The Five Precepts

 The five precepts 

Candidates should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of: 
• the five precepts;
• positive and negative interpretations of the five precepts;
• implications of the precepts for the development of the ethical codes.

Candidates should be able to discuss these areas critically.

• Refrain from killing, stealing, misusing sexuality, harmful speach, taking intoxicants.
• Its not enough to follow these, You must promote them.

Purpose of the five precepts

• Trains morality, mental culture and wisdom
• Returns people back to basic goodness
• People commit crimes because they are clouded by greed, hatred and anger.
• This aims to remove this
• Enhances ethical values and is important towards nibbana 

• Helps on social harmonious way, enables co-existance and promotes social growth
• Accepts that social problems are direct,ly and indirectly connected
• Cultivates virtues

Distinguishing between a good and bad action

• Buddhist ethics takes into account three components

1. Intention
2. Effect on the wrong doer
3. Effect on the person involved

• If your intention is based on love, compassion and wisdom, The outcome will enable development. For example, You give a compassionate hug, which makes both parties happy, which then causes them to act postively. Thus Hugs are a good action.
• These values are reflected in the Dharma

Lay Buddhists

• The five precepts ar a minimum requirement 
• In addition to these are the three refuges
• Maintains a productive atmosphere
• Teaches self-restraint and co-operation

REMEMBER, If an exam question comes up about the five precepts or about the eightfold path. You are expected to talk about both in contrast but focusing on the one with the question is based upon. 
For example, If the exam question is on The five precepts, You would talk about the pro's, con's and evaluate it, then contrast it to the eightfold path followed by ulimately decided on the value of the five precepts ;) 

Implications of the EightFold Path

 
 Implications for ethics of the eightfold path  

Candidates should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of: 
• the relationship between sila, prajna and samadhi;
• implications of the path for the development of the ethical codes.

Candidates should be able to discuss these areas critically.

• The goal of the 8fold path is to achieve NIbbanna, LIberation form suffering
• It leads to the realisation of the ulimate relaity
• It includes: 

1. Right View
2. Right Attitude
3. Right Speach
4. Right Action
5. Right LIvlihood
6. Right Effort
7. Right Mindfulness
8. Right concentration

• It is about spirtuality, maturity and adapting the teachings into real life
• It provides mental discipline, ethical conduct and wisdom of the individual
• It builds upon ethics based upon compassion for all beings
• Compassion represents love, charity, kindness and tolerance, making the implications when placed into practise, one of liberty of the individual

• It promotes unselfishness as it uses detachment to endow qualities of giving
• Detachment is maintained by the use of conventional and ulimate truth to realise Shunyatta
• This enables the individual to be unbiased with there atttude to ALL persons

• Ethical Virtueis always emphasized in EVERY stage of the path. it is the higher teachings of moral obligation
• It leads to implications on both the individual and the ocmmunity in which the individual engages with
• This means it allows the individual to lead an honest life free from deception
• It teaches the individual to have restraint upon there actions which in turn protects others (the community)

• It endows skillful means and wisdom in all aspects of life
• However Skillful means is realitive, Making it a dangerous tool for those who falsely claim enlightenment. For example, You can say, Killing that guy was skillful means because this way he can't commit bad karma to himself, But the chances of that holding up in court....

• Its not enough to carry these out,  Buddhists MUST promote them also
• Where does this leave other religions?
• Tolerance would allow other religions to flourish along side this
• Can you really promote tolerance , if other religions are not willing to be tolerant

• Another implication of the 8 fold path could be economically
• Conventional economics sees consumption as the ultimate aim of economic activity – the more the better. Buddhism, 
• on the other hand, distinguishes between ‘right’ consumption and ‘wrong’ consumption

• However, a community full of these individuals who not face this issue as all members would have a mutal respect for others. Thus meaning dangerous situations such as murder are less likely to occur
• However, this also means that all members are more vunerable to one individual with a different mind set

Thus allthough it allows people to act positively to there enviroment, its also very dangerous to those who are in it for themselves. Showing the implicatiosn could go either way.

The Three Turnings

• Refers to a framework for understanding the teachings of the Buddha
• First Turning - Buddhas sermon (pali Canon)
• Second Turning - Mahayana Sutra's (Two Truths)
• Third Turning - Yogacara (The Tantras)

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Theravadan (1st Turning)

• The first turning took place at a Deer Park near Varanasi in Northern India
• It consisted of the Four Noble truths and the other elements of the Tripitaka - The abhidharma, Sutrapitaka and Vinaya. 

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 Mahayamaka Buddhism (2nd Turning)

• Took place at Vulture peak moutain in India
• Madhyamaka is systematized by Nagajuna but the teachings were left by the shakyamuni Buddha in alternative plains of meditation
• Said to have recieved them from the 'Naga Spirits'
• Those who follow it are called Madhyamikas
• They have no intrinsic, independent reality apart form the causes and conditions from which they arose
• 'The universe is empty' - Shunyatta, It contains nothing that is real
• Madhayamaka is the rejection of two extreme views, Eternalism and Nihilism.
• It represents 'The middle way'
• Nihilism here denotes the assertion that all things are intrinsically allready destroyed or rendered nonexistant

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 Yogacara (3rd Turning)

• The third turning was also delivered to an audience of Bodhisattvas in India
• According to Yogacara, The buddha set the wheel of Doctrine in motion 3 times
• It holds the view tat all phenomea is mind.
• There is nothing in human experiences that is not meditated by the mind
• Keenan (2003) holds that emptiness, Dependant arising, and the doctrine of two truths are very important to Yogacara

Yoga Cara talks about three ways in which we percieve the world

1. Imaginary nature - Incorrectly understood based upon concepts
2. Dependant nature - Things depend upon other dependant things
3. Absolute nature - Things as they really are

We are never lasting from one moment to the next.

Vijnana represents the simple reaction or response of the sense organs when they come into contact with external objects. This is not a constant "me" that exists. (The chariet anaology)
Manas represents the aspect of its mental functioning, thinking, reasoning, etc
Citta represents the deepest level of consciousness, Inner Buddha hood



The three bodies of the Buddha
The Trikāya doctrine is an Mahayana Buddhist teaching on both the nature of reality and the nature of a Buddha. The doctrine says that a Buddha has three kāyas or bodies.


Dharmakaya - The Body of truth

• Refers to the enlightened mind
• Embodies the very principle of enlightenment and knows no limits or boundaries
• It is the realization of the complete truth
• It is one that is free from impurity

Sambhogakaya - The body of enjoyment

• Dimensions of energy and light
• Enlightened beings can chose to dwell here
• Body of bliss or clear light manifestation
• Advanced bodhisatva's are beings in which they are like a rainbow - Intangible but viable like a rainbow

Nirmanakaya - Body of manifestation

• Manifests in time and space
• Refers to the physical manifestation of an enlightened being
• This can be any form they wish it to be

Practise Exam Questions

Answer 2 questions per practise
1. -Assess the importance of the Dalai Lama in Tibetan Buddhism [35 Marks]


2. - 'Sila is more important than prajna in Buddhist Ethics' Discuss with reference to enviromental issues [35 Marks]

3. - To what extent is the purpose of the Lotus Suta to establish the superiority of Mahayana Buddhism? [35 marks]

4. - Assess the importance of meditation for those seeking Nibbana? [35 Marks]


5. -  To what extent can it be argued that all Buddhists are aiming for NIbbana? [35 Marks]

6. - Assess the importance of the five precepts for Buddhist ethics? [35 Marks]

7. - 'Buddhism in the West is a betrayel of Buddhist origins' Discuss. [35 Marks]


8. - 'The Pali Canon is the most importance Buddhist scripture' Discuss. [35 Marks]

9. - 'It is impossible to understand Nibbana.' Discuss. [£5 Marks]

10. - Assess the importance of the Heart Sutra to Mahayana Buddhism [35 Marks]


11. - To what extent is meditation the uniting feature of Buddhism? [35 Marks]


12. - 'Pure Land Buddhism is merely a shortcut to Nibanna'. Discuss [35 Marks]