Raphael Mizrahi 4C
1
Topic 5: Attitudes to Life
5.1 Moral Principles
● Moral Principles Buddhists use to make decision:
○ compassion (Karuna)
○ skillful means (Upaya Kausalya)
○ loving kindness (Metta)
○ Noble Eightfold Path
○ Non-Violence (Ahimsa)
○ 6 paramitas
○ 5 precepts
○ karmic merit
The six Meaning Explanation
paramitas
generosity ● showing you have overcome craving ( one of 3 poisons) since you are able to
Dana give things
● also means giving time
Sila morality ● being honest with yourself and being honest with others
Virya energy ● energy given to doing right actions (Noble Eightfold Path)
Kshanti patience ● awareness of yourself and others as well as patience towards others and
yourself
Samadhi meditation ● important to cultivate good qualities
● Samatha and Vipassana
● Samadhi is a state of deep meditation
Prajna wisdom ● teachings of the Buddha
● especially 3 universal truths
● the six Paramitas (perfections) are the qualities of an enlightened mind
● metta= loving kindness/ Love for all life
○ One of the four Brahma Viharas (sublime attitudes)
○ Loving kindness
○ Awareness of the effects of negative emotions and actions on others; and of positive
ones
○ Beneficial to others and the self
○ (metta meditation)
Raphael Mizrahi 4C
1
, Raphael Mizrahi 4C
2
● karuna= compassion
○ One of the four Brahma Viharas (sublime attitudes)
○ Not feeling sorry for people
○ Feeling the suffering of others as your own and recognising that you cannot be truly
happy so long as there are people who are not
○ Can be active (helping people/ Engaged Buddhism) but is above all a frame of mind:an
attitude to others that motivates all of your actions
○ concern for all beings and a desire to relieve them of their troubles
○ Siddhartha wasn’t sure whether to spread the teachings of the Dharma
○ when he decided to share prime example of compassion
● Ahimsa= non violence
○ recognising worth of things and value of life
○ is the principle that lies behind the first precept (don’t kill)
● Upaya Kausalya= skilful means
○ actions are not just good/ bad but also skilfull
○ not just about following set of rules
○ To minimise harm
○ Buddha used Upaya Kausalya to adapt his teachings to a specific audience
○ Adapting the Buddhist teaching for different situations and maybe using them
differently in different situations
○ In Mahayana tradition they believe Bodhisattvas (those who have delayed there
Nirvana to teach others how to be enlightened) can give you advice on how to apply
Upaya Kausalya
○ (eg. abortion are you are being compassionate to the mother if you kill the baby but
you are compassionate to the baby if you let it live)
○ (Euthanasia you are not being compassionate to the person since karmic effects will
carry on to the next life but you are being compassionate by not letting them suffer
now)
5.1.1 The Five Precepts
● the Five Precepts are basic ethical moral guidelines taught by the Buddha for lay followers
(linked to right action/ intention/ effort/ mindfulness/ view in Noble Eightfold path)
● the precepts are:
Raphael Mizrahi 4C
2
1
Topic 5: Attitudes to Life
5.1 Moral Principles
● Moral Principles Buddhists use to make decision:
○ compassion (Karuna)
○ skillful means (Upaya Kausalya)
○ loving kindness (Metta)
○ Noble Eightfold Path
○ Non-Violence (Ahimsa)
○ 6 paramitas
○ 5 precepts
○ karmic merit
The six Meaning Explanation
paramitas
generosity ● showing you have overcome craving ( one of 3 poisons) since you are able to
Dana give things
● also means giving time
Sila morality ● being honest with yourself and being honest with others
Virya energy ● energy given to doing right actions (Noble Eightfold Path)
Kshanti patience ● awareness of yourself and others as well as patience towards others and
yourself
Samadhi meditation ● important to cultivate good qualities
● Samatha and Vipassana
● Samadhi is a state of deep meditation
Prajna wisdom ● teachings of the Buddha
● especially 3 universal truths
● the six Paramitas (perfections) are the qualities of an enlightened mind
● metta= loving kindness/ Love for all life
○ One of the four Brahma Viharas (sublime attitudes)
○ Loving kindness
○ Awareness of the effects of negative emotions and actions on others; and of positive
ones
○ Beneficial to others and the self
○ (metta meditation)
Raphael Mizrahi 4C
1
, Raphael Mizrahi 4C
2
● karuna= compassion
○ One of the four Brahma Viharas (sublime attitudes)
○ Not feeling sorry for people
○ Feeling the suffering of others as your own and recognising that you cannot be truly
happy so long as there are people who are not
○ Can be active (helping people/ Engaged Buddhism) but is above all a frame of mind:an
attitude to others that motivates all of your actions
○ concern for all beings and a desire to relieve them of their troubles
○ Siddhartha wasn’t sure whether to spread the teachings of the Dharma
○ when he decided to share prime example of compassion
● Ahimsa= non violence
○ recognising worth of things and value of life
○ is the principle that lies behind the first precept (don’t kill)
● Upaya Kausalya= skilful means
○ actions are not just good/ bad but also skilfull
○ not just about following set of rules
○ To minimise harm
○ Buddha used Upaya Kausalya to adapt his teachings to a specific audience
○ Adapting the Buddhist teaching for different situations and maybe using them
differently in different situations
○ In Mahayana tradition they believe Bodhisattvas (those who have delayed there
Nirvana to teach others how to be enlightened) can give you advice on how to apply
Upaya Kausalya
○ (eg. abortion are you are being compassionate to the mother if you kill the baby but
you are compassionate to the baby if you let it live)
○ (Euthanasia you are not being compassionate to the person since karmic effects will
carry on to the next life but you are being compassionate by not letting them suffer
now)
5.1.1 The Five Precepts
● the Five Precepts are basic ethical moral guidelines taught by the Buddha for lay followers
(linked to right action/ intention/ effort/ mindfulness/ view in Noble Eightfold path)
● the precepts are:
Raphael Mizrahi 4C
2
