Buddhist Ethical Philosophy

BUDDHIST
ETHICAL
PHILOSOPHY
“ALL THAT WE ARE
IS THE RESULT OF
WHAT WE HAVE
THOUGHT.”
-Buddha
INTRODUCTION
Buddhism goes beyond religion and is a philosophy
or ‘way of life’. Buddhist path can be summed up as-
– To lead a normal life.
– To be mindful and aware of thoughts and actions.
– To develop wisdom and
understanding.
BUDDHISM
• Began as an offspring to
Hinduism in India.
• It was founded by Siddhartha
Gautama 2500 years ago.
• Dominant religion in China,
Japan, Korea and much of
Southeast Asia.
• Practiced by about 300-350
million people around the
world.
THE BUDDHA
• Siddhartha Gautama was born around 566 BC,
in the small kingdom of Kapilavastu to King
Suddhodana and Queen Maya.
• Married princess Yasodhara, at the age of 16.
• At 29, realized that wealth and luxury did not
guarantee happiness.
• Explored different religions, teachings and
philosophies.
FOUR SIGHTS
A Sick An old man Death

Person
A Monk
Enlightenment
• While meditating under the Bodhi
tree in Bodh- Gaya, India, he
experiences the Great Enlightenment.
• Reveals to him the way of salvation
from suffering.
• He spends 7 weeks meditating in the
vicinity of the Bodhi tree.
• Gained the most supreme wisdom.
• ‘The Awakened One’.
THE FOUR
GREAT VOWS
• However innumerable beings are,
I vow to save them.
• However inexhaustible passions
are, I vow to extinguish them.
• However immeasurable the
Dharmas are, I vow to master
them.
• However incomparable the
Buddha-truth is, I vow to attain it.
BASIC
TEACHINGS
• The Three Universal
Truths
• The Four Noble Truths
• The Eightfold Noble
Path
• The Five Precepts of
Life
• Meditation
• Nirvana
The
Three
Universal
truths
Nothing is lost in
the universe
Matter turns into energy, energy turns
into matter. A dead leaf turns into soil.
A seed sprouts and becomes a new
plant. We consist of that which is
around us, we are the same as
everything. If we destroy something
around us, we destroy ourselves. If we
cheat another, we cheat ourselves.
Understanding this truth, the Buddha
and his disciples never killed an animal.
Everything changes
Everything is continuously changing.
Life is like a river flowing on and on,
ever-changing. Sometimes it flows
smoothly and sometimes swiftly. It is
smooth and gentle in some places,
but later on snags and rocks crop up
out of nowhere. As soon as we think
we are safe, something unexpected
happens. Our ideas about life also
change.
Law of cause and effect
The law of cause and effect is known
as karma. Nothing ever happens
unless we deserve it. We receive
exactly what we earn, whether it is
good or bad. We are the way we are
now due to the things we have done in
the past. Our thoughts and actions
determine the kind of life we can
have. Every time we create a new
karma by what we say, do and think.
KARMA
“The kind of seed sown
will produce that kind of fruit.
Those who do good will reap good results,
Those who do evil will reap bad results.
If u carefully plant a good seed,
You will joyfully gather good fruit.”
Dhammapada
THE
FOUR
NOBLE
TRUTHS
DUKKHA
Suffering exists.
•Birth
•Aging and deterioration
•Disease
•Death
•Presence of hateful objects
•Absence of lovable objects
•Not getting what we desire
SAMUDAYA
There is a cause for suffering.
•Ignorance
•Greed
This selfish craving takes 3 main

forms:
• Craving for pleasure.
• Craving for continued existence.
• Craving for the cessation of
existence.
NIRODHA
• Cessation of suffering is attainable.
• Unmaking of sensual craving and conceptual
attachment.
• Full acceptance of
Imperfection
Impermanence
Interconnectedness
• Leads to Nirvana
MAGGA
• Path to the cessation of suffering.
• Path of self-improvement – The
Eightfold Noble Path
• Middle way- avoids 2 extremes of
excessive self-indulgence and
excessive self-mortification.
• Self discipline regarding ethical
conduct, mental discipline and
wisdom.
THE
NOBLE
EIGHTFOLD
PATH
RIGHT UNDERSTANDING
• Understanding the Four Noble Truths.
• Understanding the Law of Karma.
• Understanding the true nature of all things.
• Leads to right thoughts and right actions.
RIGHT THOUGHT
• We are what we think.
• Clear and kind thoughts build good, strong
characters.
• Three types of right intentions
– Intention of Renunciation
– Intention of Good will
– Intention of Harmlessness
RIGHT SPEECH
• Speaking kind and helpful words.
• Say what needs to be said.
• Abstain from
 False speech
 Slanderous speech
 Harsh words
 Idle chatter
RIGHT CONDUCT
• Abstaining from hurtful behavior.
• Following five precepts of life
– No killing
– No stealing
– No sexual misconduct
– No lying
– No intoxicants
RIGHT LIVELIHOOD
• Wealth should be gained legally and
peacefully.
• Avoid four specific activities
– Dealing in weapons.
– Dealing in living beings.
– Working in meat production and butchery.
– Selling intoxicants and poisons.
RIGHT EFFORT
• Promote good thoughts.
• Conquer evil thoughts.
• Doing best at all times.
• Having good will toward others.
• Not wasting effort on things that harm
ourselves and others.
RIGHT MINDFULNESS
• Involves precision and
clarity.
• Four foundations of mindfulness
Contemplation of the body
Contemplation of feelings
Contemplation of the state of mind
Contemplation of the phenomena
• Overcome craving, hatred and ignorance.
RIGHT CONCENTRATION
• Development of
mental force i.e. concentration.
• One-pointedness of mind.
• Concentration on wholesome thoughts
and actions.
• Practice of meditation.
THE
FIVE
PRECEPTS
OF
LIFE
FIVE PRECEPTS
• No killing- respect for life
• No stealing- respect for others’ property
• No sexual misconduct- respect for our pure
nature
• No lying- respect for honesty
• No intoxicants- respect for a clear mind
MEDITATION
There are many different forms
of Buddhist meditation with the
purpose of basically “shutting
down” the mind such as fasting,
posture positions, breathing
exercises and repetitive mantras.
A very simple way of meditating
is concentrating on your breath.
The breath is like a bridge
between your body and mind.
nirvana
NIRVANA:
The Goal of the Path
• An everlasting state of great joy and peace.
• Actual state of non-existence.
• Soul ceases to exist.
• Liberation from samsara
(unsatisfactoriness) and dukkha (sufferings).
• Cycle of rebirth-and-redeath ends.
• Attained through self development
and mental cultivation.
“I believe that the very purpose of life is to seek
happiness. That is clear. Whether one believes in
religion or not, whether one believes in this
religion or that religion, we all are seeking
something better in life. So, I
think the very motion of our
life is towards happiness.”
His Holiness the Dalai Lama
THANK
YOU
PRESENTED BY-
• HEENA GOYAL (13)
• KHUSHBOO GUPTA (14)
• CHINTAN VAIDYA (40)
• HARSH SHAH (46)
• SAMEER MAHAJAN (50)
• HONEY DESAI (54)

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BUDDHIST

A Sick An old man Death

This selfish craving takes 3 main

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