Ethical Criteria in Theravada Buddhism

Abstract

This research article aims to present the Theravada Buddhism-based ethical criteria that can be applied for human life. Documentary research method and descriptive analysis were conducted. Tripitaka, commentaries, books, research papers, as well as the news that appeared in various media were collected and analyzed. Research results found that the various principles for ethical judgment in human life are presented as the followings: intention, mental state, results, self-respect, compassionate Empathy, Majjhimã patipadã - the Middle Path, Echoes from the Sages, and Nibbâna-towards principle. Moreover, the scales to measure of Karmic weight are presented too. They are the generated intention, the mental state of the doer, the effort of the doer, the size of the victim, the relationship between the offender and the victim, the virtue of the victim, and the behavior of the victim.