To cease from all evil,
To cultivate good,
To purify one’s mind
This is the advice of the Buddha.
The first two lines are taught in many religions, but the third purifying the
mind is unique to Buddhism. Before the Buddha’s time, people believed that
everything happened due to the will of gods or fate. The Buddha taught that
our life is shaped by our mind. We become what we think. Therefore, we must
control and cleanse our own minds.
Virtuous conduct (sīla) plays a key role in this process.
Ethical Behaviour in Buddhism
Human behaviour is generally understood in two ways:
1
Behaviourism
reaction to external stimuli, similar to animal behaviour
2
Ethical conduct
following moral principles
Behaviourism does not distinguish between good and ill motives; it is natural and instinctive, as in animals. Some Western scholars appreciate this pattern (e.g., Dr. Jane Goodall), but Buddhist traditions treat human behaviour as a moral responsibility.
Virtuous conduct (sīla) does not make a person inactive; instead, it gives the energy and discipline needed to live a righteous life. In Buddhism, virtue is rooted not in external ritual but in purity of mind.
Animals act according to instinct; humans may conceal their intentions. A person may appear virtuous while harbouring harmful thoughts. Because mind and action can differ, genuine purity must arise within. For this reason, Buddhism emphasizes internal virtue, not outward pretence.
Many scholars including Rickaby (Moral Philosophy), Stephen (Science of Ethics) and Murray (Introduction to Ethics) have concluded that ethical conduct cannot be enforced by law. However, virtuous conduct can be cultivated by helping individuals understand its benefits.
The essential Buddhist training sīla (virtue), samādhi (concentration), and
paññā (wisdom) transforms individuals and society in a way that external
laws cannot. Only when the mind is purified can one cease from evil and do
good. This is the true meaning of “to cleanse one’s mind.”
The Essence of Theravada Buddhism
The first sermon delivered by the Buddha was the Dhammacakkappavattana
Sutta. Dhamma means truth or wisdom, and cakka pavattana means “setting
in motion the wheel.” Thus, this sermon is “the turning of the Wheel of Truth.”
It was preached to the five ascetics Koṇḍañña, Bhaddiya, Vappa, Mahānāma,
and Assaji who had accompanied Siddhartha during his six years of self
mortification.
In this sermon, the Buddha explained the Four Noble Truths, which form the
essence of Buddhism:
Dukkha Ariya Sacca: The Truth of Unsatisfactoriness
Dukkha does not simply mean sorrow or suffering. It refers to the
unsatisfactory, impermanent, imperfect, and unstable nature of all existence.
Even pleasurable experiences eventually lead to dissatisfaction because they
are impermanent.
Human life involves continuous change, and clinging to temporary experiences
results in disappointment. Even happiness becomes monotonous if repeated
endlessly. Ultimately, all must face death, leaving behind everything acquired.
Dukkha arises due to three factors:
Craving (taṇha)
Hatred (dosa)
Ignorance (avijja)
Because of ignorance, we crave sensual pleasures that can never fully satisfy us.
As the Buddha taught:
“He who overcomes this fierce craving, difficult to conquer, Sorrow falls away from him like water drops from a lotus leaf.”
(Dhammapada, Verse 336)
Samudaya Ariya Sacca: The Origin of Dukkha
Dukkha does not simply mean sorrow or suffering. It refers to the
unsatisfactory, impermanent, imperfect, and unstable nature of all existence.
Even pleasurable experiences eventually lead to dissatisfaction because they
are impermanent.
Human life involves continuous change, and clinging to temporary experiences
results in disappointment. Even happiness becomes monotonous if repeated
endlessly. Ultimately, all must face death, leaving behind everything acquired.
Dukkha arises due to three factors:
Craving (taṇha)
Hatred (dosa)
Ignorance (avijja)
Because of ignorance, we crave sensual pleasures that can never fully satisfy us.
As the Buddha taught:
“He who overcomes this fierce craving, difficult to conquer, Sorrow falls away from him like water drops from a lotus leaf.”
(Dhammapada, Verse 336)
Nibbana: The Cessation of Dukkha
The third Noble Truth is Nibbāna, the final goal of Buddhism. It is the complete
cessation of Dukkha and the extinguishing of craving. It represents perfect
peace, liberation, and freedom from all mental defilements.
The Realization of Nirvana and the Noble Eightfold Path
Freedom from Dukkha
Nirvana is the complete freedom from Dukkha suffering, dissatisfaction, or unsatisfactoriness.
To eliminate Dukkha entirely, one must remove its root causes: craving or intense desire (taṇha), hatred, and delusion.
Nirvana cannot be produced or generated like a mystical or spiritual mental state such as Dhyana or Samadhi. It is not something created; it is something seen and realized. Although there is a path leading to its realization, Nirvana is not a result produced by the path. It must be realized in this very life, not after death.
Many people mistakenly believe that Nirvana is the cessation of the cycle of rebirth. This belief is incorrect and influenced by Hindu teachings. There is no direct connection between Nirvana and rebirth, and the idea of escaping rebirth comes from Hindu concepts of Moksha, not from Buddhism.
The Bhagavad Gita, a central Hindu scripture over 5,000 years old, states:
“For one who is born, death is certain; and for one who has died, birth is certain.”
(Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, Verse 27)
“Up to Brahma’s realm, all worlds are subject to rebirth, Arjuna; but upon attaining me, there is no rebirth again.”
(Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 8, Verse 16)
According to Lord Krishna, one who reaches his divine state is freed from rebirth and attains Moksha. Influenced by this, some Buddhists mistakenly believe Nirvana is attained after death. Buddhism teaches otherwise: Nirvana must be realized in this lifetime. Moksha and Nirvana are not the same.
Characteristics of One Who Realizes Nirvana
A person who realizes Nirvana is the happiest person in the world. Their mind
is free from complexity, obsession, worry, and all forms of mental torment.
Their mental health is perfect.
Such a person does not live with regret over the past or anxiety about the
future but lives fully in the present moment. They appreciate and enjoy things
in the purest way, without self-centered projections. They are free from
craving, hatred, ignorance, pride, conceit, and all mental defilements.
At the same time, their mind is filled with the Four Sublime States (Brahma Vihāras):
Loving-kindness (Mettā)
Compassion (Karunā)
Altruistic joy (Muditā)
Equanimity (Upekkhā)
Nirvana is best described in negative terms as the absence of craving because craving is the cause of Dukkha. With the complete eradication of craving, and therefore hatred and delusion, Dukkha ceases. Thus, Nirvana is the extinction of Dukkha. Nirvana cannot be fully understood through books or intellectual study alone. It is a supramundane state realized through intuitive wisdom.
The Buddha’s Explanation to the Brahmin Jānussoni
Brahmin Jānussoni once asked the Buddha what Nirvana is and in what sense it
is said to be “realizable.”
The Buddha explained that Nirvana must be realized personally by eliminating:
All craving
All hatred
All delusion
Nirvana is said to be “existential” or “visible here and now” (sandhiṭṭhika)
because one who removes these defilements no longer harms oneself or
others and lives without remorse.
Nirvana is therefore a state to be realized individually by the wise, through
the total removal of craving, hatred, and the false sense of self.
The Noble Truth of the Path Leading to the Cessation of Dukkha
The Fourth Noble Truth is the Dukkha Nirodha Gāminī Paṭipadā Ariya Sacca:
the path leading to the cessation of Dukkha.
This is the only path leading to the realization of Nirvana.
The Middle Path (Majjhima Paṭipadā)
The Buddha taught the Middle Path, which avoids two extremes:
Indulgence in sensual pleasures
Self-mortification through ascetic practices
As Prince Siddhartha, the Buddha experienced both extremes and found them
ineffective. He discovered the Middle Path, which leads to knowledge, calm,
insight, and finally Enlightenment Nirvana.
This Middle Path is known as the Noble Eightfold Path (Ariya Atthangika
Magga).
The Noble Eightfold Path
The Eightfold Path and the Four Noble Truths form the core of Theravada Buddhism.
Sammā Diṭṭhi: Right Understanding
Sammā Saṅkappa: Right Thought
Sammā Vācā: Right Speech
Sammā Kammanta: Right Action
Sammā Ājīva: Right Livelihood
Sammā Vāyāma: Right Effort
Sammā Sati: Right Mindfulness
Sammā Samādhi: Right Concentration
Ethical Conduct (Sīla)
Ethical conduct includes Right Speech, Right Action, and Right Livelihood.
These are essential for lay Buddhists and can be practiced by anyone of any
religion.
01.Right Speech (Sammā Vācā)
Right Speech involves abstaining from:
Falsehood (lying)
Slander or tale-bearing
Harsh or abusive speech
Idle, pointless, or frivolous talk
Speech should be truthful, gentle, friendly, pleasant, and meaningful.
Words that create hatred, division, or harm are not Right Speech.
The Buddha emphasized the importance of noble speech in many discourses.
02.Right Action (Sammā Kammanta)
Right Action means refraining from:
Killing
Stealing
Sexual misconduct
It promotes moral, peaceful, and honorable living.
The purpose of the rule against sexual misconduct is to protect families, build
trust, and preserve social stability.
According to the Buddha, laypeople are not expected to practice celibacy, but
they must avoid harmful or immoral sexual behavior.
03.Right Livelihood (Sammā Ājīva)
Right Livelihood means earning a living in a way that causes no harm. The Buddha identified five harmful occupations:
Trading in weapons
Human trafficking
Selling intoxicants
Killing animals
Selling poisons
Professions involving violence, deceit, exploitation, or harm violate Right Livelihood.
Concentration (Samādhi)
This includes Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration.
1``
01.Right Effort (Sammā Vāyāma)
Right Effort consists of four practices:
Preventing unwholesome states not yet arisen
Removing unwholesome states that have arisen
Developing wholesome states not yet arisen
Strengthening wholesome states already present
It requires constant vigilance to purify the mind.
02.Right Mindfulness (Sammā Sati)
Right Mindfulness is awareness directed toward:
The body (kāya)
Feelings (vedanā)
The mind (citta)
Mental objects/dhammas (dhammā)
Together these are known as the Four Foundations of Mindfulness
(Satipaṭṭhāna).
Each foundation trains the mind to observe experience directly and calmly,
weakening craving, hatred, and delusion.
03.Right Concentration (Sammā Samādhi)
Right Concentration refers to deep mental focus, leading to calmness and
insight.
It is the unified, disciplined mind that supports the realization of Nirvana.
.png "Italian")
.png "French")
.png "German")
Language