The Universal Character of Buddhist Ethics.

Recently, while reading through The Faith Instinct by Nicholas Wade, I ran across a passage on page 36 where he talks about what we can say about what is termed as the "Universal People."

Quote:

The Universal People...deplore and punish the following actions: killing, stealing, cheating, lying, breaking promises, and committing adultery.

I don't think it's too much of a stretch to collapse stealing and cheating into one as well as lying and breaking promises. The list as it would look then is, do not kill, do not steal, do not lie, and do not abuse sex. In other words, the first four of the five Buddhist precepts.

This is not surprising to me. Buddhist morality as conceived of by the Buddha and as understood by Buddhists is as Dhammavihara Thero said, "By using the phrase universally acclaimable, we wish to convey the idea that faithful adherence by everyone, everywhere, east or west, north or south, to these virtues which are upheld by the concept of pañcasīla, contributes without exception to the growth and development of mankind, physically, morally and spiritually."

As traditionally formulated the five precepts make no reference to god or any other outside agency. Buddhism understands that morality has a universal nature to it, that is to say that objective morality comes from an objective universe (cf AN 3.134, 4.21, and SN 42.6) and that as such a basic code of ethical conduct, one that includes body, speech, and mind, is incumbent upon anyone who wishes to safeguard at the very least his or her own well being (Dhp 246-247) to say nothing of the well being of others human or not (AN 8.39).

It is specifically because of the universe we live in and the fact of kamma and the fruit of kamma, that morality can be known and practiced by anyone. Goodness is goodness regardless of the source.

May all beings be happy and free from suffering.