not on fixed rules. The Merriam
Webster Dictionary (2013) defines situational ethics as “a
system of ethics by which acts are judged within their contexts instead of by
categorical principles.” This means ethics of doing the right thing
based on the context or situation that presents itself in the moment. From this perspective, there is no one thing
that is always right to do in every instance.
On the contrary, the Buddha said that every situation has its own
conditions that have to be weighed and evaluated in order to figure out the
right course of action. The precepts
therefore give guideline as to how to decide what to do. It is understood that one must act according
to the spirit of the law, not necessarily according to the letter of the
law. The letter of the law would be to
take a rule and apply it in all circumstances as being absolutely the course of
action in all instances. The spirit of
the law is trying to understand the underlying intent of a law, such as trying
to protect or bring no harm or distress to others or oneself, which is seen to
be the real basis of Buddhist ethics in general. (Foster, PRE1)
A Promise to Practice
Daido
Loori, in his book The Heart of Being (2009) discusses the value of the
precepts as a kind of promise to ourselves and others to be conscious in how we
treat everyone. Practicing the precepts is a way to be in harmony with the
universe. It is to be conscious of that which one is about to do in each moment.
When one breaks a precept, one must be honest with him or herself, recognizing
that fact and then assuming responsibility for it. No one else is involved in
the process. No one is watching, checking us as to whether we are practicing or
not. Only we know that we have broken the precept, and we assume responsibility
for it. To assume responsibility for our actions is to be in charge of our
life, taking control to correct that which is blocking us, without blaming others
or the circumstances surrounding us. To practice the precepts is to express the
wisdom and the compassion of the Buddha as our own life.
The Precepts
and Karma
In order to practice the Buddhist
precepts, karma must be understood. Karma means activity, a process of cause
and effect. Greed, anger, and confusion all arise from our own karma. What one does
and what happens to one is essentially the same thing.
When we take the precepts, we are
invoking the Buddha, Dharma and the Sangha in the ten directions. We are
creating an action that has consequences. Karma is self perpetuating, whether
it is good or bad. Karma continues
the chain of cause and effect. If we do something based on greed, anger,
or delusion, we experience negative consequences. In the same way, if we do
something based on kindness, altruism, and compassion, we experience positive
consequences. Upon taking the precepts,
we are in effect identifying ourselves with the Buddha, and thereby inviting
the universe and all the Buddhas to come into our lives and be present with us,
thereby transcending karma altogether, since one is no longer taking action
based on ego desires and aversions for personal ends, but is rather allowing
the Infinite to work through one for the welfare of all (Loori, 2009).
Virtue
To
engage the precepts, four virtues are needed. The first of the four virtues is
“Sadha,” having faith and confidence in one’s own moral, spiritual and
intellectual values. This has to do with taking stock of what one believes and
then being congruent with how one acts in the world based on those ethic and
moral beliefs. It is the knowing that
our actions not only have consequences, but that everything is truly connected,
and how we think and act impacts the whole universe in some way. If we trust that inner voice within us, that
which is the expression of our Buddha Nature, then we are able to act according
to that which is of benefit to everyone, including ourselves, creating a world
of trust and wellbeing.
The
second virtue is “Sila”, the ethical precepts by which people abstain from
destroying life, stealing, cheating, falsehood, adultery, and intoxicating
drinks. This has
three consequences.
First, we treat others in a way that we would want to be treated, with
respect and consideration. Secondly, our
lives, bodies and minds will be healthier, unclouded, undistorted and
functioning better by eliminating poisonous intoxicants.
Thirdly, we create a society of safety, trust, and
integrity, where we can live and work without fear, and base our lives on
interconnectivity and mutual care and interest.
The
third virtue is charity (Caga) without craving for recognition or compensation
for good acts. One can learn that there
is truly a deep joy when one lets go of ego concerns and gives whole heartedly
to others, whether in time, goods, labor, or caring. This breaks down the barriers of illusory
separateness and reveals the interconnectivity and interdependence of the whole
universe.
The fourth virtue is wisdom (Panna)
that leads to a complete cessation of suffering. This has to do with putting
out the effort and perseverance to study and learn the Buddha Dharma, a
commitment to putting into practice the precepts and the wisdom that results
therein. This requires perseverance, energy, and patience. It is also the
commitment to ceaselessly walk the path of the Buddhas, placing the ideal of
perfect realization of Buddhahood before us, and knowing that it is a never
ending process of perfection and progression in the expression of our Buddha
Nature in the elimination of the kleshas that obstruct the full manifestation
of that ideal (Foster, PRE1).
VOWS
The Buddha once
spoke of ethical practice in the following manner:
Abandon
wrongdoing.
It can be done.
If there were no likelihood, I would not ask you to do it.
But since it is possible
and since it brings blessing and happiness,
I do ask of you:
abandon wrongdoing.
Cultivate doing good.
It can be done.
If it brought deprivation and sorrow, I would not ask you to do it.
It can be done.
If there were no likelihood, I would not ask you to do it.
But since it is possible
and since it brings blessing and happiness,
I do ask of you:
abandon wrongdoing.
Cultivate doing good.
It can be done.
If it brought deprivation and sorrow, I would not ask you to do it.
But since it
brings blessing and happiness,
I do ask of you:
I do ask of you:
cultivate doing
good.
(Anguttara Nikaya)
(Anguttara Nikaya)
The Three Treasures
In
Buddhist ethics, one takes refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and the Sangha. There
are three levels to these Three Treasures: the unified Three Treasures, the
manifested Three Treasures, and the abiding Three Treasures.
From the
perspective of the unified Three Treasures, the Buddha Treasure is the perfect
enlightenment of anuttarasamyaksambodhi, meaning our fundamental nature and essential
reality. It is from this perspective that one realizes the three bodies of
Buddha: Dharmakaya (universal essence body), Sambhogakaya (the spiritual body)
and Nirmanakaya (the physical body). The Dharma Treasure from this perspective
is undefiled purity, which reaches everywhere, embraces everything, and is
without defilement or ego. The Sangha Treasure is the virtue and merit of harmony,
which is the fusion of the Buddha and Dharma Treasures of essential emptiness
which manifests as karma, cause and effect.
From the
perspective of the manifested Three Treasures, the Buddha Treasure is the
direct realization of bodhi. It is the personal direct experience of
enlightenment transmitted from master to disciple, from Buddha to Buddha, from
generation to generation. From this
manifested perspective, the Dharma is the Buddha’s realization of Truth, which
is the realization of all sentient beings past, present, and future, and which
is the life of each one of us. The Sangha of the manifested Three Treasures is
the practicing of the Buddha Dharma with one’s total heart, mind and body; with
total commitment, vow and dedication; and with great faith, doubt, and
determination.
From the
perspective of the abiding Three Treasures, it is the protection and preservation
of that which converts and liberates all beings throughout time and space,
relieving their suffering and pain. We are vessels preserving and protecting
the
transmission of the Dharma from one generation to the
next. This transmission also comes through the material and symbolic images
that reveal and preserve the Dharma, such as statues of the Buddha, paintings,
sutras, books, precepts, discourses, and our hearts, minds, and feelings. The
Sangha of the abiding Three Treasures is the actual saving all sentient beings
from the suffering related to the kleshas of greed, anger, and ignorance. In
the final analysis, all these perspectives are actually one reality, which
requires our whole body and mind to be completely committed to the full
realization of the Three Treasures as our true self, through work, practice,
and total engagement.
Renunciation
Buddhist
ethics requires renunciation, which does not mean denial, but rather to stop doing that
which causes us and others suffering or pain.
In this sense, renunciation produces positive effects. We have to make
up our mind that the consecuences of our negative intentions and actions are
just not worth the suffering they causes, and from there resolve whole
heartedly not to do them any more. Of
course, we have to be aware of what causes the problem, what actions and
thoughts cause us and others to suffer.
That is where mindfulness comes in, a willingness to abstain from
negative behavior, then to be aware of when those thoughts or behaviors are
entering into our consciousness, and then act in compliance to the
precepts. In the end, this makes us
happier.
Refuge
The path of Buddhism begins with
taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Refuge is a sense of profound
gratitude for the opportunity to practice. Although the word “refuge” is normally
associated with taking shelter or protection from danger or distress, it
actually has a much deeper significance. The word “refuge” in Japanese is
related
to the word kie-ei, which means
unreservedly throwing oneself into something without holding back anything and
completely relying upon something or someone.
In relation to the Buddha-Dharma, it is a sense of completely giving
oneself and relying
upon
the Three Treasures of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, including the historical
Buddha,
the lineage of Buddhas and practitioners, the Buddha Nature in everyone, the
teachings of the Buddha, and the ten thousand things of the whole universe and
all the sentient beings within it.
Atonement
If one
is making a promise to practice Buddhist ethics, one must be willing to
practice atonement as well when those ethical commitments have been broken.
Atonement is a way of as taking responsibility for our actions. It can be thought of as a moment of
reflection in which we admit our mistake and strive to return to our original
commitment to follow a life based on the actions and
intentions of a Buddha. It is a
willingness to try to aspire to Buddhahood as our inherent Buddha Nature. And when that aspiration is thwarted due to
moments of forgetting, conditioning, and selfishness, we can be honest with
ourselves, taking responsibility for what we have done, renouncing the harmful
behavior, and returning to our vows.
On a
deeper level, atonement is to become one with the highest and purest reality: a
change of consciousness that marks a right of passage from ignorance to
understanding, that we are one with the highest reality and we can realize that
at-one-ment in our everyday lives and interactions with others and the world. It is a decisive moment of purification,
letting go of our old habitual sense of little self, to open to an ongoing
discovery of the Absolute here and now in our very lives.
Bodhi
The arising
of the bodhi is the beginning of the spiritual search, opening one’s
heart and mind to the possibilities of the human
potential, questioning about who we really are and what is really important in
life, what is real. It is when we begin to open
our perception and awareness to another deeper reality of
Truth, and the direct experience of that Truth. It is when we begin to see,
hear, feel, experience and realize the core of our being, the pure, perfect and
unlimited potential of life itself, our Buddha Nature. It is when we really begin to practice, and
have the capacity to take and apply the precepts seriously, vowing to uphold
and protect those vows as the most important and essential thing of our
lives.
The Three Pure Precepts
The core of Buddhist ethics have to do with ceasing from
doing evil, doing only good, and doing good for others. Evil has no independent existance. It is not a
thing that is separate and enduring. Basically
all evil has to do with ego attachment, trying to get something at the expense
of an imagined other. Good and evil are relative terms that are created
according to circumstances. We should not act only according to external
standard of right or wrong, but at the same time we do not ignore those
external standards. We can allow our
Buddha Nature to manifest according to the needs of the moment. Good is that which alleviates suffering.
Practicing good is the manifestation of our Buddha nature in the world, which
is naturally in accordance with the 16 precepts. Good is not an entity, nor an object nor a
condition. Good is just practicing in
and of itself. Morality is just the
naturally manifesting of good for others, the precepts that just naturally
function in the world when our little illusion of ego is not in the way. We don’t try to do good, but rather, we
detach from that which blocks the natural arising of good for others.
Vinaya: Monastic Precepts
Vinaya
are the rules for the monastic community to live together in harmony. The Pali version
of the Monastic Vows has to do with the Pratimoksha vows of personal
liberation. For monastics, there are 227 rules and for nuns 311 rules. The
Vinaya vows include prohibitions on killing, stealing, lying, appropriate moral
behavior, etiquette and interactions appropriate between members of the clergy
and outside lay contact, methods
for disciplining the senses, and livelihood. One chooses
to live in this community, so one accepts instruction from both teachers and
other members of the community involved.
One can always choose to leave the community, giving back the vows one
originally took.
To be a
monk, one must take ordination of a certain lineage. There are three main
extant lineages of monastic ordination: Mulasarvastivadins, associated with the
central Asia vinaya, including Tibet Sri
Lanka Thailand Cambodia Burma East Asia ,
including China
legitimacy regarding schisms from the established vinaya
order of the Buddha, as the Theravada school maintains, they should be seen as
distant brothers, divided by time and place, all related to the same lineage
derived back to the monastic community that originally formed around Shakyamuni
Buddha.
Lay Precepts
Once,
the Lord dwelt amongst the Sakyans in the Banyan Tree Monastery at
Kapilavatthu, and while there, Mahanama the Sakyan came to him and asked;
"How, Lord, does one become a lay disciple?"
"When one has taken refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha, then one is a lay disciple".
"How, Lord, is a lay disciple virtuous?"
"When a lay disciple abstains from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying and drinking intoxicants, then he is virtuous."
(Anguttara Nikaya, Vol IV)
"How, Lord, does one become a lay disciple?"
"When one has taken refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha, then one is a lay disciple".
"How, Lord, is a lay disciple virtuous?"
"When a lay disciple abstains from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying and drinking intoxicants, then he is virtuous."
(Anguttara Nikaya, Vol IV)
Lay Pratimoksha
vows are taken as a householder for individual liberation, which include the
first five of the Ten Grave Precepts: 1. Affirm life; do not kill; 2. Be
giving; do not steal; 3. Honor the body; do not misuse sexuality; 4. Manifest
truth; do not lie; 5. Proceed clearly; do not cloud the mind. These vows are
seen as things in and of themselves, to be given, which have a reality of
permanence to them. They are considered treasured things that can only be given
by someone who already has them, like a gift.
Seeing them in this way, we treat them with respect and sensitivity.
They are like clay pots. If you break them, you have to ask that they be given
again from someone who has them. The vows are only considered broken if 3
conditions are met: 1. one knows he or she is about to break the vow; 2. one knows
that he or she is fully engage in breaking the vow, and finally, 3. one rejoices
in having broken it. Unless all three of
these conditions are met, then the vow is only considered dented, and not
broken. The dent can be smoothed out in
a sense, through contrition and a re-commitment to following the vow.
Ordained Priests
Priests do not take a vow of celibacy, do not cut their
hair, and do not live in a monastery. They take the five lay precepts and an
additional five precepts of ethical conduct, including: 1. Not speaking of
others errors and faults; 2. Not elevate oneself and blame others, 3. Not being
withholding; 4. Not getting angry; and 5. Not defiling the Three Treasures. A
priest has more independence in how to apply the vows in his or her life, since
there is no community keeping watch or vigil on the priest’s activities. It is
more a personal affair, a
promise to act in accordance with the Buddha-Dharma and the vows he or she takes
to live by. A priest can marry, have
children, and engage in other activities of work outside the religious life, a
monk cannot.
Mahayana Bodhisattva Vows
In the Mahayana tradition, there are
traditionally four vows one makes in the aspiration to become and practice as a
Bodhisattva: 1. Sentient beings are numberless; I vow to save them. 2. Desires
are unending; I vow to end them. 3. Dharmas are unlimited; I vow to learn them
all. 4. The Buddha Way is unattainable; I vow to attain it. Rationally, these
vows are unattainable. In part, we detach from working toward a fixed goal, and
just practice these aspiration daily for the value of practice itself, without
any ego involved. On another level, since all things are nothing but phenomena
in the mind, created with our sixth consciousness, the discriminative mind,
then all things are empty and one with our true nature, enlightenment itself. By purifying our own mind of negative
thoughts, we become one with the universe, therefore the four vows are
automatically realized instantly, since all is one.
The Buddha’s Robe
When
one takes the precepts, one repeats the following verse on the Buddha’s robe:
Vast is the robe of
liberation,
A formless field of
benefaction.
I wear the Tathagata’s
teaching,
Saving all sentient beings.
Afterwards,
one is given a symbolic robe, in the form of the kesa for priests and the
rakusu for lay members. The Buddha robe is the robe of Liberation. It is
boundless, reaches everywhere, a continuum of interdependence, a formless field
of benefaction. It is beyond form and formless. It represents the Buddha and
his teachings. It is formless and non-dual. It is the suchness of this very
moment. It is the personfication of Buddhism, the Buddha-body and mind. It
represents detachment, good fortune, no form, perseverence, compassion and
mercy, the transcendence of evil, and supreme enlightenment. It protects un
from harm and alleviates suffering by destroying the five wrongful views:
belief in a self, holding extreme views, holding false views, attachment to
hearsay, and attachment to wrong practices. It frees us from greed and brings
wisdom, detachment and is the entrance to Nirvana. It is the essence of the
universe itself, our Buddha Nature, which manifests as compassion and wisdom in
the world, working for the salvation of all other sentient beings. It brings
joy, purges the mind of evil, and leads to realization.
Lineage
Upone
taking the precepts, one is given a lineage chart, a gesture of unity with the
ancestors from the Buddha to the present. It is a formal document given after
completion of training showing the lineage and the transmission line from
Buddha to the present. Its
significance is to make conscious
the identity of the life stream of the Buddhas and ancestors and of all
sentient beings; it is a way of saying that the life stream of the Buddhas and
ancestors and our lives is identical. In this act, we are invoking and putting
into practice the precepts, our vows, the lineage of the ancestors and the
Buddha, and making them one with our life.
At
the top of this document is a circle, which represents the unity of the
essence, the pure Dharmakaya, which has no beginning or end, is complete in its
simplicity. It is infinity itself, empty with fullness, and the full moon of
enlightenment. This lineage chart shows the life stream that leads all the way
back to the Dharmakaya, the Dharma body of Buddha. It shows that out of this circle of essence
emerges Shakyamuni Buddha, and all the other Buddhas and ancestors in an
unbroken line, up to the present student, and out from whom the red life stream
line returns back again to the original circle of essence, the Dharmakaya. It symbolizes
the student’s commitment to making him or herself part of this unbroken line of
buddhas, saying that this is the way he or she wants to live his or her life.
The chart is then folded in such a way that both ends touch and merge, and at
the point of juncture, the teacher puts a Chinese character for meeting,
matching, or unifying, which seals the entire chart, symbolizing the transcendence
of opposites, the meeting of heaven and earth, and the realization of oneself
with the Buddha mind of the entire universe.
Buddhist Names
As
part of the ceremony, a spiritual name is given symbolizing a new spiritual
identity. The teacher usually picks a Dharma name for the student representing his
or her personality, direction of practice, and the student’s particular
qualities. Sometimes it is a name
indicating what the student needs for practice.
At other times it is an indication of where the student is already in
her or his practice. It is a type of koan where one can begin afresh creating
one’s own identity based on spiritual intent, practice, and a new way of seeing
oneself.
Conclusion
Buddhist
ethics are based on a pragmatic understanding of situation, context, intent,
doing no harm, personal responsibility, and virtue. One is essentially identifying
oneself with Buddha, transcending the duality of right and wrong, good and bad.
This is done through refuge, renunciation, atonement, and bodhi. There are
various levels of commitment according to the needs of each individual,
including monastic vows, lay vows, priest vow, and Mahayana vows. One aligns
oneself with a lineage of commitment that guides one in managing the challenges
of daily living, providing the tools for awakening to a new identity of joy and
compassion in action.
Bibliography
Foster, James. (Summer,
2013). “Buddhist Ethics.” Class Lecture Course CBS 600: The Precepts. Prajna Institute. Audio
File PRE1.mp3
___________. Audio File PRE2.mp3
___________. Audio File PRE3.mp3
Loori, John
Daido. (2009). The Heart of Being: Moral
and Ethical Teachings of Zen Buddhism.
Dharma Communications: Mount Tremper , N.Y.
Merriam Webster
Dictionary Online. (2013). Encycolpeadia Britannica Company.
Sujato, Bhikkhu. (2013) “The Origin of the three existing Vinaya
lineages: Theravada,
Dharmaguptaka, and Mulasarvastivada.”
Class handout, CBS 600: The Precepts. Prajna
Institute.
Yin, Wu . (2001). “The Importance of the precepts.” Choosing
Simplicity. Snow Lion Publications.
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