What additional ethics you find in Buddhism which are not found in other religions?

Exploring Theravāda's connections to other paths - what can we learn from other traditions, religions and philosophies?
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SarathW
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What additional ethics you find in Buddhism which are not found in other religions?

Post by SarathW »

What additional ethics you find in Buddhism which are not found in other religions?
Other religions mean Abrahamic religions, Hinduism, Taoism or any other religion you know.
I also like to know whether other religions have any ethics you do not find in Buddhism.
To start with concentrate on five, eight precepts compare them to other religions.
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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DooDoot
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Re: What additional ethics you find in Buddhism which are not found in other religions?

Post by DooDoot »

Roaming the streets at unseemly hours. (DN 31)
There is always an official executioner. If you try to take his place, It is like trying to be a master carpenter and cutting wood. If you try to cut wood like a master carpenter, you will only hurt your hand.

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SarathW
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Re: What additional ethics you find in Buddhism which are not found in other religions?

Post by SarathW »

“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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Kim OHara
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Re: What additional ethics you find in Buddhism which are not found in other religions?

Post by Kim OHara »

SarathW wrote: Tue May 14, 2019 7:15 am Divisive speech and harsh speech.

https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/ques ... er-religio
How about -
THE EIGHT BEATITUDES OF JESUS

...Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called children of God. ...

Gospel of St. Matthew 5:3-10
:namaste:
Kim
SarathW
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Re: What additional ethics you find in Buddhism which are not found in other religions?

Post by SarathW »

But as I said, I think we can see samsara as a process happening in this very life, and still believe in the possibility of attaining Nibbana and end the suffering of repeated becoming and unsatisfied craving.
It comes under the divisive speech I suppose.
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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Dhammanando
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Re: What additional ethics you find in Buddhism which are not found in other religions?

Post by Dhammanando »

SarathW wrote: Mon May 13, 2019 9:25 am What additional ethics you find in Buddhism which are not found in other religions?
In those suttas that make exclusivist claims of one sort or another, we don't find sīla mentioned as one of the things that only Buddhas are competent to teach and which are therefore absent in the dhammas of outsiders.

I suspect that ethics-related teachings that are unique to Buddhism would be limited to a handful of the more recondite Vinaya precepts, e.g., the rule that prohibits monks from sitting down abruptly on a chair or bench with detachable legs if it is situated on the second floor of a building with an incompletely planked floor. Or the one prohibiting us from accepting rugs made of pure black goats' wool. It may well be that these have no counterpart elsewhere.
DooDoot wrote: Mon May 13, 2019 1:05 pm Roaming the streets at unseemly hours. (DN 31)
Gaze not about the streets of the city and wander not through its squares.
(Sirach 9:7)

The Jews have most of the Sigalovāda Sutta ethics covered in the Book of Proverbs, the Book of Sirach (aka "Ecclesiasticus") and their other wisdom books.
Yena yena hi maññanti,
tato taṃ hoti aññathā.


In whatever way they conceive it,
It turns out otherwise.
(Sn. 588)
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DooDoot
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Re: What additional ethics you find in Buddhism which are not found in other religions?

Post by DooDoot »

Dhammanando wrote: Wed May 15, 2019 7:25 amThe Jews have most of the Sigalovāda Sutta ethics covered in the Book of Proverbs, the Book of Sirach (aka "Ecclesiasticus") and their other wisdom books.
Maybe Venerable. But those books are Post-Exilic or, imo, Post-Buddha. Kind regards. :smile:
There is always an official executioner. If you try to take his place, It is like trying to be a master carpenter and cutting wood. If you try to cut wood like a master carpenter, you will only hurt your hand.

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SarathW
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Re: What additional ethics you find in Buddhism which are not found in other religions?

Post by SarathW »

DooDoot wrote: Wed May 15, 2019 7:41 am
Dhammanando wrote: Wed May 15, 2019 7:25 amThe Jews have most of the Sigalovāda Sutta ethics covered in the Book of Proverbs, the Book of Sirach (aka "Ecclesiasticus") and their other wisdom books.
Maybe Venerable. But those books are Post-Exilic or, imo, Post-Buddha. Kind regards. :smile:
Actually, it does not matter whether Buddhist borrowed from other religions or other religions borrowed from Buddhism.
For instance, if Christians will copy whole Sutta Pitaka but they may call themselves Christians.
End of the day the label does not matter what matters is the content.
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
SarathW
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Re: What additional ethics you find in Buddhism which are not found in other religions?

Post by SarathW »

In those suttas that make exclusivist claims of one sort or another, we don't find sīla mentioned as one of the things that only Buddhas are competent to teach and which are therefore absent in the dhammas of outsiders.
Perhaps this is why Buddha equates Sila to a bark of the tree instead of the heartwood.
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
sentinel
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Re: What additional ethics you find in Buddhism which are not found in other religions?

Post by sentinel »

SarathW wrote: Wed May 15, 2019 8:09 am
Actually, it does not matter whether Buddhist borrowed from other religions or other religions borrowed from Buddhism.
For instance, if Christians will copy whole Sutta Pitaka but they may call themselves Christians.
End of the day the label does not matter what matters is the content.
Do you really think so ? What if Christian copy the sutta and change one of the word ?
For example , say the four foundation of mindfulness is supposed to be
1 body in the bodies
2 feeling in the feelings
3 consciousness in the consciousnessess
4 dhamma in the dhammas

And they changed it to 3 Mind in the Minds ?

Because of it , one could not practice according to true teachings of the Buddha .

Think again ?
You always gain by giving
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DooDoot
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Re: What additional ethics you find in Buddhism which are not found in other religions?

Post by DooDoot »

SarathW wrote: Wed May 15, 2019 8:09 am Actually, it does not matter whether Buddhist borrowed from other religions or other religions borrowed from Buddhism.
It does matter because MN 115 says a person with right view holds there is only One Buddha is a world-system. While morality is not something unique to a Buddha, when it comes to higher teachings, it does matter. It matters because to have right view cause & effect must be discerned clearly.
There is always an official executioner. If you try to take his place, It is like trying to be a master carpenter and cutting wood. If you try to cut wood like a master carpenter, you will only hurt your hand.

https://soundcloud.com/doodoot/paticcasamuppada
https://soundcloud.com/doodoot/anapanasati
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seeker242
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Re: What additional ethics you find in Buddhism which are not found in other religions?

Post by seeker242 »

9/10 wholesome actions are all found in other religions. The 10th, just Buddhism. :smile:
budo
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Re: What additional ethics you find in Buddhism which are not found in other religions?

Post by budo »

Dhammanando wrote: Wed May 15, 2019 7:25 am
SarathW wrote: Mon May 13, 2019 9:25 am What additional ethics you find in Buddhism which are not found in other religions?
In those suttas that make exclusivist claims of one sort or another, we don't find sīla mentioned as one of the things that only Buddhas are competent to teach and which are therefore absent in the dhammas of outsiders.

I suspect that ethics-related teachings that are unique to Buddhism would be limited to a handful of the more recondite Vinaya precepts, e.g., the rule that prohibits monks from sitting down abruptly on a chair or bench with detachable legs if it is situated on the second floor of a building with an incompletely planked floor. Or the one prohibiting us from accepting rugs made of pure black goats' wool. It may well be that these have no counterpart elsewhere.
DooDoot wrote: Mon May 13, 2019 1:05 pm Roaming the streets at unseemly hours. (DN 31)
Gaze not about the streets of the city and wander not through its squares.
(Sirach 9:7)

The Jews have most of the Sigalovāda Sutta ethics covered in the Book of Proverbs, the Book of Sirach (aka "Ecclesiasticus") and their other wisdom books.
and don't forget the jewish laws against Evil Tongue.

Lashon Hara (Evil Tongue)

https://www.sefaria.org/Chofetz_Chaim?lang=bi
It is forbidden to speak demeaningly of one's friend, even if it be absolute truth. And this is termed everywhere by Chazal "lashon hara." (For if there were in his words an admixture of falsehood, by which his friend is demeaned even more, this is in the category of "motzi shem ra" [spreading a false report], in which his sin is far greater). And the speaker [of lashon hara] transgresses a negative commandment, viz. (Vayikra 19:16): "Do not go talebearing among your people." And this [lashon hara] is also in the category of rechiluth.
It is forbidden to speak lashon hara against one's friend, even if it is true, even before one, and, more so, before many. And the more listeners, the greater the sin of the speaker; for his friend is more greatly demeaned thereby, his taint being publicized before several people. Also, in doing so, he makes several people go astray in the issur of listening to lashon hara.
How great is the issur of lashon hara, which the Torah has forbidden even if true and in all modes. For not alone if he is careful to speak it only in private and to insist that it not be revealed to him [who is spoken about] is it forbidden, [for through this he also brings a curse upon himself, viz. (Devarim 27:24): "Cursed be he who smites his neighbor in secret"], but even if he knows that he would speak it even to his face, or actually speaks lashon hara to his face, even so it is forbidden and called "lashon hara." And in one respect, the issur is greater "to his face" than not to his face." For in his presence, aside from the issur of lashon hara, he [the speaker] clothes himself with the trait of brazenness and audacity, and arouses more strife thereby. And very often this leads also to the "whitening of (the other's) face (in shame)," as we have enlarged upon in the introduction concerning the negative commandment of (Vayikra 19:17): "Do not bear sin because of him."
It is forbidden to accept lashon hara according to the Torah, both in things "between man and his Maker" and things "between man and his neighbor." That is, we may not believe in our hearts that what is said is true. For, if we do, we will look down upon the one spoken of. And [this applies] even if he [the hearer] explicitly disagrees with what is said. For if not, he doubles the sin — speaking [(by being an accessory to the speaker)] and accepting. And the accepter transgresses (Shemoth 23:1): "You shall not bear a false report," concerning which Chazal have said in the Mechilta, that this is an exhortation against accepting lashon hara, aside from the other negative commandments and positive commandments adjoined to this, as we have written in the introduction. And Chazal have said (Pesachim 118a) that all who accept lashon hara deserve to be cast to the dogs, it being written "You shall not bear a false report," preceded by (Ibid 22:30): "To the dog shall you cast it." And they have also said (Rambam, Hilchoth Deoth 7:13): "The punishment of the accepter is grater than that of the teller."
and helping friends
If one sees that his friend wishes to enter into partnership with someone, and he feels that he will certainly be harmed by this, he must tell him to rescue him from that harm, but the following five conditions must be met:

They are: a) He must be careful not to immediately conclude that harm will result, but must reflect carefully from the beginning to see if the result will, indeed, be harmful.

b) He must not exaggerate the matter to be worse than it actually is.

c) His intent must be for benefit only; that is, to remove the harm from the first, and not because he hates the other.

(And in this third condition, we shall include yet another matter — that aside from his intending benefit and not being motivated by hatred, he must first reflect as to whether benefit will actually sprout from this — as opposed to what happens very often, that even if tells him, he will not listen to him, but will enter into partnership with him, and afterwards, when his partner angers him with something, he will tell him: "He was right when he told me not to become your partner," and the like. For such people, whom he recognizes to possess this evil trait of rechiluth, no heter is conceivable, for it makes these blind men stumble in the absolute negative commandment of rechiluth.)

d) If he can effect this benefit [in some other way] without having to speak badly of the other, he should do so.

e) All this is permitted only if absolute harm will not come to the one spoken of because of what is said about him. That is, they are not permitted to do him any positive harm, but only to deprive him of the good that might have come to him from the partnership. Even though [even] this is bad for him, in any event it is permitted. But if absolute harm comes to him because of what is said about him, it is forbidden to speak about him; for this would require other conditions, as will be explained below, the L–rd willing, in sections 5 and 6. And how much more so [is it forbidden] if he sees that his story would cause the subject great harm, more than the din prescribes (viz. below, section 5).


Basically it just gets more detailed into certain case scenarios and examples
If Ploni sees that Reuven wants to enter into partnership with Shimon, and Shimon does not know Reuven's nature, and Ploni knows Reuven well from the past — that he is indifferent to the money of others because of his bad nature — he should warn Shimon from the beginning not to enter into partnership with him, and there is no lashon hara in this. But in this, too, he must take great care that none of the conditions mentioned in Principle IX, section 2, are lacking.
It gets really detailed, almost like a legal contract.
budo
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Re: What additional ethics you find in Buddhism which are not found in other religions?

Post by budo »

and.. if you want to compare Judaism's jhanas to Buddhisms,

The Kaballah talks about how "The Infinite One" created form from Nothingness, with Wisdom he creates Breath (Air), and with breath he created Water, and with Water he created Earth and Fire.
The three mother letters - Aleph, Mem, and Shin - are air, water, and fire in the world. Heaven is created from Fire [the shin in shamayim]; the Earth from Water [the mem in mayim]; and the Air [the aleph in ’avir] which decides between the fire and the water.
During the year, or in regards to time in general, these three mothers represent Hot, Cold, and Warm. The hot from the fire, the cold from the water, and the warm from the spiritual air, which again is an equalizer between them. These three mothers again represent in the Microcosm human form, male and female; the Head, the Belly, and the Chest. The head from the hot fire, the belly from cold water, and the chest from the warm air that lieth between them.
SarathW
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Re: What additional ethics you find in Buddhism which are not found in other religions?

Post by SarathW »

sentinel wrote: Wed May 15, 2019 9:37 am
SarathW wrote: Wed May 15, 2019 8:09 am
Actually, it does not matter whether Buddhist borrowed from other religions or other religions borrowed from Buddhism.
For instance, if Christians will copy whole Sutta Pitaka but they may call themselves Christians.
End of the day the label does not matter what matters is the content.
Do you really think so ? What if Christian copy the sutta and change one of the word ?
For example , say the four foundation of mindfulness is supposed to be
1 body in the bodies
2 feeling in the feelings
3 consciousness in the consciousnessess
4 dhamma in the dhammas

And they changed it to 3 Mind in the Minds ?

Because of it , one could not practice according to true teachings of the Buddha .

Think again ?
I see your point.
What I am saying is whatever wholesome is wholesome irrespective of the label.
For instance, so-called secular Buddhist is an example.
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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