Wisdom, Compassion, and Moral Responsibility under the Buddhist Doctrine of Non-Self
Abstract
Buddhist ethics makes the connection between philosophical analysis and moral cultivation: How does suffering come about and how can it come to an end? This article looks at a concentrated issue in this tradition, namely, the maintenance of moral responsibility, in the face of Buddha's doctrine of no permanent self. It aims to discuss the connection of wisdom and compassion, to clarify the function of intention, kamma, dependent co-origination and non-self, and to evaluate if they provide an integrated view of moral responsibility. The research method used is a qualitative approach which is carried out through textual and philosophical approaches. Results of some chosen passages from the Dīgha Nikāya, Saṃyutta Nikāya and Aṅguttara Nikāya are read together with some contemporary texts on virtue ethics, consequentialism, personal identity, and Buddhist moral philosophy. The results reveal that the Buddhist responsibility is not based on the permanent and unchanging metaphysical agent. It is based upon deliberate actions, continuity of causes, character development, and continuity of convention of persons. Wisdom reveals the impermanent, empty, illusory nature of experience and compassion puts it in service to the alleviation of suffering. The analysis also reveals that Buddhist ethics are not completely virtue ethics or consequentialism, as it combines the factors of motive, discipline, character, consequences, and liberating insight. The article concludes that no one can take away accountability. When correctly understood it transfers responsibility in interdependent processes and it enables a discipline of compassion that is pertinent to today's moral issues.