Help with Śīla

Buddhist ethical conduct including the Five Precepts (Pañcasikkhāpada), and Eightfold Ethical Conduct (Aṭṭhasīla).
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dhamma_newb
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Help with Śīla

Post by dhamma_newb »

Do you have any good recommendations for books or Dhamma talks that focus on Śīla? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

:anjali:
Don
The watched mind brings happiness.
Dhp 36

I am larger and better than I thought. I did not know I held so much goodness.
Walt Whitman
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bodom
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Re: Help with Śīla

Post by bodom »

Great read here:
Buddhist Ethics

Hammalawa Saddhatissa, Author

"For more than a quarter of a century, those in search of an introduction to Buddhist moral thought have turned and returned to this little volume...." Thus notes Charles Hallisey of Harvard University in his introduction. Starting with an examination of classical Greek notions of ethics, Venerable Saddhatissa goes on to explain the development of Buddhist moral codes and their practical application.


http://www.wisdompubs.org/Pages/display ... n=&image=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

:anjali:
Liberation is the inevitable fruit of the path and is bound to blossom forth when there is steady and persistent practice. The only requirements for reaching the final goal are two: to start and to continue. If these requirements are met there is no doubt the goal will be attained. This is the Dhamma, the undeviating law.

- BB
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rowboat
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Re: Help with Śīla

Post by rowboat »

Dhamma_newb, I have Ven. Saddhatissa's excellent book Buddhist Ethics and if you can PM to me a mailing address I will gladly give the book to you.
Rain soddens what is covered up,
It does not sodden what is open.
Therefore uncover what is covered
That the rain will not sodden it.
Ud 5.5
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ground
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Re: Help with Śīla

Post by ground »

I think that here "sila" is confused with "buddhist ethics" and that "buddhist ethics" actually has a broader scope than "silas":
6. "And what is the wholesome? Abstention from killing living beings is wholesome; abstention from taking what is not given is wholesome; abstention from misconduct in sensual pleasures is wholesome; abstention from false speech is wholesome; abstention from malicious speech is wholesome; abstention from harsh speech is wholesome; abstention from gossip is wholesome; non-covetousness is wholesome; non-ill will is wholesome; right view is wholesome. This is called the wholesome.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .ntbb.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Kind regards
dhamma_newb
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Re: Help with Śīla

Post by dhamma_newb »

bodom wrote:Great read here:
Buddhist Ethics

Hammalawa Saddhatissa, Author

"For more than a quarter of a century, those in search of an introduction to Buddhist moral thought have turned and returned to this little volume...." Thus notes Charles Hallisey of Harvard University in his introduction. Starting with an examination of classical Greek notions of ethics, Venerable Saddhatissa goes on to explain the development of Buddhist moral codes and their practical application.


http://www.wisdompubs.org/Pages/display ... n=&image=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

:anjali:
Thanks bodom!
rowboat wrote:Dhamma_newb, I have Ven. Saddhatissa's excellent book Buddhist Ethics and if you can PM to me a mailing address I will gladly give the book to you.
Thanks rowboat for such a kind offer.
TMingyur wrote:I think that here "sila" is confused with "buddhist ethics" and that "buddhist ethics" actually has a broader scope than "silas":
6. "And what is the wholesome? Abstention from killing living beings is wholesome; abstention from taking what is not given is wholesome; abstention from misconduct in sensual pleasures is wholesome; abstention from false speech is wholesome; abstention from malicious speech is wholesome; abstention from harsh speech is wholesome; abstention from gossip is wholesome; non-covetousness is wholesome; non-ill will is wholesome; right view is wholesome. This is called the wholesome.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .ntbb.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Kind regards
Thanks for sharing TMingyur.

With Metta
The watched mind brings happiness.
Dhp 36

I am larger and better than I thought. I did not know I held so much goodness.
Walt Whitman
Bakmoon
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Re: Help with Śīla

Post by Bakmoon »

dhamma_newb wrote:Do you have any good recommendations for books or Dhamma talks that focus on Śīla? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

:anjali:
Don
Here is one of my all time favorite Dhamma talks. It is all about Sila, and the speaker is the Ven. Ajahn Brahmali. I would highly recommend this talk.


http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
This is a link to a sutta in the Majjhima Nikaya about morality. This is one of my favorite suttas and I also highly reccomend it.

I hope you find these materials useful. :anjali:
The non-doing of any evil,
The performance of what's skillful,
The cleansing of one's own mind:
This is the Buddhas' teaching.
dhamma_newb
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Re: Help with Śīla

Post by dhamma_newb »

Thank you Bakmoon I appreciate the links!
The watched mind brings happiness.
Dhp 36

I am larger and better than I thought. I did not know I held so much goodness.
Walt Whitman
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SDC
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Re: Help with Śīla

Post by SDC »

I listen to this talk by Venerable Punnaji every few months. Excellent.

“Life is swept along, short is the life span; no shelters exist for one who has reached old age. Seeing clearly this danger in death, a seeker of peace should drop the world’s bait.” SN 1.3
dhamma_newb
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Re: Help with Śīla

Post by dhamma_newb »

Thanks SDC :smile: .
The watched mind brings happiness.
Dhp 36

I am larger and better than I thought. I did not know I held so much goodness.
Walt Whitman
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Assaji
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Re: Help with Śīla

Post by Assaji »

Hi Don,

I don't know such a book, so I would recommend:

"What do you think, Rahula: What is a mirror for?"

"For reflection, sir."

"In the same way, Rahula, bodily actions, verbal actions, & mental actions are to be done with repeated reflection.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Sariputta, a bhikkhu who desires to abide in voidance most of the time should reflect. When going for alms along a certain path, or in a certain region, or returning along a certain path, does interest, or greed, or anger, or delusion, or aversion, arise in my mind on account of forms cognizable by eye consciousness?

http://awake.kiev.ua/dhamma/tipitaka/2S ... dhi-e.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"And how is a monk skilled in reading his own mind? Imagine a young woman -- or man -- fond of adornment, examining the image of her own face in a bright, clean mirror or bowl of clear water: If she saw any dirt or blemish there, she would try to remove it. If she saw no dirt or blemish there, she would be pleased, her resolves fulfilled: 'How fortunate I am! How clean I am!' In the same way, a monk's self-examination is very productive in terms of skillful qualities [if he conducts it in this way]: 'Do I usually remain covetous or not? With thoughts of ill will or not? Overcome by sloth & drowsiness or not? Restless or not? Uncertain or gone beyond uncertainty? Angry or not? With soiled thoughts or unsoiled thoughts? With my body aroused or unaroused? Lazy or with persistence aroused? Unconcentrated or concentrated?'

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/su ... 0-051.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Bhikkhus, a certain one considers bodily misconduct has evil results here and now and here after, verbal misconduct has evil results here and now and here after and mental misconduct has evil results here and now and here after. Considering thus he abstains from bodily misconduct and develops bodily good conduct. Abstains from verbal misconduct and develops verbal good conduct and abstains from mental misconduct and develops mental good conduct. Bhikkhus, to this is called the power of considering.

http://awake.kiev.ua/dhamma/tipitaka/2S ... ggo-e.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Bhikkhus, it is suitable that the bhikkhu from time to time reflect his own failures, from time to time reflect others failures, Bhikkhus, it is suitable that the bhikkhu from time to time reflect his own success, from time to time reflect others success.

http://awake.kiev.ua/dhamma/tipitaka/2S ... ggo-e.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"A disciple has faith in that teacher and reflects: 'The Blessed One in a variety of ways criticizes & censures the taking of life, and says, "Abstain from taking life." There are living beings that I have killed, to a greater or lesser extent. That was not right. That was not good. But if I become remorseful for that reason, that evil deed of mine will not be undone.' So, reflecting thus, he abandons right then the taking of life, and in the future refrains from taking life. This is how there comes to be the abandoning of that evil deed. This is how there comes to be the transcending of that evil deed.

"[He reflects:] 'The Blessed One in a variety of ways criticizes & censures stealing... indulging in illicit sex... the telling of lies, and says, "Abstain from the telling of lies." There are lies that I have told, to a greater or lesser extent. That was not right. That was not good. But if I become remorseful for that reason, that evil deed of mine will not be undone.' So, reflecting thus, he abandons right then the telling of lies, and in the future refrains from telling lies. This is how there comes to be the abandoning of that evil deed. This is how there comes to be the transcending of that evil deed.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Arabhati Sutta of the Tikandaki Vagga of the Pancamaka Nipata of the Anguttara Nikaya (III, 165-7) mentions five kinds of people :

(1)those who commit a fault and repent of the fact but do nothing good, and do not know the emancipation through wisdom by which all inflows (asava) are destroyed without a remainder ;
(2)those who commit a fault but do not repent of what they have done or not done, and who do not know emancipation ;
(3)those who do not commit a fault, but repent of what they have not done, and who do not know emancipation ;
(4)those who do not commit a fault nor repent of what they have not done, and do not know emancipation ; and
(5)those who do not commit a fault nor repent of what they have not done, and know emancipation.

A true follower of the Buddha should try to be like people of the fifth group.

http://www.bddronline.net.au/bddr12no5/editorial.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://awake.kiev.ua/dhamma/tipitaka/2S ... ggo-e.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Buddha highly praised the use of confession, and in a poetic simile warns us against concealing of offences:

Channam ativassati
Vivitam nativassati
Tasma channam vivaretna
Evan tam nativassatiti

Rain soaks what is contained
It doesn't soak what is open
Therefore open up what is contained
So rain won't soak it.
(Vin. II 240)

http://www.fsnewsletter.net/32/vara.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"And what is the bliss of blamelessness? There is the case where a disciple of the noble ones is endowed with blameless bodily kamma, blameless verbal kamma, blameless mental kamma. When he thinks, 'I am endowed with blameless bodily kamma, blameless verbal kamma, blameless mental kamma,' he experiences bliss, he experiences joy. This is called the bliss of blamelessness.

"These are the four kinds of bliss that can be attained in the proper season, on the proper occasions, by a householder partaking of sensuality."

Knowing the bliss of debtlessness,
& recollecting the bliss of having,
enjoying the bliss of wealth, the mortal
then sees clearly with discernment.
Seeing clearly — the wise one —
he knows both sides:
that these are not worth one sixteenth-sixteenth
of the bliss of blamelessness.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

When the Blessed One heard of it, he ordered the bhikkhus to recite the Patimokkha, which is a ceremony of disburdening the conscience; and he commanded them to make confession of their trespasses so as to receive the absolution of the order. A fault, if there be one, should be confessed by the bhikkhu who remembers it and desires to be cleansed, for a fault, when confessed, shall be light on him.

And the Blessed One said: "The Patimokkha must be recited in this way: Let a competent and venerable bhikkhu make the following proclamation to the Sangha: "May the Sangha hear me Today is Uposatha, the eighth, or the fourteenth or fifteenth day of the half-month. If the Sangha is ready, let the Sangha hold the Uposatha service and recite the Patimokkha. I will recite the Patimokkha.' And the bhikkhus shall reply: 'We hear it well and we concentrate well our minds on it, all of us.' Then the officiating bhikkhu shall continue: 'Let him who has committed an offense confess it; if there be no offense, let all remain silent; from your being silent I shall understand that the reverend brethren are free from offenses. As a single person who has been asked a question answers it, so also, if before an assembly like this a question is solemnly proclaimed three times, an answer is expected: if a bhikkhu, after a threefold proclamation, does not confess an existing offense which he remembers, he commits an intentional falsehood. Now, reverend brethren, an intentional falsehood has been declared an impediment by the Blessed One. Therefore, if an offense has been committed by a bhikkhu who remembers it and desires to become pure, the offense should be confessed by the bhikkhu; and when it has been confessed, it is treated duly.'"

http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/btg/btg36.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Metta, Dmytro
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Cittasanto
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Re: Help with Śīla

Post by Cittasanto »

Blog, Suttas, Aj Chah, Facebook.

He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them.
But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion …
...
He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them … he must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.
John Stuart Mill
Kabouterke
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Re: Help with Śīla

Post by Kabouterke »

This is an old post, I know. But, it's exaclty the same question I wanted to ask. I searched around on the forum and on other websites and this book was widely recommended:

http://books.google.be/books?id=9CTSz3E ... &q&f=false

Are there any other widely read/respected books out there about Buddhist ethics and/or sila?

Thanks!
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