Buddhism 102: Ethics

Lesson 3: Other Paramitas

Morality and Purity, Exercise #6

Morality, also known as sila paramita, is the expression of the precepts in the paramitas. It's a reminder that moral decisions have many levels in our lives. We can practice a morality that goes above and beyond these simple moral rules that are set for us.

When we recognize morality as one of the paramitas, we have to admit that no one's perfect. We can all strive to be pure.

Suppose at the end of every day, you asked yourself, "Did I practice morality today?" And at the end of every day, you answered yourself, "I did the best I could." How would you say that answer? Would you say it with resignation and defeat, realizing that the best you could do just wasn't very good? Would you say it defensively, as if any mistakes you made were inevitable and not your fault, and you don't want people blaming you for them? Or would you say it with strength and sincerity, knowing that you had obstacles, but you gave it your all? The answer to this question shows how we take in this paramita. By the intrinsic perspective, we're all doing the best we can. But we can make a commitment to do better.

One way to keep ourselves moral, as Boorstein points out, is to mend our mistakes (66). When we practice this actively, we admit that we've made a lot of mistakes in our lives (we all have!) and we admit that we're going to make mistakes in the future.

Boorstein also emphasizes that mending mistakes does not necessarily have to directly involve the people we have wronged (69). Think carefully whether it will help those people to know that you're mending a mistake. If it will be helpful, contact them and make amends. If it won't be helpful, confess to yourself. Either way, it's a good reminder that we're human. That's what this path is about.

Zen Master Bernie Glassman has an interesting way of looking at morality:

Take a glass and think of it as the precepts. Every moment we are dirtying, muddying, leaving traces on this glass. Why? Because we are using it! Even if we just leave it where it is without using it, it gets dirty. Violating the precepts is getting the glass dirty; breaking them would be deliberately smashing it. (113)

This shows that we are practicing from a fallible standpoint, and that when we do the best we can, we will fail. He returns to this point:

The purpose of the study of the precepts is to deepen our awareness of the aspects of our lives and our understanding of why we are making the glass dirty all the time. As a result, we are led in the direction of taking better care of the glass. The reasons for or causes of the glass getting dirty are not necessarily a matter of good or bad, nor are they ultimately as important as cleaning the glass. When we study the precepts, our understanding of--and gratitude for--everything involved in making the glass dirty and clean is deepened and expanded. (116)

Morality is a paramita so that we never stop questioning morality. We keep those lines open and keep learning.

Exercise #6

What are the mistakes you've made? They can be in the recent past or the distant past. How can you mend them?

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