Buddhist Perspective on the Development of Social Welfare
by Ashin Indacara | 2011 | 61,386 words
This page relates 鈥楧efinitions and Interpretations of Virtue鈥� of the study on the Buddhist perspective on the development of Social Welfare, employing primarily the concepts of Utthana-sampada (persistent effort) and Arakkha-sampada (watchfulness). Based on the teachings of the Buddha in the Dighajanu Sutta and other canonical texts, this essay emphasizes the importance of effort, knowledge, and good karma in achieving social welfare.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
3. Definitions and Interpretations of Virtue
It is interesting to note that the 顿丑腻迟耻辫腻峁环腻 text put down a root 鈥�厂墨濒鈥� in meaning of 蝉补尘腻诲丑颈 (concentration) and 耻辫补诲丑腻谤补峁嘺 (root or base):鈥�
(1) Nature, character, habit, behavior; usually as 鈥�厂墨濒a鈥� in adjective function 鈥渂eing of such a nature,鈥� like, having the character of 厂墨濒a, e.g. 补诲腻苍补蝉墨濒补 of stingy character, illiberal[1] [2], 办颈峁僺颈濒补: of what behavior?[3]; 办别岣穒蝉墨濒补: tricky[4]; 诲补尘补苍补蝉墨濒补: one who conquers; 辫腻谤颈蝉耻诲诲丑颈蝉墨濒补: of excellent character; 辫腻辫补蝉墨濒补: wicked; 产丑补峁嘺苍补蝉墨濒补: wont to speak; 惫腻诲补蝉墨濒补: quarrelsome and following 蝉墨濒补鈥�dus蝉墨濒补: bad character.[5]
(2) Moral practice, good character, Buddhist ethics, code of morality.
(a) Dasa蝉墨濒补 or ten precepts of good character are:
1. P膩n膩tip膩t膩 verama峁噄: abstinence from taking life;
2. 础诲颈苍苍鈥櫮乨腻苍腻: (from) taking what is not given to one:
3. 础产谤补丑尘补肠补谤颈测腻: (from) adultery (otherwise called k膩mesu micch膩c膩r膩);
4. 惭耻蝉腻惫腻诲腻: (from) telling lies;
5. 笔颈蝉耻峁噕腻肠腻: (from) slander;
6. Pharusa-惫腻肠腻: (from) harsh or impolite speech;
7. 厂补尘辫丑补辫辫补濒腻辫腻 (from) frivolous and senseless talk;
8. 础产丑颈箩箩丑腻测补: covetousness;
9. 叠测腻辫腻诲腻: malevolence; ill-will
10. 惭颈肠肠丑腻诲颈峁弓丑颈测腻: heretic views.
Of these ten, we sometimes find only the first seven designated as 鈥�厂墨濒a鈥�, or good character generally.
(b) The 辫补帽肠补蝉墨濒补 or five precepts of good behaviour are:
1. P膩n膩tip膩t膩 verama峁噄: abstinence from taking life;
2. 础诲颈苍苍鈥櫮乨腻苍腻: (from) taking what is not given to one:
3. 础产谤补丑尘补肠补谤颈测腻: (from) adultery (otherwise called k膩mesu micch膩c膩r膩);
4. 惭耻蝉腻惫腻诲腻: (from) telling lies;
5. 厂耻谤腻-尘别谤补测-尘补箩箩补辫补尘腻诲补-峁弓丑腻苍腻: abstaining from any state of indolence arising from (the use of) intoxicants.
These five are also from the first half of the Ten 厂颈办办丑腻-辫补诲腻苍颈 (precepts). They are a sort of preliminary condition to any higher development after conforming to the teaching of the Buddha (蝉补谤补峁嘺驳补尘补苍补) and as such often mentioned when a new follower is 鈥渙fficially鈥� installed,[6] e.g., 鈥�蝉补谤补峁嘺驳补尘补苍别 办补帽肠颈 nivesesi Tath膩gato 办补帽肠颈 辫补帽肠补su s墨lesu s墨le dasavidhe 辫补谤补峁�鈥�,[7] it is evident that the 蝉颈办办丑腻辫补诲腻苍颈 are meant in this connection (either five or ten), although in 叠耻诲诲丑补惫补峁僺补[8] and 闯腻迟补办补 笔腻岣穒[9] as well as in 惭补丑腻惫补峁僺补,[10] the expression dasa蝉墨濒补 is used: evidently a later development of the term as regards dasa蝉墨濒补 which through the identity of the five 蝉墨濒补s and 蝉颈办办丑腻辫补诲补蝉 was transferred to the ten 蝉颈办办丑腻辫补诲补蝉. These five are often simply called 辫补帽肠补 诲丑补尘尘腻, e.g. in the A峁単uttara 狈颈办腻测补[11]. Without a special title, they are mentioned in connection with the 鈥�蝉补谤补峁嘺-gata鈥� formula e.g. at page 266th of 础峁噂耻迟迟补谤补 狈颈办腻测补, IV (Pali Text Society).[12]
厂墨濒a: 鈥榤orality鈥�, 鈥榲irtue鈥�, is made up of mind and volition (肠别迟补苍腻) manifested in speech and bodily action (kamma). It is the foundation of the whole Buddhist practice and therewith the first of the three kinds of training (蝉颈办办丑腻) that form the three-fold division of the Eightfold Path (magga), i.e. morality, concentration and wisdom.
Buddhist morality is not, as it may appear from the negative formulation in the Sutta texts, something negative. And it does not consist in the mere not committing evil actions, but is, in each in instance, the clearly conscious and intentional restraint from the bad questions and corresponds to the simultaneously arising volition.
Morality of the Eightfold Path, namely, Right Speech, Right Action and Right Livelihood, is called 鈥榞enuine or natural morality鈥� (pakati蝉墨濒补),[13] as distinguished from the external rules for monks and lay-men, the socalled 鈥榩rescribed morality鈥� (pa帽帽atti蝉墨濒补),[14] which, as such, is kammically neutral.
鈥淲hat is now kammically wholesome morality (kusala蝉墨濒补)?[15] It is the wholesome bodily action (办腻测补-办补尘尘补), wholesome verbal action (惫补肠墨办补尘尘补), and also the purity with regard to livelihood which I call morality.鈥�[16]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Sn. verse-247, Pali Text Society Verse-244, P. 316. Pali Text Society, P. 43. Petavatthu, verse-248, P. 153. Pali Text Society, P. 29. Petavatthu Commentary, P. 42. Pali Text Society, P.
[2]:
.
[3]:
Petavatthu Verse-269, P. 155. Pali Text Society, P. 33.
[4]:
Petavatthu Commentary, P. 224. Pali Text Society, P. 241.
[5]:
Ibid, P. 235. Pali Text Society, P. 251. An. II, P. 108. Pali Text Society, III, P. 214. Sn, P. 316, Pali Text Society, P. 44. DhA. P. 364, Pali Text Society Pali Text Society, IV. P. 93. Sn. Verse-383, Pali Text Society Verse-381, P. 336, Pali Text Society, P. 63. D. III, P. 196, Pali Text Society P. 235.
[6]:
Bu. verse-2, Pali Text Society II, Verse-190, P. 321. Pali Text Society, P. 17.
[7]:
Apadana Commentary I, P. 35. Pali Text Society, P. 31. Buddhavamsa Commentary, P. 149. Pali Text Society, P. 123.
[8]:
Apadana I, P. 85. Pali Text Society, P. 76. Bu (Pali Text Society) I, P. 5.
[9]:
J. I, P. 28. J. III, P. Pali Text Society III, P. 291.
[11]:
An. II, P. 178-83. Pali Text Society III, P. 203-8.
[12]:
An. III, P. 93. Pali Text Society IV, P. 266.
[13]:
Nett, P. I65. Pali Text Society, P. 191. Visuddhimagga I, P. 15.
[14]:
D. I, P. 200. Pali Text Society I, P. 260.
[15]:
M. III, P. 185. Pali Text Society III, P. 270. Ps. P. 43. Pali Text Society I, P. 44. PsA. I, P. 202. Pali Text Society I, P. 219. Visuddhimagga I, P. 14.
[16]:
M. II, P. 36. Pali Text Society I, P. 373. Visuddhimagga I, P. 12. Buddhist Dictionary. P. 316-7.