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Theories Behind Moral Guidance

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Buddhist Ethics for Laypeople

Part of the book series: The Humanities in Asia ((HIA,volume 10))

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Abstract

There are three main parts in this chapter. The first is to examine what doctrines, or theories, in Buddhism that make the moral principles described in previous two chapters work. The doctrine of karma and the principle of dependent origination, or conditionality, are essential in this section. The second part is introducing principles the Buddha suggested for making ethical judgement, which will help people in this age to make the right decision while facing new ethical challenges. The third part is to investigate what the wholesome is in Buddhism, what factor decides whether a given deed is considered wholesome or unwholesome. The meaning of wholesomeness in Buddhism reveals that moral behavior suggested by the Buddha will eventually lead a practitioner to the goal in Buddhist soteriology. Since the subject—the ten wholesome courses of karma—is used by Early Buddhist scriptures to explain what the wholesome is, the ten wholesome courses of karma are discussed in this section.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    A Japanese work—Treatise on Karma 業論, by Ryōgon Fukuhara 福原亮厳, 1982.

  2. 2.

    AN 3.34 says, “Wherever that kamma ripens, it is there that one experiences its result, either in this very life, or in the [next] rebirth, or on some subsequent occasion” (Bodhi, 2012, p. 231).

  3. 3.

    The quotation comes from AN 10.216. AN 5.57 and AN 10.48 also have the descriptions.

  4. 4.

    However, in the note given to AN 4.233, Bodhi explained that the actual contents of dark kamma could be seen as the ten unwholesome courses of kamma (Bodhi, 2012, p. 1719, n. 942).

  5. 5.

    These two results are explained in the notes of MN 57, given by Bodhi (1995, p. 1260, n. 603 and 606).

  6. 6.

    Check the explanation in n. 946.

  7. 7.

    It can be supported by the saying: “Karma is the law of moral causation” (Piyadassi, 1972, p. 29).

  8. 8.

    Bodhi explains this in note 51 of SN 12.20. (2000, p. 741).

  9. 9.

    One more set of doctrine is described by these two descriptive phrases, i.e., the three characteristics. Cf. SN 12.20, note 51 (Bodhi, 2000, p. 741). The sutta which applies the very same expressions to the three characteristics is AN 3.136 (Bodhi, 2012, pp. 361–362).

  10. 10.

    It can be seen in AN 4.233 (Bodhi, 2012, p. 601) and MN 57 (Bodhi, 1995, pp. 495–496).

  11. 11.

    MN 60 (Bodhi, 1995, p. 508, sec. 8).

  12. 12.

    It seems that only in this sutta—AN 3.137 (Bodhi, 2012, p. 364)—of the four Nikāyas possesses these three factors together. However, there are other suttas do contain the first two factors.

  13. 13.

    PED, the entry of kiriya (PTS, 1925).

  14. 14.

    Examples can be found in AN 8.12 (Bodhi, 2012, pp. 1130–1136).

  15. 15.

    In these three suttas, the Buddha was mentioned by non-Buddhists as “kammavādī kiriyavādī”, e.g., “… the recluse Gotama holds the doctrine of the moral efficacy of action, the doctrine of the moral efficacy of deeds …” (MN 95; Bodhi, 1995, p. 777).

  16. 16.

    The contents of the three theories are extracted from MN 60, Apaṇṇaka Sutta (Bodhi, 1995, pp. 507–516). The first advocator is coming from MN 76, n. 750 (Bodhi, 1995, p. 1282), and other two names given by the note of MN 60. Similar materials can be seen in DN 2, MN 76, SN 24.5, 6, and 7.

  17. 17.

    SN 55.7 The Buddha states this discourse by using the first seven elements of the ten courses of unwholesome kamma as examples.

  18. 18.

    AN 10.54 (Bodhi, 2012, pp. 1405–1407). Similar contents can be seen in AN 9.6 and MN 114.

  19. 19.

    See DN 21.

  20. 20.

    Also in DN 21.

  21. 21.

    AN 3.78 and AN 10. 94.

  22. 22.

    A table with the seven types of expression can be seen in Lee (2014, p. 131).

  23. 23.

    These two pairs always appear together in suttas like DN 8, 18, 19, 26, 27, 30; SN 46.2, SN 46.51; MN 88, 135; AN 3.29, 3.65, 67, 4.193, 5.141, 9.5.

  24. 24.

    DN 8, 18, 19, 26, 27, 30; MN 135; AN 9.5, 10.54.

  25. 25.

    DN 8, 18, 19; SN 46.2, 46.51; AN 3.29, 5.141.

  26. 26.

    DN 18, 19; SN 46.2, 46.51; AN 3.29, 5.141.

  27. 27.

    DN 27; AN 3.65, 67, 4.193.

  28. 28.

    MN 88; AN 2. 230–279, 3.111, 10.144, 217.

  29. 29.

    MN 61, 88; AN 3.53, 71.

  30. 30.

    DN 21, MN 101, 114; AN 3.78, 4.183, 9.6, 10.54, 94.

  31. 31.

    DN 26, 30; MN 135; AN 3.65, 4.193.

  32. 32.

    Commentary to DN 18: “…kusalaṃ nāma dasakusalakammapathā. Akusalanti dasaakusalakammapathā…”.

  33. 33.

    Commentary to SN 46.2. Kusalāti kosallasambhūtā anavajjasukhavipākā. Akusalāti akosallasambhūtā sāvajjadukkhavipākā.

  34. 34.

    Tattha ārogyaṭṭhena, anavajjaṭṭhena, kosallasambhūtaṭṭhena, niddarathaṭṭhena, sukhavipākaṭṭhenāti pañcadhā kusalaṃ veditabbaṃ. Tesu jātakapariyāyaṃ patvā ārogyaṭṭhena kusalaṃ vaṭṭati. Suttantapariyāyaṃ patvā anavajjaṭṭhena. Abhidhammapariyāyaṃ patvā kosallasambhūtaniddarathasukhavipākaṭṭhena.

  35. 35.

    “Abhidhamme “kosalla” nti paññā āgatāti yonisomanasikārahetukassa kusalassa kosallasammūtaṭṭho”. The last word in boldface should be “kosallasambhūtaṭṭho” since it is the very word given in the commentary.

  36. 36.

    Kosallaṃ vuccati paññā, tato uppannā kosallasambhūtā. A similar explanation given by the Ṭīkā to MN 88 is to refer akosallasambhūto as “avijjā”, the opposite of wisdom.

  37. 37.

    The former can be seen in the commentary to SN 46.2, “… Sāvajjāti akusalā. Anavajjāti kusalā…”, and the latter is in commentary to MN 88, sec. 360, to AN 2.191–200, AN 3.29 and 3.112, e.g., “Sāvajjāti sadosā. Anavajjāti niddosā.” Here, the Pāli term “dosa” is not translated as “hatred”. It is because, according to sub-commentaries, the meaning of dosa here refers to other defilements, such as rāga, etc., and it is impossible to use the general English translation of dosa, i.e., hatred, to denote “rāga” and other defilements. That is why the English translation here is “corruption”, which is supported by the explanations from sub-commentaries.

  38. 38.

    Avajjaṭṭho dosaṭṭho gārayhapariyāyattāti āha “sāvajjāti sadosā”ti. The sub-commentary to DN 8, sec. 385.

  39. 39.

    Rāgādidosehi sadoso. The Ṭīkā to MN 88.

  40. 40.

    For example, the commentary to SN 46.2 gives: “Hīnapaṇītakaṇhasukkesupi eseva nayo”.

  41. 41.

    Check n. 59 of the sutta.

  42. 42.

    Buddhādīhi viññūhi garahitattā viññūgarahitaṃ. Tehi eva thomitattā viññūpasatthanti ñātabbaṃ. The commentary to Mahānidesa, 14, 168.

  43. 43.

    Sabyābajjhoti sadukkho. The commentaries to MN 88, AN 2.191–200.

  44. 44.

    The commentary to AN 4.10: “Dukkhavipākehīti vipākakāle dukkhuppādakehi…”. Similar comments can be seen in the commentary to Mahāniddesa, 3.18.

  45. 45.

    “…attabyābādhāyāti attadukkhāya. Parabyābādhāyāti paradukkhāya…”, from the commentary to AN 3.17, MN 55, etc.

  46. 46.

    Akusalānaṃ dhammānanti akosallasambhūtānaṃ lobhādidhammānaṃ.

  47. 47.

    As the sutta says: “Yo kho, mahārāja, kāyasamācāro akusalo…sāvajjo…sabyābajjho… dukkhavipāko…attabyābādhāyapi saṃvattati, parabyābādhāyapi saṃvattati, ubhayabyābādhāyapi saṃvattati tassa akusalā dhammā abhivaḍḍhanti, kusalā dhammā parihāyanti; evarūpo kho, mahārāja, kāyasamācāro opārambho samaṇehi brāhmaṇehi viññūhī”ti”.

  48. 48.

    See also MN 117.

  49. 49.

    The other eye is to have the ability to gain wealth. If one doesn’t have these two qualities is called a blind one (Bodhi, 2012, pp. 224–225).

  50. 50.

    As in MN 3: “…the Middle Way giving vision, giving knowledge…” (Bodhi, 1995, p. 101).

  51. 51.

    Similar contents can be seen in SN 46.51, p. 1598.

  52. 52.

    “… the Tathāgata approached an ascetic or brahmin and asked: ‘Sir, what is the good, what is the bad? What is blameworthy, what is not… he acquired this mark of the Great Man: his skin is so delicate and smooth that no dust can adhere to his body’.” (Walshe, 1995, p. 449, sec. 1.25).

  53. 53.

    See note 32.

  54. 54.

    The “ten wholesome/unwholesome courses of kamma” and “ten courses of wholesome/unwholesome kamma” are the same. The translator used either one of them to translate “dasa kusala/akusala kammapatha” in different suttas.

  55. 55.

    AN 3.111 also says these three are the causes of unwholesome actions.

  56. 56.

    Lobha is related to abhijjhā; Dosa to byāpāda. However, Theravada Abhidhamma does not group the wrong view to moha, but the group of greed (lobha) (Karunadasa, 2010, p. 117).

  57. 57.

    As the commentary to DN 33 explains the meaning of kammapatha: “Through being the path (patha, or course) to the realms of bliss and misery, just out of action (kamma), courses of kamma are named.” Kammapathesu kammāneva sugatiduggatīnaṃ pathabhūtattā kammapathā nāma. DA, pathikavagga, 10, 347.

  58. 58.

    It was said by Sheng Yen (1995). His argument actually came from the Dà zhì dù lùn 大智度論 [the Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra] (2021), which says: “The ten wholesome courses of karma encompass all sorts of precepts” (十善道則攝一切戒, CBETA 2021.Q2, T25, no. 1509, p. 395b29).

  59. 59.

    However, according to the discussion in Chap. 2, from the sequence the Buddha gave advice to Sigāla, a person should take good care of oneself first, then to others. A good discussion of this topic can be seen in Karunadasa (2013, pp. 84–88).

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  1. Noble Path Buddhist Education Fellowship, New York, NY, USA

    Tien-Feng Lee

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Lee, TF. (2022). Theories Behind Moral Guidance. In: Buddhist Ethics for Laypeople. The Humanities in Asia, vol 10. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-8468-5_5

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