Ethics Studying Buddhism Through the Five Precepts Ethical Learning Buddhism Through the Five Precepts INTRODUCTION Facing the difficult fluctuations of life, Buddhism, with the spirit of compassion and wisdom, adopts the principle of Buddhism, which is inseparable from the world. always accompanies the ups and downs of human life. That is reflected in the fact that Buddhism transmits the energy of love, teaches sentient beings by the path of morality and wisdom, and finds the true Buddha nature in each person. And no matter what era, Buddhism has always played a very important role in building the foundation of human morality through the five basic precepts to help Buddhists uphold and uphold. Ethical Concepts Ethics can be understood in many ways. The term moral was proposed in philosophy around the 4th century BC and is associated with the name Aristotle, is the period when people conceive of morality as general standards to regulate human behavior, to create a harmonious relationship between people, between people and society. According to the Encyclopedia: “Ethology or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy concerned with systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behaviour. The field of ethics, together with aesthetics, deals with problems of value and therefore includes the branch of philosophy known as axioms. Ethics seeks to address questions about human morality by defining concepts, such as: good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and evil, justice and crime. As an area of ​​intellectual study, moral philosophy is also related to the fields of moral psychology, descriptive ethics, and value theory. According to the Vietnamese dictionary, morality is: “Standards and principles recognized by public opinion and society, which regulate human behavior and relationships with each other and with society” [2]. And the Encyclopedia of Buddhism gives the definition: “Ethics is generally understood as the evaluation of one's character, conduct, inclinations, goals, intentions, and way of life. and social organizations”. Through the above typical definitions, it can be seen that morality is a set of widely accepted standards, rules governing behavior between people, with nature and generally applied to the community. community, in order to establish a stable society in a good and healthy direction. In addition, ethics is often understood as the noble things that make up the community culture and society. The Nature of Ethics Religious ethics takes the separation of self-grasping and ego as an important condition. Morality consists of virtue and quality (conduct) used in two different senses. Virtue is an individual's quality, an innate intellectual and character quality or inclination to do the right things in a theorem. Conduct is also a habit corresponding to a quality or inclination. Morality has three types of qualities as integrity qualities, circumstantial qualities, and benevolent qualities. Of these three, the virtue of integrity is the most important in the moral life. Virtue of circumstantial quality is subordinate to the above-mentioned type and is valid only when accompanied by the quality of integrity. Ethics also has six principles: The first is an objective moral science (which describes ethical standards in different countries. The second is the standardized science of conduct (valid ethical standards). The third is moral philosophy (testing the validity of moral standards by determining their place in the totality of human life). Fourth is the application of criteria that are valid in particular, special cases. Fifth are the principles that have improved conduct as its defined goal. Friday is the art of living. These principles are considered as standards for the beauty of life, virtuous people are worthy of respect, building a good society, an example for humanity. Ethics is an extremely complex issue, which has been discussed by many philosophers as well as great thinkers in the world and given many different views from time to time. For example, from the Western point of view, For example, the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates argued that practical ethics is not based on vague systematic doctrine or theological dependence, but can create an appropriate morality for people with religious or religious beliefs. Without religion, people can grasp the essence of life as well as the meaning of life. Because human nature is good, knowing how to do good will be beneficial and bring comfort and comfort and he also gives the conditions for happiness. Philosopher Plato said that the art of life, the meaning of life and human morality are not far away but in the harmonious expression of an individual. When asked about morality and justice, he also emphasized that justice is a relationship between individuals depending on social organization and therefore needs to be studied in parallel with social structure. society but cannot be studied as an individual attitude”. And Aristotle makes a moral judgment that depends on correct reasoning, mental control, the balance of desires and the way to that goal is the middle concept. According to Karl Marx, morality is the essential force of man in its development towards increasingly reaching the true value of the good. In ancient India, the Brahmin philosophers took Dharma as their moral standard. They consider the obligation to practice the religion of each person in his or her caste (Dharma) as the moral character of a person in life, accepting their duties in the caste. And India considers morality to be the integration of existence, harmony between people and gods, themselves with the universe [5]. In China, there are also sages for moral thought such as: Lao Tzu, Confucius, etc. In the Tao Te Ching, it is said that if you want long-term happiness, everyone must live according to the moral standards: "Truthfulness is not disgraceful, tri-only, unmerciful, eternal"; That is, knowing enough will not be humiliated, knowing how to use it will not cause harm, thus existing. And in the working style, "non-violence" does all the work but does not attach to his work. According to Lao Tzu, living must be working but not greedy, not arrogant, not conceited and not counting merits, then that is a virtuous person. The moral value of Confucian philosophy is the expression of human love on the platform of humanity, righteousness, ceremony, wisdom, and faith; That is the way to be human in the world. The three characteristics of wisdom, humanity, and courage are virtues of people in the world. "Righteousness" is the basic principle to establish a moral and ethical order in society, that is, my king, father and son, etc. must fulfill their religion. Those who fulfill all of the above are virtuous people. Through the above concepts and viewpoints on morality, we realize that between the West and the East there is a reciprocal ethics and the basic meeting point of morality. In addition, there is an ethics that meets the above factors and goes beyond them, which is Buddhist ethics. Buddhist Ethics are very specific virtues that are not far from national traditions and are always adaptable to all times and conditions. In Buddhism, wisdom is purified by virtue. Virtue is purified by wisdom. Where there is morality, there is wisdom, where there is wisdom, there is morality! People with certain morality have wisdom, people with certain wisdom have morality [6]. According to Most Venerable Thich Minh Chau: “Buddhist ethics is a way of life that brings happiness and peace to all living beings, especially us humans (…). And that lifestyle must be practiced and performed, not to worship and beg. Only by doing this, will the meditator enjoy happiness, peace, and practicality now and right in this life”.[7] Buddhist ethics is an ethical system with the spirit of No-self as the foundation, demonstrating an equal and righteous life, in which people know how to control themselves and reject worldly desires. Referring to Buddhist ethics is talking about humanity, which means everything for people, for human happiness. Morality is synonymous with happiness, happiness is synonymous with liberation. Buddhist ethics are human ethics, human ethics, the foundation leading to liberation [8]. Therefore, Buddhist ethics transcends other ideologies, not only build a virtuous person in society but also elevate him to the position of sage. The basic elements and characteristics of Buddhist ethics are that Buddhist ethics are based on the spirit of self-reliance, self-reliance, a sense of voluntariness, self-awareness, which is not obtained by begging or praying. It is an ethics based on practical action, not on theory, based on pure body and speech, based on the principle of Dependent Origination, Non-self. In addition, it is also a positive morality, independent of the gods, introspective and egalitarian, liberated, and incarnated. Through these characteristics, we can determine that morality is synonymous with happiness and happiness is synonymous with liberation. Buddhist ethics transcends ideologies, Not only building a virtuous person in society but also a step to bring practitioners closer to the happy Nirvana gate. LANGUAGE – THE Ethical Foundation of the monastic and the stay-at-home people The concept of the Five Precepts Sila is the Pali word, transliterated as Thi-la, which means Precepts. Thus, Precepts are the precepts established by the Buddha for monastic and lay disciples to prevent the sins of the three karmas. Therefore, the precept is defined as the prevention of only evil, the special liberation, the land of liberation, the subject of liberation, the payment of wages, and the control [9]. Precepts are commandments that should not be violated [10]. Gender includes the natural world and the social world. Natural precepts mean the natural laws in the life of the monastic such as doing good, avoiding evil, preserving body, speech, and mind, ... without being forced. Social precepts are collective and social precepts. The Five Precepts are the five precepts of the Buddha created for monastic and lay people. The Five Precepts include: not killing, not stealing, not engaging in sexual misconduct, not lying, and not drinking. As S. Tachibana stated: “These five precepts are called the treasures of virtue. The complete practice of these five precepts is called moral perfection” [11]. The Five Precepts are the basic foundation and moral standards for a person with comprehensive personality and dignity. In Buddhism, a moral life is a happy life, the Buddha always taught his disciples to respect and keep the precepts to ensure a peaceful life for themselves. “Buddhist ethics is a way of life that brings happiness and peace to all living beings, especially us humans (…). And that lifestyle must be practiced and performed, not to worship and beg. There is implementation, Only those who practice can enjoy happiness, peace, and practicality now and in this life.” The first is the precept not to kill: Don't kill yourself, don't tell someone to kill, and don't be happy to see someone kill. Any species with life should not try to kill in order to uphold the virtue of filial piety. In addition, not killing means protecting the environment and improving the quality of life. Instead, always cultivating compassion, people will no longer have hatred, no more war. Since then, people have come together with love and respect for each other: "Bhikkhus! If someone likes to kill, they will fall to hell, hungry ghosts, and animals; If born in the human race, life span is very short. Why is that? For cutting off someone else's life. Therefore, learn not to kill. Thus, bhikkhus, learn this!" [twelfth]. The second precept is not to steal: Those who do not give are not taken to create justice for society. Respect other people's property, live according to conscience and right. Once people's greed emerges, they just want to take the effort and things other people make to enjoy and forget about the worries and sufferings of those who have lost their property. This is also called an illegal, inhuman act. Besides theft, acts of corruption, tax evasion, smuggling, trading, appropriation and illegal profit-making… even indiscriminate exploitation of resources are also considered theft. The third precept is adultery: This precept was instituted by the Buddha to protect our own family happiness and respect the happiness of others. Because, infidelity is the most basic cause of adultery, promiscuous relationships and family breakdown. This is also the reason why the State's marriage and family law only allows monogamous relationships and promotes love and loyalty to each other. For lay people, it is forbidden to commit adultery, but for monastics, it is absolutely forbidden to lust, because it is the cause of the clues of birth and death. The fourth precept is not to lie: We must respect the truth and remain faithful to everyone, including not to say things that are pretentious, double-tongued, or cruel. Lies always go with evil thoughts, deceive others, make excuses to benefit themselves and cause suffering to others. As in the Precepts of the Arhat in the Ambala Forest, the Buddha taught Rahula to understand that lying is very dangerous because when the consciousness is shameless, All evil deeds are done. If an elephant goes to war and does not know how to protect its trunk, it certainly has nothing to fear [13]. Therefore, we must always speak the truth, every word uttered to bring benefit and happiness to everyone. Finally, the world of not drinking alcohol (stimulants and addictive substances): Alcohol is also one of the causes of dangerous sins, a confused mind and a cause of social evils and breakdowns. Family happiness. Not drinking alcohol will keep good health and clear mind. Not only alcohol, but also do not consume drug products, movies, and books because they are harmful toxins [14]. The five precepts are the five basic ethical foundations that the Buddha laid down for both novices and monastics to practice, in order to bring happiness to themselves and to others, both in the present and in the future. “When a person keeps these five precepts pure, his mind is peaceful and free because he knows that he is abiding in morality, that is, far from the abyss of immorality. From that peace one will feel happiness and peace right in the present right in their own life right here” [15]. This value has balanced human physiology in harmony with modern life without losing the traditional substance. This is also a measure of spiritual consequences, an effective remedy and an essential condition for a true human being. Ethical foundation of man and society It can be seen that the importance of practicing the five basic commandments of human morality is a standard that brings practical value to all mankind, which is recognized by philosophers. recognized and praised by sociologists in the world. If the world, If any country or society strictly implements these five precepts, "no one can deny that the world will be a land of more happiness and peace" [16]. In fact, these five precepts were invented by the Buddha to prevent bad habits. Only when we know how to value our lives, we also have to respect human life, we ourselves are safe and the lives of species are preserved, and rare animal breeds also avoid the catastrophe of extinction. . We love our property, we must respect the property of others, if we want to have a happy family, we must respect the happiness of other people's families. If you don't want anyone to cheat and take your property, you must always respect the truth. If you want to be smart and wise, there is nothing better than to give up drinking alcohol as well as stimulants because they are products with harmful toxins. That is the reason of human life that no one can deny. Parents who keep these five commandments will be an example for their children to follow. The upbringing of children has good results due to the behavior and actions of parents. Parents, because of their sacrifices for their children, must limit their personal pleasures that have a negative impact on family happiness. Since then, children love, filial piety and wholeheartedly take care of their parents when they are old and weak. Therefore, when teaching children, it is the adults who must be the moral example to create a good tradition that needs to be maintained, developed and inherited. School is also an important factor contributing to the moral training of students. Not only imparting basic knowledge on how to "behave with people" and practice it in reality through concerts, rehearsals, etc. So, School is also the core foundation, from which to train the next generations to become virtuous people in society, helping themselves and the community. The spirit of upholding the five precepts is the first step in Buddhist ethics. People who are virtuous and live according to precepts are loved, respected and respected by everyone. Not only has prestige in the community, good reputation is spread far and wide, people living with virtue are always serene and confident with themselves and everyone. People who respect the precepts know how to respect the laws of the State, a prerequisite for a person in society. The importance of precepts for monastics and lay people The five precepts are the moral basis, the first step into the Noble Path, eliminating unwholesome minds and helping good dharmas to grow. The precepts are the life span of the Buddha Dharma, If a practitioner strictly observes the precepts, he will gain inconceivable benefits, lead a peaceful and pure life, and progress to the path to liberation. “Bhikkhus, gentlemen! After I pass away, we should respect and respect the Parade of the woodcarriage (the precepts), like the dark meeting the light, like the poor man seeing the treasure. You must know that this dharma is your teacher, even if I stay in this world, it will not be different from this dharma.”[17] These are the teachings of the Buddha before passing away, taking the precepts as a guide to practice and finding the way to the shore of enlightenment, showing us which way to go and which way to avoid. far away because they only lead to sin, damaging the forest of merit. As a disciple of the Buddha, we must sincerely observe the five precepts, which is a noble offering because the precepts help us to become virtuous and exemplary [18]. In order to build an ethical person and society through the observance of the five precepts, one must first have pedagogical teachers, live in accordance with the Dharma, and strictly practice the precepts according to the Buddha's teachings. The image of a virtuous monk is a living lesson for lay people to follow and practice according to the precepts received, because this is the holy life. The happiness of the monastic is the kind of true, pure happiness free of worldly defilements, enlightenment and liberation. To do so, practitioners must cultivate Precepts, Concentration, and Wisdom because that is the path leading to non-birth, benefiting themselves and others. People at home take the three refuges and then the five precepts because this is the key to family happiness, order and peace for the social community [19]. They will not be confused, ashamed and afraid when meeting relatives, friends or going into crowded places. More importantly, when dying, they will leave in awareness, without confusion, without regrets and repent of the evil deeds they have created in life, so they are easy to be reborn in a good realm. A lay person who has received this precept must try to practice: "The result of the five precepts is the function of a life in accordance with the precepts of lay disciples and lay disciples of the Buddha" [20]. The merit of observing the precepts is great, enhancing human dignity and advancing to the noble path. APPLICATION OF BUDDHIST Ethics Through Gender Building an ethical life for people and society Buddhist ethics has the ability to contribute, create a good life for society and meet people's aspirations. Building a humane society, people are respected, equal and enjoy basic rights. Keeping the five precepts will create a civilized, respectful society. promote all cultural values ​​of the nation and the world, protect the living environment. Evils such as murder, theft, corruption, smuggling... are reduced and eliminated. Thanks to the practice of keeping the five commandments of the Buddha, we will no longer worry and be insecure about preserving our lives, about war or fear of losing our property, our family will be warm because there are no things that go against it. morality. The root cause of social evils occurring everywhere is that people themselves have lost the three quarters and are no longer ashamed of their own wrongdoings [21]. The German scholar Max Miller wrote: “The Buddha embodies all the virtues he preaches. In the fruit of 45 long years of preaching, he turned all his words into action; nowhere did he let go of human weakness or lowly lust. Moral, Buddha's basic morality is the most perfect that the world has ever known". Whether Buddhists or non-Buddhists, we can still practice according to the five precepts or the five moral standards to lead a better life, raise better children. Holding the five precepts is holding the key to opening the door of happiness, leading yourself to truth, beauty, and living a meaningful life. The practical value of the five precepts in the current trend of globalization In the era of modernization, people's living standards are increasingly being improved, so new and bad things for young people's morality also appear a lot. From depraved movies and photos to ways of slaughtering cruel creatures, propagating behaviors that go against good manners, customs, and even progress, there are potential risks for young people. While keeping the five precepts, we will not kill out of respect for the lives of all living beings, aware of the suffering caused by killing. Therefore, the person who keeps the five precepts will always live in peace, health and not be hostile or killed by anyone. Since then, the environment has been preserved, the society and the country, and the world have been safe. Because from the Buddhist perspective, there is no species that is not attached to existence because their relative joy takes survival as a prerequisite [23]. When we start killing, suddenly in our mind think of committing crimes against the laws of the State, just because of a little impulsiveness, we will have to be imprisoned, even if we don't have the opportunity to be human, we will not dare to make mistakes. offend again. Material possessions are outside the lives of people, when the involved person is robbed, he will feel miserable, miserable and even have negative thoughts that bring about unfortunate consequences. While keeping the mind free of greed, If we don't take people's things, we will have peace, create confidence for ourselves, for our family and society, make our personality more and more sublimated, always gain the trust of people and have a stable job. . Without the mind of greed, people's hearts are not born, their own is not taken, no longer worries and fears, and avoids the suspicion of others. When observing the precept for sexual misconduct, the family will be happy, without quarrels, jealousy or hatred. Because when unfaithful, marital life is chaotic, quarrels or divorces affect children. The happy breakdown spawned the search for ambiguous, insecure relationships. When keeping this precept, life will be more and more stable, husband and wife will be harmonious, loving and raising their children well, setting a good example for the next generation to maintain that good moral tradition. This is also the protection of honor and dignity in the spirit of fine customs and traditions of national morality. Thereby not wasting life on dangerous passions, losing the future and family happiness. Talking untruth is the cause of all troubles and insecurities in life. Because they divide, cause suffering for people and lower their own self-worth. Especially in the information technology era, if we give false information, it is also unethical to confuse the public. Buddhist ethics or also the five precepts about having to speak the truth are sincere, courteous words, bringing faith to everyone, making people closer to each other. If you have faith, hope and honesty, you will gain credit and succeed in all fields. Especially in business, The spirit of true investment cooperation will bring true partners, sustainable and prosperous careers. Wisdom is an important point, if a person is not intelligent, everything will stop and go wrong, but with an intelligent person, everything will go smoothly and lead to radiant success, as in a Russian proverb: “Intelligent people do nothing without thinking” or Benjamin Franklin once said: “The door of wisdom never closes”. The Dhammapada Sutra No. 279 also teaches that all dharmas are selfless, when one can examine them with wisdom, they will be free from suffering, which is the pure path [24]. CONCLUSION In short, in this interdependent life, if we know how to live for everyone, uphold morality or strictly observe the five precepts and consider it a solid barrier not to violate, society will always nice, peaceful world. This is the noble moral life, bringing love into life and living fully in every moment. Let's take advantage of the era of industrialization and modernization to improve our understanding, save time and improve our lives, don't lose our moral values ​​because of the pleasures and hybrid lifestyles. inherent good. In the modern context, material life is much more advanced than in the past, the Five Precepts in Buddhism are considered spiritual medicine to help establish a balanced and peaceful life for people before the storms of the times. . Keeping these five commandments, each of us will always be happy, have a warm family, a peaceful society and a civilized country. The entire teaching of Buddhism is almost entirely related to morality (happiness): “Bhikkhus, In the past and now, we only talk about suffering and the way to the cessation of suffering… The Buddha was born for the happiness of gods and humans” [25]. Secular people perfected by cultivating morality, he practiced morality and became a great enlightened being, bringing practical teachings into life to help sentient beings be at peace and find their own mind after many days of going astray. astray. Buddhist ethics through the Five Precepts is a standard measure of human virtue and spiritual progress of liberated practitioners. It is the bell that awakens people to return to their own inherent purity of mind, building a common morality for all mankind. “The scent of fragrant flowers cannot fly against the wind The scent of virtuous people against the wind is everywhere”.END=NAM MO SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).WORLD VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST ORDER=BUDDHIST DHARMA WHEEL GOLDEN MONASTERY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THE WOMEN OF THE SAKYA CLAN CHAN TANH.AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.25/12/2022.VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THE WOMEN OF THE SAKYA CLAN CHAN TANH.