emptyuniverse

Ethical Conduct (Sila)

The non-doing of any evil,
the performance of what's skillful,
the cleansing of one's own mind:
this is the teaching of the Awakened. (Dhammapada 183)

An essential injunction of ethical conduct is to grasp onto nothing and push nothing away. This statement is from the Sutta Nipata (v. 1098). Skillful (virtuous) ethical conduct is considered to be a necessary prerequisite for meditative stabilization. This consideration is functional and straightforward: if we are engaging in negative ethical conduct the mind will be too conflicted to develop the mental qualities of steady mindfulness and clear comprehension necessary for meditation, whether we are aware of these conflicted defilements or not. And because ethical conduct is seen as a skillful means, and not as an end in itself, this contemplative conduct actually transcends conventional norms of 'goodness.' There are repeated statements in the suttas, most notably in the fourth chapter of the Sutta Nipata, stating that the practitioner should not even grasp onto notions of goodness, because it's understood that such grasping only reinforces the self-view and leads to views of 'moral superiority' and 'self-righteous indignation.'

In practice, ethical conduct begins as the support (a somewhat shaky support for most of us) for the practice of meditation. And then over time, the calm (samatha) and clear comprehension (sampajanna) developed through meditation begins to reciprocally support and strengthen our ethical conduct. This makes it easier to see negative thoughts as they are manifesting, allowing us to abandon such thoughts, replacing them with productive, skillful themes of contemplation before they can lead to unskillful speech or actions. In this way all aspects of the path are integrated, and progress along the path depends upon the refinement of the various components of ethics, meditation, and discernment. In the following paragraphs we will take a look at how ethical conduct relates to the understanding of dependent origination and the insight based on this understanding — that this is actually an empty world.

Ethics In An Empty World

If this was a universe filled with trillions of separate, inherently existing beings, then the conduct of each would only have consequences for that individual, and thoughts, speech, and actions would only be of import to them alone. But since this is an empty universe with no intrinsically separate beings, every thought, word, and action has consequences that affect the interdependent totality....

If this was a universe where matter was primary and consciousness was only a secondary byproduct of matter, then thoughts, speech, and actions would have no long term consequences because death would mean the cessation of consciousness. But since this is an empty universe where both conditioned mind and matter are dependently arisen, every thought, word, and action has consequences because conduct shapes the mental and material environment....

If this was a universe where a loving Creator God was primary, who, upon the death of inherently existing beings, would judge their immortal soul and send them to heaven or hell forever, then ethical conduct wouldn't be terribly important because the individual could repent at any moment before judgment and be forgiven. But since this is an empty universe which shows no discernible efficacy of a Creator God, every thought, word, and action has consequences that can in no way be erased....

The Buddha said that he only taught two things: suffering, and the cessation of suffering. He also taught that speculating about the origin of the universe — the 'first cause' — wasn't as important for the liberation of beings as was understanding the dependently arisen and empty nature of this reality that we presently find ourselves in. Why? Because if we can understand the dependent nature of this present reality we can consciously develop the thoughts, speech, and actions which promote liberation and we can learn to refrain from thoughts, speech, and actions that constrict liberation. This is the basis of the Buddha's teaching. A teaching that is essentially based upon both generating and appreciating the goodness of the present moment.

Eight Precept Supports

We all know the basics of ethical thought, speech, and action: be kind, support life, and if at times you can't be kind, just try not to cause any harm. With this in mind we can voluntarily choose to undertake the eight precepts which are the foundation of ethical conduct from a Buddhist perspective. But keep in mind that these precepts are not 'commandments from on high,' nor are they to be seen as ends in themselves. They are skillful supports to aid in meditative stability, which in turn transforms our understanding of the Dhamma from mere theoretical conjecture to actual experiential discernment. And as skillful supports these precepts are of a purely functional nature. As with all conditioned phenomena, they shouldn't be grasped at or clung to in a dogmatic manner. This non-grasping attitude is, in fact, the essential guiding principle of the precepts. The eight precepts are:

• I undertake the precept to refrain from destroying living creatures: the essence of this precept is to diligently avoid killing or harming any sentient being, and to develop an attitude of universal kindness through non-ideological pacifism.

• I undertake the precept to refrain from taking that which is not given: the essence of this precept is to diligently avoid taking anything that is not freely offered, and to develop an attitude of universal generosity.

• I undertake the precept to refrain from (inappropriate) sexual activity: the essence of this precept is to not engage in sexual promiscuity, and to develop universally compassionate relationships. During Uposatha (new moon and full moon observance days) and during meditation retreats this precept includes complete sexual abstinence.

• I undertake the precept to refrain from incorrect speech: the essence of this precept is to diligently avoid false speech, malicious speech, profane speech, and frivolous speech, and to thereby develop kind and honest speech.

• I undertake the precept to refrain from intoxicating drinks and drugs which lead to carelessness: the essence of this precept is to diligently avoid all intoxicants and addictive activities (such as gambling, etc.), and to develop a calm, clear mind.

• I undertake the precept to refrain from eating at inappropriate times: the essence of this precept is to diligently avoid overeating and eating as a form of addictive activity, and to thereby develop an attitude of moderation and contentment. During Uposatha and during meditation retreats this precept is extended to mean no solid food after the midday meal.

• I undertake the precept to refrain from dancing, singing, music, going to see entertainments, wearing jewelry, using perfumes, and beautifying the body with cosmetics: the essence of this precept is to avoid frivolous entertainment as a form of addictive escapism, to avoid obsessing over the body and physical appearances, and to see the value of developing inner qualities of mental calm and insight.

• I undertake the precept to refrain from lying on a high or luxurious sleeping place: the essence of this precept is to avoid obsessing over material acquisitions and hyper-consumerism, and to develop an attitude of voluntary simplicity.

Of these eight precepts the first five are to be undertaken at all times if one so chooses, while the last three are often only observed during Uposatha days and during meditative retreats. But the essence of all eight can be easily maintained by anyone who understands the relevance of the non-grasping, non-materialistic, non-addictive attitude they entail.

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