INTROCUCTION

The society is an aggregate of the individuals and if moral upliftment of all individuals can be ensured, society will naturally progress. However, this presumption is more of a pious wish than an actual reality. Social Ethic has to be arranged specifically. Also, there are various social organizations- formal as well as informal which have an individuality of their own and these organizations do perform specific functions to ensure the security, stability, prosperity and happiness of the society as a whole. Family, state, government, church etc. are such social organizations.

Sometimes, the word ethics is used synonymously with morality. The word morality has been derived from the Latin word ‘Mores’ has been derived from the Greek words ‘ethics’ and ethos, meaning custom, habitual conduct, usage and character. Morality, according to Oxford Dictionary is concerned with character. It is concerned with the disposition or with the distinction between right and wrong. Chamber’s Dictionary points out that morality is related to character or conduct considered as good or evil; ethical; conformed to or directed towards right; virtuous.

Thus morality seems to imply socially approved conduct, virtue or good character. It also refers to “Standard of human behavior determined either subjectively or objectively and based on what is considered ethically right or wrong”. A look at dictionary meanings of these words will help to clarify the implications of the word morality. ‘Moral sense’ refers to the power of distinguishing between right and wrong or sense dealing with regulation of human conduct. ‘Moral courage’ means the courage to encounter contempt rather than abandon right course. ‘Moral Law’ refers to those requirements to which right conduct must conform. ‘Morally good’ implies virtuous as regards general conduct. ‘Moral philosophy’ is the same thing as ethics. ‘Ethics or moral philosophy is that branch of philosophy that is concerned with what is morally good and bad, right and wrong, Its central concern is the double task:

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

PRIMARY SOURCE

(A)SUTTANIPATA ATTHAKATHA

(B)DIGHANIKAYA

(C))ANGUTTARA NIKAYA

(D)ATTHAKANIPATA

(E)ANGUTTARA NIKAYA

(F)JATAKATTHA KATHA

(G)ANGUTTARA

(H)SAMSUTTA

(I)DHAMMAPADATHAKATHA

(J)DHAMMAPADA

(K)PATTHANAM -1

(L)SILAKKHANDHAVAGGATTHAKATHA –TIKA

(M)MULAPANNASATTHAKATHA-TIKA

(N)ATTHASALINI ATTHAKATHA

(0)DHAMMAPADA

(P)ANGUTTARANIKAYA

(Q)MAHAVANNASA AND CULAVANNASA

(W)PETAVATTHU PALI AND ATTHAKATHA

SECONDARY SOURCE

(A)THE BUDDHA IN HIS TEACHING

(B)DIGHANIKAYA OF SINGALOVADA SUTTA

(C)MINGALA SUTTA OF SUTTANIPATA

(D)AN APPROACH BUDDHIST SOCIAL PHILOSOPHY

(E)SUTTANIPATA

(F)SAMPADASUTTA YODHAJIVAVAGGA TIKANIPATA

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01. Vibhijjavada and early Buddhism

The Buddhists in Theravada countries such as Sri lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Combodia believe that there is no differences between “Vibhajjavada and Early Buddhism” In the Pali text, The word “Vibhajjavada” is mentioned only one. In the Subbasutta of M.N. Brahmin Subha asked two questions to the Buddha.

Question (1)

A lay man is engaged in the wholesome activities. A monk is not engaged in wholesome activities. Who is better than whom? It means that a layman who does wholesome deeds, who is ethically good. Who leads good life is better than the ordained one who does not wholesome deeds. The Buddha answered this question as follow; “Vibhajjavado kho ahamettha manava nahamettha ekamsavado” Young man, I am an analyst of particular. I am not a person who gives categorical answer to this question.

The Buddha did not answer the question categorically but analytically. The Buddha answered that the person who is “Samm patipanna” right behaviour, whether he is a lay man or monk, is always superior one. But a person who is “Miccha Patipanna” wrong behaviour, whether he is a lay man or a monk, is always inferior one.

Question (2)

Subha asked the second question to the Buddha, “mahattampi mahapphalam gharavasa kammatthanam, appatampitam appphalam vibhajja kammatthanam, Idhabhavam gotamo ahati”. It means that lay man’s endeavour is more fruitful result than monk’s endeavour. What do you think of this? The Buddha said, “etthapi manava aham vibhajjavado nahametta ekamsavado” I am vibhajjavadi, not ekamsavadi on this point also. The Buddha said that there are two points of achieve more or less advantage.

(1)sambhajjamano = Doing things correctly.

(2)vibhajjamano = Doing things badly which are relating with lay man and monk.

Therefore, the Buddha said that he could not give categorical answer to subha’s questions. According to this Subha sutta, the Buddha can be called “Vibhajjavadi” and Buddhism can be called “Vibhajjavada”.

Therefore, the Buddha said that he could not give categorical answers to Subha’s questions. According to this Subha Sutta, the Buddha can be called “Vibhajjavadi” and Buddhism can be called “Vibhajjavada”.

Fourfold Questions

There are fourfold question in Catukka Nippata of A.N. Those are;

(1)Panho Ekamsabyakaraniyo= A question which should be explained categorically.

(2)Panho Vibhajjabykaraniyo= A question which should be explained analytically.

(3)Panho Patipucchabyakaraniyo= A question which should be replied with a counter-question.

(4)Panho Thapaniyavyakaraniyo= A question which should be set aside.

Although we can say Buddhism is Vibhajjavada according to this Subha Sutta, it can not be called completely Vibhajjavada, partly Vibhajjavada Because, according to the fourfold question,we should notice that the Buddha is sometimes with “Ekamsavada” sometimes with “Patipucchavada” and sometimes with “Thapaniyavada” Therefore, We cannot totally say that Vibhajjavada is Early Buddhism.(Word-446)

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05. Give proof to substantiate that Theravada totally rejects the transcendental elucidation of Nibbana.

Concerning the word nibbana is borrowed from the pre-Buddhist literature, there is no mention of this term in either the Veda or Upanishad. There is no source which carried the Nirvana in the Pre-Buddhist literature. Therefore, We can safely suggest that the word nibbana was a Buddhistic term.

The person who has realized nibbana is called nibbata, the cool person. The nature of the person who has realized the nibbana is indicated in the term sitibhuta, the person who has become cool. The individual has three burning. Those are called ragaggi, dosaggi and mohaggi, fire of desire, fire of hatred and fire of ignorance become extinguished. This is why , The final goal of Buddhism is called nibbana.

In the Ratana sutta of the suttanipata, the Buddha said that the wise men extinguished as the fire, as the lamp extinguishes after death, “nibbanti dhira yatha yam padipo. Atthi yatha vegena kicco attam phaleti naupeti sakam, in the flame goes on there is no identification of the person who realizes the nibbana.

The term nirodha, cessation, indicates the nature of nibbana more and better than the term, nibbana itself. Everything in which the individual identifies ceases with the realization of nibbana. This is why, it is called nirodha. For the realization of nibbin, one must have at least three super knowledge , pubbenivasa, dibbacakkhu and asavakkhaya. These are the clairvoyance that is pubbenivasa, dibbacakkhu and the knowledge of the destruction of defiling impulses that is called asavakkhaya. This knowledge is not nibbana. These are the knowledge through which one can experience. This knowledge themselves are not the experience of nibbana.

These wrong views of nibbana now exist in the Theravada tradition itself. The nibbana is a topic which is comprehensively discussed in the Milinda panhâ, king Milinda asked various questions about nibbana from the Venerable Nāgasena. He was not very careful to say that it should be identical with a metaphysical entity, transcendental reality, Venerable Nāgasena declares that Venerable Buddhaghosa in the Visuddhimagga, He says that it is an entity. It is an existence of a difference nature. It is a mystic experience.

These is another discourse which is very useful our discussion. That is called Nibbānadhatu Sutta of the Itthivuttaka Pāli. Accordingly, there are two elements of nibbāna. One is upādisesa nibbanadhātu, the other is anupadisesa nibbānadhātu. The first is understood as the as the nibbānic experience of the living Arahabnt. The second is understood as the nibbanic experience of arahant after death. That is the nature arahant. Nibbanic experience this sense organs are function. This is called upadisesa nibbanadhatu. Sometime the arahant is that avoiding these pleasant and unpleasant through sense experience, I should live in the total bliss of nibbana without any kind of inter fear, obstruction.

There is no feeling and perception there is no taking of objects through the senses. This is called anupadisesa nibbanadhatu. So, both upadisesa ans anupadisesa elements are experienced by living arahant. It is wrong to say that one experienced by living arahant and the other is by death arahant.

(Word-509 created by Ven.vilasa)

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