QUESTION: Other religions derive their ideas of right and
wrong from the commandments of their god or gods. You
Buddhists don't believe in a god, so how do you know
what is right and wrong?
ANSWER:
Any thoughts, speech or actions that are rooted
in greed, hatred and delusion and thus lead us away from
Nirvana are bad and any thoughts, speech or actions that are
rooted in giving, love and wisdom and thus help clear the
way to Nirvana are good.
To know what is right and wrong in god-centred religions,
all that is needed is to do as you are told. But in a man-centred
religion like Buddhism, to know what is right or wrong, you
have to develop a deep self-awareness and self-understanding.
And ethics based on understanding are always stronger than
those that are a response to a command.
So to know what is right and wrong, the Buddhist looks
at three things - the intention, the effect the act will have
upon oneself and the effect it will have upon others. If the
intention is good (rooted in giving, love and wisdom), if it
helps myself (helps me to be more giving, more loving and
wiser) and help others (helps them to be more giving, more
loving and wiser), then my deeds and actions are wholesome,
good and moral. Of course, there are many variations of this.
Sometimes I act with the best of intentions but it may not
benefit either myself or others. Sometimes my intentions are
far from good, but my action helps others nonetheless.
Sometimes I act out of good intentions and my acts help me
but perhaps cause some distress to others. In such cases, my
actions are mixed - a mixture of good and not-so-good. When
intentions are bad and the action helps neither myself nor
others, such an action is bad. And when my intention is
good and my action benefits both myself and others, then
the deed is wholly good.
QUESTION: So does Buddhism have a code of morality?
ANSWER:
Yes, it does. The Five Precepts are the basis of
Buddhist morality. The first precept is to avoid killing or
harming living beings. The second is to avoid stealing, the
third is to avoid sexual misconduct, the fourth is to avoid
lying and the fifth is to avoid alcohol and other intoxicating
drugs.
QUESTION: But surely it is good to kill sometimes. To kill
disease-spreading insects, for example, or someone who
is going to kill you?
ANSWER:
It might be good for you. But what about that thing
or that person? They wish to live just as you do. When you
decide to kill a disease-spreading insect, your intention is
perhaps a mixture of self-concern (good) and revulsion
(bad). The act will benefit yourself (good) but obviously it
will not benefit that creature (bad). So at times it may be
necessary to kill but it is never wholly good.
QUESTION: You Buddhists are too concerned about ants
and bugs.
ANSWER:
Buddhists strive to develop a compassion that is
undiscriminating and all-embracing. They see the world
as a unified whole where each thing and creature has its
place and function. They believe that before we destroy or
upset nature's delicate balance, we should be very careful.
Just look at those cultures where emphasis is on exploiting
nature to the full, squeezing every last drop out of it without
putting anything back, conquering and subduing it. Nature
has revolted. The very air is becoming poisoned, the rivers
are polluted and dead, so many beautiful animal species are
extinct, the slopes of the mountains are barren and eroded.
Even the climate is changing. If people were a little less
anxious to crush, destroy and kill, this terrible situation may
not have arisen. We should all strive to develop a little more
respect for life. And this is what the first precept is saying.
QUESTION: The Third Precept says we should avoid sexual
misconduct. What is sexual misconduct?
ANSWER:
ANSWER: If we use trickery, emotional blackmail or force
to compel someone to have sex with us, then this is sexual
misconduct. Adultery is also a form of sexual misconduct
because when we marry we promise our spouse we will be
loyal to them. When we commit adultery we break that
promise and betray their trust. Sex should be an expression
of love and intimacy between two people and when it is it
contributes to our mental and emotional well-being.
QUESTION: Is sex before marriage a type of sexual
misconduct?
ANSWER:
Not if there is love and mutual agreement between
the two people. However it should never be forgotten that
the biological function of sex is to reproduce and if an
unmarried woman becomes pregnant it can cause a great deal
of problems. Many mature and thoughtful people think it is
far better to leave sex until after marriage.
QUESTION: But what about lying? Is it possible to live
without telling lies?
ANSWER:
If it is really impossible to get by in society or
business without lying, such a shocking and corrupt state of
affairs should be changed. The Buddhist is someone who
resolves to do something practical about the problem by
trying to be more truthful and honest.
QUESTION: Well, what about alcohol? Surely a little
drink doesn't hurt.
ANSWER:
People don't drink for the taste. When they drink
alone it is in order to seek release from tension and when
they drink socially, it is usually to conform. Even a small
amount of alcohol distorts consciousness and disrupts self-awareness.
Taken in large quantities, its effect can be
devastating.
QUESTION: But drinking just a small amount wouldn't
be really breaking the precept, would it? It's only a small
thing.
ANSWER:
ANSWER: Yes, it is only a small thing and if you can't practise
even a small thing, your commitment and resolution isn't
very strong, is it?
QUESTION: The five precepts are negative. They tell you
what not to do. They don't tell you what to do.
ANSWER:
The Five Precepts are the basis of buddhist morality.
They are not all of it. We start by recognizing our bad
behaviour and striving to stop doing it. That is what the Five
Precepts are for. After we have stopped doing bad, we then
commence to do good. Take for example, speech. The
Buddha says we should start by remaining from telling lies.
After that, we should speak the truth, speak gently and
politely and speak at the right time. He says:
MI 179
"Giving up false speech he becomes a speaker
of truth, reliable, trustworthy, dependable, he
does not deceive the world. Giving up malicious
speech he does not repeat there what he has
heard here nor does he repeat here what he has
heard there in order to cause variance between
people. He reconciles those who are divided and
brings closer together those who are already
friends. Harmonic is his joy, harmony is his
delight, harmony is his love, it is the motive of
his speech. Giving up harsh speech his speech is
blameless, pleasing to the ear, agreeable, going
to the heart, urbane, liked by most. Giving up
idle chatter he speaks at the right time, what is
correct, to the point, about Dhamma and about
discipline. He speaks words worth being
treasured up, seasonable, reasonable, well
defined and to the point."