Ethical Conducts (Sila) : Compassion (karuna)

Ethical Conducts (Sila) : Compassion (karuna)

- Right Speech means :

  1) abstention from telling lie

  2) abstention from backbiting and slander and talk that may bring about hatred, enmity, disunity and disharmony among individuals or groups of people

  3) abstention from harsh, rude, impolite, malicious and abusive language, and

  4) abstention from idle, useless and foolish babble and gossip.

 

  When one abstains from these forms of wrong and harmful speech one naturally has to speak the truth, has to use words that are friendly and benevolent, pleasant and gentle, meaningful and useful. one should not speak carelessly : speech shlould be at the right time and place. If one cannot say something useful, one should keep 'noble silence'.

 

- Right Action aims :

  at promoting moral, honorable and peaceful conduct.  It admonishes us that we should abstain from destroying life, from stealing, from dishonest dealings, from illegitimate sexual intercourse, and that we should help others to lead a peaceful and honourable life in the right way.

 

- Right livelihood means :

  one should abstain from making one's living through a profession that brings harm to others, such as trading in arms and lethal weapons, intoxicating drinks, poisons, killing animals. cheating, etc., and should live by a profession which is horourable, blamelessand innocent of harm to others. one can claerly see here that Buddism is strongly opposed to any kinf of war, when it lays down that trade in arms and lethal weapons is an evil and unjust means of livelihood.