A careful study of the Pali Nikaya texts (“texts” hereafter) confirms that
sila and
sikkhapada are conceptually and categorically different:
sila is refinedness of personal behavior and
sikkharpada is the tool used to cultivate
sila. Over time, these two were used synonymously and
sila's original and dynamic connotation was lost. The conflation resulted in wrong approaches to Buddhist ethics. This paper attempts to clarify
sila as the core of the Early Buddhist moral system and to argue that wholesome decision-making based on the principle of
sila is widely utilizable in solving modern ethical issues, such as stem-cell research or surrogate motherhood.
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