buddhist virtues

8/10/2019 Buddhist Virtues

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Virtues: The precepts listed actions that followerswere not allowed to do. In contrast,virtues are lists of positive traits. There arecountless lists of virtues and vices in Buddhistliterature. But in the earliest periodthe virtues can be narrowed down to the

following:Alobha (unselshness): The person acts withoutselsh desire.

Adosa (Benevolence): The person wishes goodwillto all living beings.

Amoha (Understanding): The oral personunderstands huan nature as described inthe !our "oble Truths.

The !our #ublie #tates (Brahma-viahara):There were in addition soe states associatedwith editative practice. These foursubtle conditions re$uired constant applicationand cultivation as a Buddhist: love(metta), copassion (KARUNA), gladnessfor others (mudita), and e$uaniit% (upekkha).

The literature gives directions abouthow each person can develop these four$ualities through conscious application,for instance, b% spreading positive feelingsof karuna (copassion) to ever%one inone&s surroundings.' iddle round: !inall%, traditional Buddhistethics stress the absolute iportanceof leading a oral life. Buddhis revolvesaround gaining wisdo and translatingthat wisdo into action. Buddhist thin*ersargued fro the ver% beginning againstdogatic positions and favored the individual&susing his or her innate powers ofreasoning. The% re+ected eternalis (sassatavaada)as well as nihilis (sabba atthiiti), hedonis as well as selfortication.#uch e-trees, the% taught, led awa%fro the developent of wisdo andself*nowledge. Buddhis fro the ver%beginning ephasied nding the iddleground between e-tree views.Further reading: /avid 0. 1alupahana, Ethics in EarlyBuddhism (2onolulu: Universit% of 2awaii 3ress, 4556)7/aien 1eown, Buddhist Ethics: A Very Short ntroduction

(8-ford: 8-ford Universit% 3ress, 96)7 2aalawa#addhatissa, Buddhist Ethics (#oerville, ass.:;isdo, 455.: #now =ion, 9?)

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@ven under the swa% of ignorance, we are notsolel% nonvirtuous in our actions. #ince beginninglesstie, we have inevitabl% coittedph%sical, verbal, and ental nonvirtues. "evertheless,there have also been ties when we haveacted virtuousl%, thin*ing of the wellbeing of

others. These two paths of activit%, the virtuousand the nonvirtuous, are represented surroundingthe innerost circle of the three poisons. 8n thedar* right side we see those who persist in nonvirtuebeing pulled down into suering b% deons.8n the bright left side those who have forswornnonvirtue are elevated into the happier realsthrough the e-cellent advice of spiritual friends.

These fortunate beings have discovered the pathto happiness b% abandoning *illing, stealing, se-ualisconduct, l%ing, divisive tal*, harsh speech,senseless chatter, covetousness, harful intent,and wrong views.

4.'t this tie when the diCculttogain ship of leisure and fortune has been obtained, ceaselessl% hearing,pondering and editating da% and night in order to liberate oneself and others fro the ocean of c%clice-istence is the Budhisattvas& practice.

9.The ind of attachent to loved ones wavers li*e water. The ind of hatred of eneies burns li*e re. Theind of ignorance which forgets what to adopt and what to discard is greatl% obscured. 'bandoning one&s

hoeland is the Bodhisattvas& practice. DE


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?.;hen harful places are abandoned, disturbing eotions graduall% diinish. ;ithout distraction, virtuousendeavors naturall% increase. Being clearinded, denite understanding of the /hara arises. Aesortingto secluded places is the Bodhisattvas& practice.

D.=ongassociated copanions will part fro each other. ;ealth and possessions obtained with eort will beleft behind. Fonsciousness, the guest, will cast aside the guesthouse of the bod%. =etting go of this life is

the Bodhisattvas& practice. D5


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6.;hen evil copanions are associated with, the three poisons increase, the activities of listening, ponderingand editation decline, and love and copassion are e-tinguished. 'bandoning evil copanions is theBodhisattvas& practice.

G.;hen sublie spiritual friends are relied upon, one&s faults are e-hausted and one&s $ualities increase li*ethe wa-ing oon. 2olding sublie spiritual friends even ore dear than one&s own bod% is the

Bodhisattvas& practice. 6


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5.The pleasure of the three reals is as eeting as a dewdrop on the tip of a blade of grass, vanishing in asingle oent. #triving for the supree state of neverchanging liberation is the Bodhisattvas& practice.

4.;hen others who have been *ind to one since beginningless tie are suering, what&s the use of one&sown happinessH Therefore, generating the ind of enlightenent in order to liberate liitless sentient

beings is the Bodhisattvas& practice. 69


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44.'ll suering without e-ception coes fro wishing for one&s own happiness. The perfect Buddhas arisefro the altruistic ind. Therefore, copletel% e-changing one&s own happiness for the suering of othersis the Bodhisattvas& practice.

49.@ven if others, inuenced b% great desire, steal all one&s wealth or have it stolen , dedicating to the one&s

bod%, possessions and virtues accuulated in the three ties is the Bodhisattvas& practice. 6?


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4?.@ven if others tr% to cut o one&s head when one is utterl% blaeless, ta*ing upon oneself all their negativedeeds b% the power of copassion is the Bodhisattvas& practice.

4D.@ven if soeone broadcasts throughout the billion worlds all sorts of oensive rear*s about one,

spea*ing in turn of that person&s $ualities with a loving ind is the Bodhisattvas& practice. 6D


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45.Though one a% be faous and revered b% an% people or gain wealth li*e that of Vaishravana, havingrealied that worldl% fortune is without essence, to be unconceited is the Bodhisattvas& practice.

9.If outer foes are destro%ed while not subduing the ene% of one&s own hatred, eneies will onl% increase.Therefore, subduing one&s own ind with the ar% of love and copassion is the Bodhisattvas& practice.

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94.Indulging sense pleasures is li*e drin*ing salt water however uch one indulges, thirst and craving onl%increase. Iediatel% abandoning whatever things give rise to clinging and attachent is theBodhisattvas& practice.

99.'ppearances are one&s own ind. !ro the beginning, ind&s nature is free fro the e-trees ofelaboration. 1nowing this, not to engage the ind in sub+ectob+ect dualit% is the Bodhisattvas& practice.

6E


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9?.;hen encountering pleasing sense ob+ects, though the% appear beautiful li*e a rainbow in suer tie,not to regard the as real and to abandon clinging attachent is the Bodhisattvas& practice.

9D./iverse suerings are li*e the death of a child in a drea. B% apprehending illusor% appearances as real,one becoes wear%. Therefore, when encountering disagreeable circustances, viewing the as illusor% is

the Bodhisattvas& practice. 65


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96.If it is necessar% to give awa% even one&s bod% while aspiring to enlightenent, what need is there toention e-ternal ob+ectsH Therefore, practicing generosit% without hope of reciprocation or positive *aricresults is the Bodhisattvas& practice.

9G.If, lac*ing ethical conduct, one fails to achieve one&s own purpose, the wish to accoplish others& purposeis laughable. Therefore, guarding ethics devoid of aspirations for worldl% e-istence is the Bodhisattvas&

practice. G


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95.2aving understood that disturbing eotions are destro%ed b% insight possessed with tran$uil abiding, tocultivate editative concentration which perfectl% transcends the four forless absorptions is theBodhisattvas& practice.

?.If one lac*s wisdo, it is ipossible to attain perfect enlightenent through the other ve perfections.Thus, cultivating s*illful eans with the wisdo that does not discriinate aong the three spheres is the

Bodhisattvas& practice. G9


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?4.If, having erel% the appearance of a practitioner, one does not investigate one&s own ista*es, it ispossible to act contrar% to the /hara. Therefore, constantl% e-aining one&s own errors and abandoningthe is the Bodhisattvas& practice.

?9.If, inuenced b% disturbing eotions, one points out another Bodhisattva&s faults, oneself is diinished.Therefore, not spea*ing about the faults of those who have entered the reat Vehicle is the Bodhisattvas&

practice. G?


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??.Because the inuence of gain and respect causes $uarreling and the decline of the activities of listening,pondering and editation, to abandon attachent to the households of friends, relations and benefactorsis the Bodhisattvas& practice.

?D.Because harsh words disturb others& inds and cause the Bodhisattva&s conduct to deteriorate,

abandoning harsh speech which is unpleasant to others is the Bodhisattvas& practice. GD


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?6.;hen disturbing eotions are habituated, it is diCcult to overcoe the with antidotes. B% aringoneself with the antidotal weapon of indfulness, to destro% disturbing eotions such as desire theoent the% rst arise is the Bodhisattvas& practice.

?G.In brief, whatever conduct one engages in, one should as*, L;hat is the state of % indHL 'ccoplishingothers& purpose through constantl% aintaining indfulness and awareness is the Bodhisattvas& practice.

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