08 Ethical Training

Introduction

67 As we have already said, ethical training consists of determining what is good and then applying it to both our individual and social behaviour. There are two types of good - intrinsic good and instrumental good.

A thing is intrinsically good when it is an aim or goal in itself. Health, peace, happiness, love and particularly Nirvana are goals in themselves and thus intrinsically good.

A thing is instrumentally good when it helps us attain something intrinsically good. Money, for example, is instrumentally good because with it we might be able to buy nutritious food and quality medical care, and thus good health, which is intrinsically good.

Again, forgiveness and reconciliation are instrumentally good because they help promote peace which is intrinsically good. The Buddha's ethics embraces both these types of good and thus is just as relevant to attaining mundane happiness as it is for attaining the happiness of Nirvana.

68 But how do we know what behaviour is good and what is bad ? For theistic religions, taking as they do a legislative approach to ethics, this question is easy to answer. What God says is good must be done, and what God says is evil must be avoided.

To be good one only has to do what has been commanded. Failure to follow any commandments has consequences far beyond the act itself - it puts one at odds with the most powerful being in the universe and may even result in spending an eternity in hell. The obvious flaw in the theistic approach to ethics is that blind obedience takes precedence over understanding, failure to be obedient can lead to terrible fear and guilt.

69 Buddhism arrives at its understanding of what is good and what is bad by applying three - principles - the instrumental principle, the consequential principle and the universalizability principle.

The first of these principles states that behaviour is good if it helps to achieve a desired goal. The ultimate goal of the Buddhist life and practice is Nirvana, which is sometimes described as the complete destruction of greed, hatred and delusion.

Jambukhadaka the wanderer asked Venerable Sariputta:
"They talk of `Nirvana, Nirvana. But what, friend, is Nirvana ?"
"The stopping of greed, hatred and delusion - that, friend, is Nirvana."

Thus we can say that anything which reinforces or encourages greed, hatred and delusion or which leads us away from Nirvana can be considered bad.

If our behaviour neither reinforces nor weakens greed, hatred or delusion it is morally neutral or inconsequential. For example, the Buddha says that we should not waste time speculating about the origins of the universe, not because such speculation is bad, but because "it does not conduce to letting to, giving up, stilling, calming, higher knowledge, awakening or to Nirvana."

If our behaviour leads to a weakening of greed, hatred and delusion and reinforces generosity, love and understanding, thus leading us towards Nirvana, it can be called good. The Buddha's instrumental principle in ethics is well illustrated by this answer to the question:

" How can we know what is consistent with your teachings and what is not ?"

The doctrines of which you can say: "These doctrines do not lead to letting to, giving up, stilling, calming, higher knowledge, awakening or to Nirvana" - you can definitely know that they are not Dhamma, not discipline, not the word of the Teacher. But the doctrines of which you can say:

" These doctriness lead to letting go, giving up, stilling, calming, higher knowledge, awakening or to Nirvana - you can definitely know that they are Dhamma, they are discipline, they are discipline, they are the word of the Teacher."

70 The second principle Buddhism uses to determine good and bad is the consequential principle which states that behaviour can be judged by the consequences it has. The Buddha explains this principle when he says:

The deed which causes remorse afterwards
And results in weeping and tears
Is ill done.

The deed that causes no remorse afterwards
And results in joy and happiness
Is well done.

Not one knowingly hurts themselves, and thus if our actions result in pain, distress or suffering there must be something wrong with them.

71 The third way of determining good and bad is the universalizability principle. One thing that unifies all life is the desire to be happy and to avoid pain, and we can infer (anumana) that what is painful to one is probably painful to another. Based upon these facts, the universalizability principle states that we should act towards others the way we would like them to act towards us.

The Buddha puts it this way:

What sort of Dhamma practice leads to great good for oneself ?

Concerning this, the noble disciple reflects:

"Here am I, fond of life, not wishing to die, fond of pleasure and averse to pain. If someone were to kill me, I would not like it. Likewise, I will to kill someone, they would not like that.

For what is unpleasant to me must be unpleasant to another, and how could I burden someone with that?" As a result of such reflection, one abstains from killing, encourages others to abstain from it, and speaks in praise of such abstaining.

Again, the noble disciple reflects:" If someone will to steal what was mine, I would not like. Likewise, if I were to steal what belonged to someone else, they would not like that.

For what is unpleasant to me must be unpleasant to another and how could I burden someone with them ?" As a result of such reflection, he abstains from stealing, encourages others to abstain from it, and speaks in praise of such abstaining.

Again, the noble disciple reflects: "If someone will to have intercourse with my spouse, I would not like it. Likwise, if I were to have intercourse with another's spouse, they would not like that.

For what is unpleasant to me must be unpleasant to another, and how could I burden
someone with that?" As a result of such reflection, one abstains from wrong sensual desire, encourages others to abstain from it, and speaks in praise of such abstaining.

Once again, the noble disciple reflects: "If someone were to ruin my benefit by lying, I would not like it. Likewise, if I were to ruin someone else's benefit by lying, they would not like that.

For what is unpleasant to me must be unpleasant to another, and how could I burden someone with that?" As a result of such reflection, he abstains from lying, encourages others to abstain from it, and speaks in praise of such abstaining.

A noble disciple reflects further: "If someone were to estrange me from my friends by slander, speak harshly to me or distract me with pointless, frivolous chatter I would not like it, If I were to do this to another, they would not like that.

For what is unpleasant to me must be unpleasant to another, and how could I burden another with that ? " As a result of such reflection, one abstains from slander, harsh speech and pointless chatter, encourages others to abstain from it, and speaks in praise of such abstaining.

72 We have seen before (27) that we intend before we act, and so together with these three principles we must take into account the intentions behind our behaviour.

When an act reinforces tendencies that lead us away from Nirvana, causes either ourselves or others suffering, is not something that we would line done to us and is motivated by negative intentions like hatred, greed, pride and so on, then it can be called bad or wrong.

When an act reinforces tendencies that lead us towards Nirvana, causes suffering neither to ourselves or others, is something that we would like done to us and is motivated by positive intentions like, love, generousity and so on, then it can be called good or right.

No one of these principles is adequate in itself to mark behaviour go or bad, but taken together they constitute a dependable guide to how to think, speak and act. Being good in the Buddhist sense requires more than obediently following commandments; it requires that we think about our goals, that we be aware of our thoughts, speech and actions and that we become sensitive to our interaction with others. In short, it requires intelligence and understanding. So we can truly say that Buddhism takes an educative approach to ethics.

73 While discussing goodness it is important to point out that Buddhism teaches the supremacy of the good. Some religions teach that human nature is innately depraved, that humans are incapable of being good and that they can only be saved by throwing themselves on the mercy of a diving being.

The Buddha's understanding of human nature contrasts starkly with this rather gloomy and pessimistic view. Goodness and virtue, Buddhism says, are stronger than evil.

The king asked, "Venerablee Nagasena, which is greater, good or evil ? "

"Good is greater, Sire, bad is only small."

"In what way?"

"Sire, someone acting badly is remorseful, saying: `An evil deed has been done by me," and thus evil does not increase. But someone doing good, is not remorseful. Because of freedom from remorse, gladness arises, from gladness comes joy, because of joy the body is tranquil, with tranquil body one is happy, and the mind that is happy is concentrated. One who is concentrated sees things as they really are, and in this way good increases."

In one of his most striving and inspiring talks, the Buddha tells us that we can, as he himself did, make a goodness and virtue dominant in our lives.

Abandon wrong; it can be done. If it will impossible to do, I would not urge you to do so. But since it can be done, I say to you :

`Abandon wrong.' If abandoning wrong brought loss and sorrow, I would not urge you to do so. But since it conduces to benefit and happiness, I urge you:

`Abandon wrong'. Cultivate the good; it can be done. If I will impossible to do, I would not urge you to do so. But since it can be done, I say to you:

`Cultivate the good. 'If cultivating good brought loss and sorrow, I would not urge you to do so. But since it conduces to benefit and happiness, I urge you; "Cultivate the good.'