👍 Buddhist Morality §

= morality of buddhist teachings

Why be moral? §

Three answers, based on how far on the path to 🏜️ Nirvana one has progressed

First Layer §

• Be moral, because 🔄 Karma will punish you -> less happiness in the next life

Second layer §

• Be moral, because it is a necessary step towards 🏜️ Nirvana (counteract the three poisons)

Third layer §

= for Arhats

• Be moral, because you have an obligation towards being benevolent:
  1. Suppose that we are each obligated to prevent only our own suffering
  2. In the case of one’s own future suffering, it is one set of skandhas that does the preventing for the benefit of another set that has the suffering
  3. In the case of one’s own present suffering, it is one part that does the preventing for the benefit of another part that has the suffering (🤴 Shifting coalitions strategy)
  4. The sense of “I” that leads one to call future skandhas and distinct present skandhas “me” is a conceptual fiction
  5. -> It cannot be ultimately true that some suffering is one’s own and some suffering is that of others
  6. -> The claim that we are obligated to prevent our own suffering lacks ultimate grounding
  7. -> Either there is an obligation to prevent suffering regardless of when or where it occurs, or there is no obligation at all
  8. Everyone agrees that at least some suffering should be prevented
  9. Conclusion: There is an obligation to prevent suffering regardless of when or where it occurs

Critique §

• Free will?