Elements of Buddhist Ethics

The law of karma: strict ethical objectivism.

The 8-fold path: right views, right ideas, etc.

"right" as the same for everyone or "right for you"?

Consequentialism: your actions should produce beneficial results.

Dhammapada: balance self-interest and other-interest vs. later views that reject self-interest.

One possible solution

They who know causation (=personal histories) know the Dharma.

Law of karma now interpreted as knowing as exactly as possible how your

actions affect others as well as yourself.

This "mindfulness" of self-other actions leads to benefits for all.

The Five Precepts

Do not injure (ahimsa) any living being.

Do not steal

Do not lie

Do not lust: no sex at all for monks and sexual fidelity for lay Buddhists.

No intoxicants

Exceptions to Ahimsa

May eat meat as long as you have not killed the animal.

Jains and Hindus: you are still an ally in violence.

Buddhist farmers can kill insects; fishermen can still be Buddhists.

Killing in self-defense is OK.

Buddhist monks become soldiers in Korea and Japan.

Gandhi and the Buddha on poisonous snakes.

Self-immolation and spiritual suicide

Bodhisattvas may perform preemptive strikes on great sinners.

Exceptions to the 3rd precept

The Lotus Sutra: a father may deceive his sons to prevent them from

corrupting themselves.

The Doctrine of "Expedient Means": many acts are justified in order to

liberate all sentient beings.

Could Buddhist consequentialism lead to the end (=liberation) justifies

the means?