GOOD QUESTION
GOOD ANSWER
Ven. S.
Dhammika
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[04]
The Five Precepts
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 right from wrong?
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
and 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 upon others. If the
intention is good (rooted in giving, loving and wisdom), if it helps
myself (helps me 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 they
may not benefit either myself or others. Sometimes my intentions are far
from good, but my actions 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.
So does
Buddhism have a code of morality?
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.
But surely it is good to
kill sometimes. To kill disease-spreading insects, for example, or someone
who is going to kill you?
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 totally
good.
You Buddhists are too
concerned about ants and bugs.
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 have not arisen. We should all strive to
develop a little more respect for life. And this is what the first precept
is saying.
The Third Precept says we
should avoid sexual misconduct. What is Sexul misconduct?
If we use trickery,
emotioal 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 that we will be loyal to them.
When we commit adultery we break that promise and betray that trust. Sex
should be an expression of love and intimicy between two people and when
it is it contributes to our mental and emotional well-being.
Is sex before marriage a
type a sexual misconduct?
Not if there is love and
mutual agreement between 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.
But what about lying? Is
it possible to live without telling lies?
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.
Well, what about alcohol?
Surely a little drink doesn't hurt!
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 effects can be devastating.
Drinking a small amount
wouldn't be really breaking the precept, would it? It's only a small
thing.
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?
The five precepts are
negative. They tell you what not to do. They don't tell you what to do.
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 refraining from telling lies. After that, we should speak the
truth, speak gently and politely and speak at the right time. He says:
"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 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. Harmony 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".
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Update : 01-03-2002
