Dhammapada 183
"Not to do evil, to do good, to purify one's mind—this is the teaching of the Buddhas."
Context
Buddhist ethics and meditation practice transform across Theravada, Mahayana, and Western Buddhism
Understanding Through Time
The triple discipline: morality (sila), meditation (samadhi), wisdom (prajna). Individual pursuit of enlightenment through disciplined practice; ethics as foundation for mental purification.
Bodhisattva path: do good not for personal liberation but for all beings. Buddha-nature present in all; compassion and emptiness become central. Ethics motivated by universal salvation.
Good and evil are concepts; true practice transcends duality. Sudden awakening to Buddha-mind renders morality expression of enlightenment, not condition for it.
Buddhist ethics applied to mental health and social engagement. Purifying mind parallels psychological healing; compassion and ethical action basis for peace and community.