lying, gossiping or talking idly), the right conduct (behavior that causes no harm), and the right livelihood (avoiding earning a living in which have the effect can cause harm…. i.e. selling intoxicants) all fall under Sila, which means Morality. The last two paths, right mindfulness (becoming aware of oneself) and the right concentration (deep meditation) both fall under Samaathi, which means Concentration. The common elements of each of the paths are that the path has a single ultimate goal: freedom. "It is indeed the ultimate goal, which is not a constituent of the moral path, that serves as an incentive to follow the path. It serves the function of an imperative" (Kalupahana, 82). With no absolute law to guarantee results, however, constant effort and mindful vigilance are necessary. Another ethical principle that Buddhists follow is the Five Precepts, which in many ways are similar to five of the “Ten Commandments” in Christianity. The precepts prohibit Buddhists from taking a life, taking what is not given to them, sexual misconduct, lying, and taking intoxicants. The Five Precepts play an important role in the way that Buddhists govern their way of life.Buddhists follow the ethical principles and standards above because, as mentioned before, their main goal is to achieve Nirvana. Like Hindus, Buddhists believe in reincarnation and karma also. They follow (or at least try to) follow the previously mentioned ethical principles and standards because they are trying to achieve Nirvana or at least position themselves so that they will be rewarded when they are reincarnated. When explaining Buddhist belief in karma and its effects, David J. Kalupahana, author of Ethics in Early Buddhism states:Certain actions are seen to have pleasant or unpleasant bad karmic results because they are, by other criteria (their motivating roots, and whether they are intended to benefit or harm beings) seen as good or bad. ...
