/12/Gautama Buddha on Ethics.............

Gautama Buddha, also known as Siddhārtha Gautama or simply the Buddha, was a sage on whose
teachings Buddhism was founded.
Buddha means "awakened one" or "the enlightened one." "Buddha" is also used as a title for the first
awakened being in an era.
Gautama taught a Middle Way between sensual indulgence and the severe asceticism found in the
renunciation movement.
According to Buddhism, at the time of his awakening he realized complete insight into the cause of
suffering, and the steps necessary to eliminate it. These discoveries became known as the
"Four Noble Truths" which are at the heart of Buddhist teaching.The Four Noble Truths are regarded
as the central doctrine of the Buddhist tradition, and are said to provide a conceptual framework for
all of Buddhist thought. These four truths explain the nature of dukkha ( translated as "suffering",
"anxiety", "stress", "dissatisfaction") its causes, its cessation, and the path leading to its cessation.
The four noble truths are:
/a/ The truth of dukkha (suffering, anxiety, dissatisfaction)
/b/ The truth of the origin of dukkha
/c/ The truth of the cessation of dukkha
/d/ The truth of the path leading to the cessation of dukkha.
The central importance of dukkha in Buddhist philosophy is not intended to present a pessimistic
view of life, but rather to present a realistic practical assessment of the human condition—that all
beings must experience suffering and pain at some point in their lives, including the inevitable
sufferings of illness, aging, and death.
Through mastery of these truths, a state of supreme liberation, or Nirvana, is believed to be possible
for any being. The Buddha described Nirvāna as the perfect peace of a mind that's free from
ignorance, greed, hatred and other states of affliction or "defilement" .
Although there are many ethical tenets in Buddhism that differ depending individual schools, the
Buddhist system of ethics can be summed up in the eightfold path:
Eightfold path is the noble truth or way of practice leading to the cessation of suffering. Precisely this
Noble Eightfold Path includes – right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood,
right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.
The part of the Noble Eightfold path that covers morality and ethics is right speech, right action and
right livelihood. The other parts cover concentration and wisdom, with wisdom being covered by right
view and right intention and the remaining three right efforts ,right mindfulness and right
concentration belong to concentration.
The purpose of living an ethical life is to escape the suffering inherent in samsara. Skillful actions
condition the mind in a positive way and lead to future happiness, while the opposite is true for
unskilled actions. Ethical discipline also provides the mental stability and freedom to embark upon
mental cultivation via meditation.