Secular Buddhism 95 - Levels Of Morality
Apr 2, 2019
Explore the problematic nature of cultural views of morality, levels of morality and the shift to ethics, the complexity of ethics and understanding the bigger picture, levels of morality and ethical living, and exploring morality and personal ethics.
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Morality As Obedience
- Morality often functions as obedience to externally imposed rules rather than a true sense of right and wrong.
- Cultural morality can be motivated by fear of punishment or authority rather than ethical understanding.
Internalized Rules Versus Deeper Ethics
- Bante Gunaritana's levels separate simple rule-following from deeper internalized motivations like guilt.
- Many people hover at the rule-following or internalized-punishment stages rather than advancing ethically.
Ethics Over Rule Following
- A higher level reframes morality as ethics guided by mindfulness, wisdom, and compassion instead of handed-down rules.
- Ethical choices require seeing the bigger picture and balancing competing needs in each circumstance.