Religious Studies: Morality in Buddhism Essay

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Such a notion as morality can be described as the set of behavioral norms or standards that are accepted by a person or a certain group of people. These principles can be derived from religious or philosophical traditions. In many cases, Buddhist morality intersects with everyday morality. In this case, much attention should be paid to a collection of restrictions or taboos that should govern the decisions or actions of a person.

For instance, one can speak about the prohibition of killing human or animals. Additionally, one should speak about total inadmissibility of stealing, lying, or manipulating other people. These restrictions are imbedded in the famous eight precepts outlined by Buddha (Harvey 88). These norms can govern the ethical choices of a person daily.

One should also mention that Buddhist ethics lays stress on the importance of modesty. For example, the representatives of this religion must not emphasize their wealth or high social status. This is why the design of Buddhist robes is usually rather simple. Apart from that, this morality implies that it is not permissible to boast of one’s achievements. Additionally, this ethical system stresses the importance of temperance or moderation.

This is one of the reasons why there are some restrictions on the eating habits of an individual or consumption of alcoholic beverages. There are various norms that govern worship and rituals. One should mention that this religion can take many forms because there are many schools of Buddhism, Moreover, there are significant regional or national variations. These are some of the main elements included in the ethical system of this religion.

Overall, Buddhist morality is not gendered; in other words, it does not set specific behavioral guidelines for men and women. One can say that this religion does not discriminate against a person on the basis of his/her gender. Nevertheless, one should keep in mind that Buddhist is widespread in those countries that are affected by gender inequality. This argument is relevant if one speaks about Sri Lanka in the late nineteenth century (Bartholomeusz 34).

At that time, many Buddhist fundamentalists completely rejected the idea of the feminist movement (Bartholomeusz 34). They did not support the social empowerment of women who attempted to raise their social status. Still, at its core, Buddhism is rather egalitarian, because it implies that every individual is capable of achieving the enlightenment (Sharma 107). Nevertheless, patriarchic norms and principles emerged during the later periods in the history of this religion.

Admittedly, one can argue that this morality can be discriminatory against women. For example, this doctrine implies that the sexual desire for a woman can prevent a man from attaining the state of liberation (Sharma 112). However, this example only indicates that Buddhism is aimed at minimizing the sexuality of a person, but it does not include a bias against a person based on his/her gender. This is one of the issues that should not be overlooked.

Overall, this discussion shows that Buddhism can regulate various aspects of a person’s life as well as the interactions between various people. It incorporates a system of restrictions that should prevent people from harming one another. Additionally, this religion highlights the importance of egalitarian relations in society. Nevertheless, in many cases, the principles of Buddhism could be often misinterpreted by people who did not accept egalitarianism. These are the main arguments that can be put forward.

Works Cited

Bartholomeusz, Tessa. “Women as fundamental and fundamentalist women: the case of Buddhist Sri Lanka.” Fundamentalism and Women in World Religion. Ed. Arvind Sharma and Katherine Young. New York: T & T Clark International. 2007. 35-50. Print.

Harvey, Peter. An Introduction to Buddhist Ethics: Foundations, Values and Issues, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000. Print.

Sharma, Arvind. Women in World Religions, New York: SUNY Press, 1987. Print.

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