Introduction
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INTRODUCTION 1. THE GENERAL CONCEPTION OF ETHICS 2 1.1 The Individual Ethics 3 1.2 The Social Ethics 4 2. WHO WAS BUDDHA? 6 3. BACKGROUND OF THE BUDDHIST ETHICS 8 4. THE IMPORTANCE AND NATURE OF BUDDHIST ETHICS 10 5. THE BUDDHIST ETHICS AND THE MODERN CIVILIZATION 12 6. THE INFLUENCE OF BUDDHISM IN THAI SOCIETY 16 6.1 The Buddhist Conception of Culture 17 6.2 The Buddhist Conception of Thai Education 18 7. THE CHAPTER SCHEMES 19 NOTES AND REFERENCES 23 INTRODUCTION In modern age, we realize that the world has grown smaller and the people of the world have become almost one community interdependent in large multinational groups: having a global economy, comprising of industry, science, technology, trade and culture with worldwide communications eliminating nearly every ancient barrier of distance, culture, language and race. We also share the same grave problems: overpopulation, dwindling natural resources, environmental pollution threatening our air, water, and food, eliminating life forms almost by the minute. We are passing through critical times. Though humanity has been pursuing the ‘mirage’ of progress, we have actually ended up In a chamber of horrors, as the contemporary social situation amply typifies. Mankind has deteriorated in ethics to an unprecedented extent, while, through communications and travel, the world has been reduced to a global village. Immorality is becoming all too pervasive and more and more virulent.^ It is definitely frightening to see humanity getting desensitized and disintegrated in this way. In this desperate situation, where shall we turn for help? Religion is a powerful agency in society. Religion makes people benevolent, charitable, forbearing and truthful. It is an incentive to brotherhood, social justice and ethical idealism. Many religions have warned us about the coming of such an age as ours, and they have also advised us that the only hope in such situations is to take refuge in ethics, which is said to be capable of protecting us in every way. -2- There is a common ethical basis to all world religions in which believers of different religions and also non-believers or agnostics could agree: respect of nature and humanity. No matter whether we believe in Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Christianity or any other religion, we as human beings all desire happiness and do not want suffering. Furthemnore each of us has an equal right to pursue these goals.2 Without doubt, Buddhism is a teaching of moderation. As in other things, the Buddhist teachings steer a middle course, offer guidelines for behavior based on timeless truths. The Buddhist teachings are positive ethics: well-being, rather than power or riches, is the aim; society is seen as a medium through which all people have equal opportunity to maximize self-development and well-being, and ethics are used to facilitate those ends.3 1. THE GENERAL CONCEPTION OF ETHICS In fact, ethics is the branch of philosophy concerned with the study of those concepts we use to evaluate human’s activities; in particular, the concepts of goodness and obligation. Philosophical schools can be divided into school that regard ethical language as being descriptive and those that regard it as being prescriptive. The descriptive theories of ethics seek to define the meaning of good either in temns of non-moral naturalistic characteristics or in temns of moral notions that are considered in a special and peculiar way to their own importance. The prescriptive theories are the view that ethical language is used to appeal not to the intellect, but to the emotions, showing that person’s moral feelings arouse and are designed to arouse feelings in others. Other prescriptive theories are those that define ethical temn as -3- carrying mandatory force, enjoined by some kind of authority, divine or otherwise. A special case was Immanuel Kant’s theory of the categorical imperative, according to which the prescriptive force of moral action hinges on the criterion of whether the principle involved could become a universal maxim. So far there is no global consensus in philosophy for a definition of good.'* However, it can be said summarily that in identifying the meaning of a human action, the intention is decisive. From this viewpoint, we are able to make distinction in moral philosophy between good-bad, right- wrong, helpful-hamiful. The definition and insistence upon good and right are the essential function of ethics, because ethics, according to its real nature, is the way of discovering the true value and behavior of society. The ethics can be broadly divided into two categories as follows; 1.1 The Individual Ethics An individual is a human being regarded both from the standpoint of his general qualities and features and from the standpoint of the individuality of his social, spiritual and physical qualities. These qualities may be positive or negative and usually combine, in varying proportion, having both merits and shortcomings.^ Consequently, the personality is a vehicle of specific individual characteristics and of general human principle simultaneously, because every man belongs to a definite epoch, a concrete society, notion and class.® In particular, ethics is concerned with virtue and goodness, and is expressed as an idea until its consummation as behavior, by ethical persons. Ethical persons are those v^o can control themselves and -4- regulate their conduct ethically according to the nnoment, situation and opportunity in order to inspire peace and happiness in society.^ As observed the philosophical schools and other great world religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism etc., they have expressed their views on this topic since immemorial time.8 As mentioned above, it is said that in deed, the important aspects of Buddhism and relevant clauses deal with individual ethics, as goodness of the heart of each individual human being. It aids in the development of human life in an exceptional manner and becomes successful in life by doing good and avoiding evil, which drives men to experience happiness and advancement and results in peaceful co-existence in freedom. Buddhism holds that the stability of individuals is the stabilization of society. Therefore, it can be said briefly that the individual ethics is behavior and action, suitable and proper thinking, and perfomnance of duty in the best way, by emphasizing and supporting the merit of the human personality regardless of his background; avoidance of wrong or hamnful ways, and doing things which should be done, intelligently and diligently. Ethics focuses its attention on the innate goodness of individuals, which exists in all human minds regardless of race or any other classification. 1.2 The Social Ethics Generally speaking, a human being is a social animal.He can not live without an organization. He can only satisfy his needs within the framework of an organization. The collectivity which a human being has created during the long course of his evolution is called society. In a -5- society, there must be moral rules on living together to promote peace and happiness of society. The social ethics of the world religions is considered as the irr^portant moral principle to create peaceful and happy society in world. It is said explicitly that society and the social ethics of variousjfeiigjons can not be separated at all, because the ethical virtues of varioji^ religions always plays a very important role in the lives of human *^®^g in society.9 It is also a means of living for people in this world. As )served in the contemporary society, however, the most important problems do not relate to social status, economic base or skin. Today’s social problems exist because of immorality and vice of the human being in the society. The individual action itself detemriines the social status. In the light as specified above, it is evident to note in Buddhism that the social ethical teaching or Dharma of the Buddha is whatever is good right and suitable in the contemporary situation of society. It must exist in each human society to avoid the arising of the social immoral problems, at the same time, it can support to create the ideal society in the world. According to the real conception of the ideal society as mentioned in Buddhism, it literally means an essentially enlightened selfless ethical society of universal love and compassion. It accepts the perfect enlightened selfless ethical life of universal love and compassion to be the ultimate goal of life and accepts the claim that pursuit of such a life essentially involves serving one’s society selflessly and ethically to the best of one’s ability through some division of work required for the general good. The ideal society of the Buddha rejects the animal sacrifice, ritualism, ceremonism and superiority or interiority of individual on the basis of Varna system and accepts that any individual of any Varna system doing work ethically and selflessly could pursue the ultimate goal -6- of life through the eightfold noble pathJ® However, it is improper to say that Buddha rejects the entire Bmhamanica! Varna system, because he also divides society into two main social classes i.e. the class of monks and the class of lay people. The work of the monk is to acquire moral and spiritual knowledge and transfer it to other masses. The work of the lay people is to serve the society through some other work required for the general good of the society and earn his life through it. However, it is evident to note that both the class of monks and class of lay people can realize the ultimate goal of life after practicing through the eightfold noble path undoubtedly. Thus, it can be said in brief that the social ethics involves the moral rule and behavior, which should be followed and practiced in what is good, right and suitable to create the ideal society.