The Perfection of Moral Ethics

A generous person who lacks discipline is like someone who builds a beautiful house on a floodplain — the investment is real, the intention is good, but the foundation cannot hold. Generosity can bring wealth and favorable circumstances, but moral discipline determines where and how those circumstances are enjoyed. Without ethics, even a generous person falls to the lower realms.

Lama Jampa Thaye's note: From a dharma perspective, moral discipline differs from theistic ethics. We do not believe in an external god who determines what is good or bad. Yet moral discipline is extraordinarily important because it is built into the structure of reality itself: all causes give rise to effects. Dependent origination—the fact that all things arise through causes and conditions—is simultaneously the emptiness of all things. Every action of body, speech, and mind will bear a result.

Furthermore, we become better people by practicing moral discipline. It is not merely about avoiding negative consequences—behaving morally makes us more virtuous, and virtue leads all the way to Buddhahood itself.

The Seven Topics

Reflection on the faults and virtues, Definition, classification, Characteristics of each classification, Increase, perfection, and result— These seven comprise the perfection of moral ethics.

I. Reflection on the Faults and Virtues

Faults of Not Having Moral Ethics

Even though you may have the practice of generosity, you will not achieve the perfect body of gods and human beings if you do not have moral ethics. Engaging in the Middle Way says:

Even if one achieves wealth through generosity, The being who breaks his leg of moral ethics will fall to the lower realms.

Lama Jampa Thaye's note: Consider animals who are human pets—they enjoy comfort and ease compared with other animals, yet lack the freedom of human life. They have luxury because in previous lives they created karma for wealth through giving. But without the higher virtue of moral discipline, they lack a human rebirth.

Without moral ethics, you will not meet the Dharma teachings. The Possessing Moral Ethics Sutra says:

For example, a person without sight cannot see forms. Likewise, a person without moral ethics will not see the Dharma teachings.

If you have allowed moral discipline to weaken, you have no connection with the vision of Dharma.

Without moral ethics, you cannot be freed from the three worlds of samsara:

For example, a person without feet cannot walk a road. Likewise, a person without moral ethics cannot be liberated.

Without moral ethics, you will not achieve unsurpassable enlightenment. Buddhahood becomes impossible without this basis.

Virtues of Having Moral Ethics

On the other hand, you will achieve the perfect body when you have moral ethics. The Condensed Perfection of Wisdom Sutra says:

Through moral ethics, one will avoid the rebirth of animals and so forth, the eight unfavorable conditions, and will always find leisure.

When you have moral ethics, you can establish the foundation of all goodness and happiness. The Letter to a Friend says:

Just as the ground is the basis for motion and stillness, So moral ethics is the basis of all the excellent qualities.

When you have moral ethics, it is like fertilized ground—all the crops of good qualities will grow. Engaging in the Middle Way says:

When all the good qualities increase in the field of moral ethics, One can enjoy the result without ceasing.

Specifically, moral discipline is the basis for meditation. The Moon Lamp Sutra says:

One will quickly achieve unafflicted meditative concentration; This is the beneficial effect of pure moral ethics.

This is why Buddha taught the three trainings beginning with moral discipline: it provides the steadiness of mind through which deep meditation becomes possible. Without moral discipline, the mind is too agitated for meditation.

When you have moral ethics, all aspiration prayers will be accomplished. The Meeting of Father and Son Sutra says:

For one who keeps pure moral ethics, All aspiration prayers will be accomplished.

When you have moral ethics, it is easy to establish enlightenment:

Pure moral ethics bear great beneficial effects. Because of that, it is not difficult to establish enlightenment.

The Possessing Moral Ethics Sutra summarizes:

One who has moral ethics will meet the Buddha when he appears. One who has moral ethics has the supreme ornament of all. One who has moral ethics is the source of all joy. One who keeps the moral ethics is praised by the whole world.

II. Definition

The definition of moral ethics has four qualities. The Bodhisattva Bhumis says:

One should understand that the definition of moral ethics has four qualities. What are these four? Taking precepts perfectly from others, having pure motivation, renewing one's practice if it declines, and having mindfulness and respect so that one's practice will not decline.

These four qualities fall under two categories:

• Receiving — Taking precepts perfectly from others
• Protecting — Having pure motivation, renewing practice when it declines, and maintaining mindfulness and respect

Moral discipline is like a commitment to adopt a certain code of life.

III. Classification

Moral ethics has three classifications:

A. Moral Ethics of Vows (sdom pa'i tshul khrims) — To restrain your mind in a proper manner. A vow is like a dam that holds back the mind from flowing toward non-virtuous activity.

B. Moral Ethics of Accumulating Virtuous Dharmas (dge ba'i chos sdud pa'i tshul khrims) — To gather and mature virtuous qualities of mind.

C. Moral Ethics of Benefiting Sentient Beings (sems can don byed pa'i tshul khrims) — To directly ripen and benefit sentient beings.

There is a gradation: we begin with the discipline of vows, and when stable in that, we can creatively accumulate virtue, and then directly benefit sentient beings. Without the first, the other two are very difficult to practice.

IV. Characteristics of Each Classification

A. Moral Ethics of Vows

Two topics describe the morality of vows: common and uncommon.

1. Common Moral Restraint: The Pratimoksha Vows

The common vows refer to the seven types of pratimoksha (individual liberation) vows. The Bodhisattva Bhumis says:

Within the pratimoksha precepts, there are seven ways to take precepts perfectly. Those are the bhikshu, bhikshuni, shiksamana, shramanera, shramanerika, upasaka, and upasika. These are divided into laypersons and renounced.

• Bhikshu — Fully ordained monk
• Bhikshuni — Fully ordained nun
• Shiksamana — Probationer nun
• Shramanera — Novice monk
• Shramanerika — Novice nun
• Upasaka — Male lay follower
• Upasika — Female lay follower

The last two are householders; the first five are renunciates who have "gone forth from home into homelessness."

All pratimoksha vows share one characteristic: they restrain one from harming others. In the shravaka context, this restraint is for one's own benefit. But bodhisattvas transform this discipline through their motivation. The Narayana-Requested Sutra says:

One should not keep moral ethics to attain a kingdom, not for higher realms, not for Indra or Brahma states, not for wealth, not for the Ishwara state, not for the body. Likewise, one should not protect moral ethics by fearing rebirth in the hell realms. Likewise, the birth of animals. Nor should one protect moral ethics by fearing rebirth in the world of Yama.

On the other hand, one should keep moral ethics to establish sentient beings in Buddhahood. One should protect moral ethics to benefit and bring happiness to all sentient beings.

Lama Jampa Thaye's note: The rules of training of pratimoksha are the same whether one follows the shravaka vehicle or the bodhisattva path—but our motivation is different. In the Mahayana, the pratimoksha vow is taken up and subsumed into the bodhisattva path while its discipline is still respected.

2. Uncommon Moral Restraint: The Bodhisattva Vows

The uncommon vows preserve the bodhisattva commitment. How does one break this vow? In the Madhyamaka tradition, one breaks the bodhisattva vow simply by abandoning bodhicitta—holding the thought "I do not wish to achieve Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings" for a sustained period.

The Fourteen Root Downfalls (Madhyamaka Tradition)

Following the Akashagarbha Sutra, Shantideva lists these in his Shikshasamuccaya. Some apply especially to those in positions of power:

Downfalls particularly for kings:

a) Stealing the wealth of the Triple Gem b) Abandoning the precious Dharma c) Seizing the robes, beating, imprisoning a monk, or causing a monk to renounce his vows d) Committing any of the five heinous crimes e) Holding a wrong view (eternalism or nihilism)

Downfall particularly for ministers:

f) Destroying cities and towns

Downfalls for ordinary practitioners:

g) Expressing emptiness to beings who are not trained—teaching emptiness to those unprepared can have grave consequences

h) Causing those who have entered the path to Buddhahood to renounce complete enlightenment

i) Causing someone to give up a pratimoksha vow by claiming the Mahayana makes it unnecessary—the pratimoksha is the foundation upon which the bodhisattva vow stands

j) Holding and teaching the belief that the training path will not dispel afflicting emotions—this denies the validity of Buddha's teaching

k) Expressing one's good qualities to gain wealth, honor, and praise while abusing others

l) Falsely claiming to have realized emptiness ("the patience of the profound teaching")—only a Buddha can truthfully declare this

m) Causing a practitioner to be punished, falsely taking offerings intended for the Three Jewels, or accepting bribery

n) Disrupting someone in calm abiding meditation, or taking provisions from a retreat practitioner to give to someone merely reciting texts

These are the root downfalls which cause you to be reborn in the great hell realms.

The Four Root Downfalls (Mind Only Tradition)

Following the Bodhisattva Bhumis of Asanga, Chandragomin's Twenty Precepts lists four root downfalls and forty-six branch downfalls:

Praising oneself and abusing others through attachment to wealth and honour, Not giving Dharma and wealth through stinginess to those who are suffering and without protection, Angrily punishing others without accepting their apology, Avoiding the Mahayana vehicle and giving false teachings.

A root downfall kills the vow entirely, like cutting a tree at its root. Branch downfalls damage and hinder growth but do not kill the vow, like cutting branches.

Lama Jampa Thaye's note: If anyone claims the Mahayana is less concerned with moral discipline than the shravaka vehicle, this is completely untrue. We have two forms of moral discipline blended into one: the discipline of the shravaka vehicle plus the discipline of the bodhisattva vehicle. It makes a mockery of the bodhisattva vow to claim you don't need the strength of moral discipline taught in the shravaka vehicle.

B. Moral Ethics of Accumulating Virtues

Having practiced restraint, we can now be creative—producing good situations through accumulating virtue. The Bodhisattva Bhumis provides this list:

Maintaining and sustaining the bodhisattvas' morality; joyfully making effort in hearing, contemplating and meditating; performing service for and honoring all the teachers; helping and nursing sick people; giving properly and proclaiming good qualities; rejoicing in others' merit and patience; having patience when others look down on you; dedicating virtue toward enlightenment and saying aspiration prayers; making offerings to the Triple Gem and making efforts for the virtuous teachings; sustaining introspection; recollecting the bodhisattva's training; protecting the bodhisattva's training with vigilant awareness; protecting all the sense-doors and moderately eating food; making effort in meditation practice without sleeping too early in the evening or too late in the morning; attending spiritual masters and authentically holy people; investigating your own mistakes and purifying them—in this way, practicing these good qualities, protecting, and increasing them are called the moral ethics of accumulating virtues.

This is the bodhisattva's "job description"—a suggestive list of how to develop ourselves morally.

C. Moral Ethics of Benefiting Sentient Beings

When we can behave creatively through accumulating virtue, we can directly benefit sentient beings. The Bodhisattva Bhumis lists eleven ways:

Supporting meaningful activities, dispelling the suffering of those sentient beings who are suffering, showing the methods to those who do not know them, recollecting others' kindness and then repaying it, protecting others from fears and dispelling the mourning of those who are suffering, giving necessities to those who do not have them, making provisions to bring disciples into the Dharma community and acting according to those people's level of understanding, creating joy by reporting the perfect qualities, properly correcting someone who is doing wrong, refraining from creating fear with miracle powers, and causing others to be inspired by the teachings.

The Three Purities of Body, Speech, and Mind

To create confidence in others and prevent backsliding, avoid impure actions and sustain pure conduct of the three doors:

Impure Actions of Body — To Be Avoided:

Avoid untamed actions such as unnecessary running, jumping, and so forth. Our body should display the qualities of our dharma practice—calm, appropriate, aligned with the world and with others.

Engaging in the Conduct of Bodhisattvas says:

Now, while there is freedom to act, I should always present a smiling face And cease to frown and look angry; I should be a friend and counsel of the world.

When beholding others:

When beholding someone with my eyes, Thinking, "I shall fully awaken Through depending upon this being," I should look at him with an open heart and love.

When sitting:

I should not sit with my legs outstretched Nor rub my hands together.

When eating:

When eating I should not fill my mouth, Eat noisily or with my mouth wide open.

When moving:

I should desist from inconsiderately and noisily Moving around chairs and so forth, As well as from violently opening doors; I should always delight in humility.

When sleeping:

Just as the Buddha lay down to pass away So should I lie in the desired direction.

Impure Actions of Speech — To Be Avoided:

Avoid idle talk and harsh words. The Cloud of Noble Jewels Sutra says:

The childish one declines from the precious Dharma, His mind becomes arrogant and harsh, He grows far from calm abiding and special insight— These are the faults of idle talk.

He never has devotion for the teachers And always enjoys false and malicious speech. He remains without essence and his discernment deteriorates— These are the faults of idle talk.

The Moon Lamp Sutra says:

Whatever one sees to be another's mistake, Do not declare it as a mistake— You will receive the result Of whatever actions you take.

Pure Speech:

Engaging in the Conduct of Bodhisattvas says:

When talking I should speak from my heart and on what is relevant. Making the meaning clear and the speech pleasing, I should not speak out of desire or hatred But in gentle tones and in moderation.

Impure Actions of Mind — To Be Avoided:

Avoid craving gain and honor, and attachment to sleep and sloth. The Sutra Requested with Extreme Sincerity says:

Maitreya, bodhisattvas should investigate and understand that attachment to gain and honour will produce desire. One should understand that gain and honour will produce hatred, should understand that gain and honour will produce ignorance, should understand that gain and honour will produce deceit, should understand that all the Buddhas disapprove of gain and honour, should understand that gain and honour will destroy the root of virtues, should understand that gain and honour are like a deceitful harlot.

Even if you gain wealth, you will not be satisfied. The Meeting of Father and Son Sutra says:

For example, you will not be satisfied By drinking water that you dream about. Likewise, all the objects of sensual desire Will not give you satisfaction even if you enjoy them.

The faults of attachment to sleep:

Attachment to sleep and sloth Will cause one's intelligence to decline. It will also cause the discriminating mind to decrease. It will always cause one to be far from primordial wisdom.

V. Increase

Moral ethics will increase through primordial wisdom, discriminating awareness, and dedication, as explained in the chapter on generosity.

VI. Perfection

The perfection of moral ethics is supported by pervading emptiness and compassion, as explained before. This prevents ego from interfering with moral discipline, making it a truly transcendental virtue.

VII. Result

Ultimate Result

By fully perfecting the paramita of moral ethics, one achieves unsurpassable, perfect, complete enlightenment. The Bodhisattva Bhumis says:

By fully perfecting the paramita of a bodhisattva's moral ethics, one will achieve unsurpassable, perfect, complete enlightenment.

Conventional Result

In the conventional state, even if one does not desire it, one will achieve the perfect happiness of samsara. The Bodhisattva Basket says:

Shariputra, there is no perfect, glorious enjoyment of the god and human realms that a bodhisattva with pure moral ethics will not enjoy.

A bodhisattva will continue following the path without being overpowered by samsaric joy and happiness:

A bodhisattva who possesses such moral ethics will not fall from the universal monarchy because he has introspection and desire for enlightenment. He will not decline from Indra's state because he has great introspection and desire to achieve enlightenment.

A bodhisattva with moral ethics will be praised and honored by human and nonhuman beings:

The gods will always prostrate to a bodhisattva who abides in the collection of moral ethics and he will always be praised by all the nagas. He will always be praised by the yakshas; the gandharvas will always make offerings. He will always be sought after by brahmins, kings, merchants, and householders. The Buddhas always think about him and he is always esteemed by the whole world, including gods.

Conclusion

Lama Jampa Thaye's note: Every chapter is important, but the chapter on moral discipline is extremely important. Without its clear teaching, we will find it hard to keep moral discipline. We have been habituated to the disturbing emotions since beginningless time—that is precisely why we need this dam of moral discipline.

For various historical and cultural reasons, moral discipline does not sound attractive, and we might like to skip it. But such dharma will have no positive effect. We will gain no qualities through study or meditation without this basis.

One might then say: "Give me maximum moral discipline—let me immediately take all monastic vows!" But it is important to measure oneself properly and adopt the discipline one can keep. The discipline of renunciates is truly wonderful, and we treasure it. But if we do not have the capability, we should practice as lay people, who can still fully practice the bodhisattva way.

The majority practicing in the West will be lay people, but monastics are crucial—they are the victory banner representing the perfection of moral discipline. We praise them, support them, and are inspired by them, even while keeping our less arduous discipline.