Summary: In this episode I continue a series on the Eightfold Noble Path with Right Action. Right Action is appropriate Action, skillful Action, wise Action, it is Action that is in sync with reality as it really is. Everyone wants to be happy and not suffer. We can help create that kind of world, a world where suffering is reduced and happiness expanded. We do that by being the change we want to see in the world. As the Dalai Lama has said, “Through developing an attitude of responsibility toward others, we can begin to create the kindler, more compassionate world we all dream of.” The appropriateness of an action depends upon the particular situation. All ethics are situational ethics. Rules can never take the place of rational decisions flowing from a wise and balanced mind and a loving and compassionate heart. Living by rules alone misses the point. They help steer you into the safe harbor of Enlightened Living, but there are never a substitute for it. But we must begin somewhere, and refraining from negative and unskillful actions is a good place to start. The Five Precepts are the basics of Buddhist morality. The Five Precepts are: (1) Abstain from killing any living being; (2) Abstain from taking what is not given; (3) Abstain from speaking falsely; (4) Abstain from sexual misconduct; and (5) Abstain from intoxicants. These Five Precepts are the foundation of moral or ethical conduct. I deal with each of them in great detail, explains and applying them to our daily lives. The root of Buddhist ethics is love and compassion, the fruit of love and compassion is nonharming. We need rules to put us in the right direction, and so we have the Five Precepts. The goal is not the Five Precepts, the goal is a life of lovingkindness and compassion in every thought we think, every word we speak, and every action we do. In other words, enlightenment. The Five Precepts are not a substitute for the wisdom and compassion of enlightenment, rather they are training that will help you on your way to the real goal which is becoming a Buddha - a being of great compassion and wisdom. In his excellent book Ethics for the New Millennium, the Dalai Lama explains how to approach a live of compassion, he writes, “I believe that developing the compassion on which happiness depends demands a two-pronged approach. On the one hand, we need to restrain those factors which inhibit compassion. On the other, we need to cultivate those which are conducive to it.” The things that inhibit compassion are killing, stealing, lying, sexual misconduct, and drunkenness. These are the things the Five Precepts tell us to abstain from. But if we stopped there, our training would be incomplete. We must also cultivate those which are conducive to a compassionate life. The Dalai Lama explains, “As we have seen, what is conducive to compassion is love, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, humility, and so on.” I end the Show with a suggestion to begin every day with this prayer, “This is the first day of the rest of my life. Today I will try not to harm anyone in thought, word, or deed. In mindfulness I will walk with wisdom and compassion.” Research Links http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noble_Eightfold_Path http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/waytoend.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Precepts Voicemail Feedback Line Your feedback is important, please call 505-750-3121 and leave a voice message to be played on the show. Music Credits Action's Flawed by Artemis Podcast Survey You can help me better serve you and let me know a little more about you. Please fill out the survey over at the Blubrry Network, the link is: http://www.blubrry.com/jayforrestshow/survey/ Jay Forrest Show Resources My Blog - Read the latest from my personal Blog Beliefs - What are the basic beliefs of Buddhism. About - Who is Jay Forrest? Contact - Contact information including email and phone number. Bookstore - A list of some of the best Buddhist books.
