Ethics in Early Buddhism

Through the centuries, Eastern and Western moral philosophers considered an eternal and permanent law necessary for formulating a moral principle. If such a law could not be empirically given it would have to be determined by reason. Early Buddhism, however, presented a radical theory about impermanence. Early Buddhist interpreters have struggled to let go of the notion of permanence and have continued to view nirvana, or freedom, as a permanent and eternal state. This is to be contrasted against the impermanent worlds of sensory experience and bondage. The balanced and concise book Ethics in Early Buddhism by David J. Kalupahana attempts to put the early Buddhist descriptions about the world of experience and the state of freedom, as well as the moral principle that led to such freedom, within the context of impermanence. Kalupahana starts by describing the Indian philosophical background, including its utilitarian traditions as well as deontological ethics. Then he proceeds to examine the presuppositions for these moral theories. The following is a comprehensive overview of the early Buddhist moral teachings. Kalupahana continues to show how the moral principle can be applied in explaining society, economy, law, justice, and nature. The conclusion highlights two of the most important metaphors in early Buddhist discourse: stream (of liberty) and the stream (of justice).