ETHICS IN BUDDHISM

The fundamental ethical problem for the Buddha was how a person can live in such a way as to limit his pain and suffering, in light of the fact that so much of existence results in misery.

The first, and negative, principle in the Buddha's ethics is that quite simply one is to not indulge in any activities that he knows already, or even suspects, will cause him to suffer.

As obvious as this seems, it is amazing how people so often ignore it and just keep doing what is bad for them, what ultimately makes them unhappy.

But liberation from suffering cannot be attained by negative means only, by just not doing things.  Hence, the Buddha's second principle.  One is to indulge in those things which he knows from his past experience, or suspects from what he's seen, to be truly joy-producing.

It is by participating in these that one transcends and erases from his mind any of his inclinations to do what is bad for him.  Evidence of this is the Buddhist tradition and practice of altruism.