Buddhist Life Standards 3!
The golden Buddhist's life standards make
harmony for oneself and others.
This layman's code of discipline =
(gihi-vinaya) organize social relationships
so that they produce a
society of happy beings being in sweet harmony...
Law 3: Maintain good and sound social relations in all 6
1st direction: How should
towards Parents and Parents behave towards children?
Children should honour their parents by:
1. Having been raised by them, in gratitude they look after them in return.
Children help their parents in their business and work.
Children continue and maintain
the worthiness of the family line.
Children conduct themselves as is proper for an heir.
5. After the
parent's death, one makes offerings,
and dedicates the merit to them.
Parents should help their children by:
1. Cautioning and protecting them from
2. Nurturing and training them in any goodness.
3. Providing a suitable,
and proper education.
4. Assuring that they obtain suitable spouses.
5. Bequeathing the inheritance to them at the right time.
2nd direction: How should
towards Teachers and Teachers behave towards students?
Students should respect their teachers by:
Rising to greet the teacher whenever he arrives in polite courtesy
2. Approaching the teacher to attend and serve, to consult, to
query, and to receive advice.
3. Listening well by paying full undivided attention so as to gain complete
4. Performing any practical task, and running any required errand for the teacher.
Learning the subject earnestly, giving this task of learning the
Teachers should support his students by:
1. Teaching and training them to be good,
clever, and skilful.
2. Guiding them to thorough, penetrating,
and complete understanding.
3. Teaching the subject in full,
holding nothing back as in a closed fist.
4. Encouraging and praising the student's
true qualities, and amble abilities.
5. Providing learning that
both can make a living, and induce behaviour that entails happiness.
3rd direction: How should
towards Wife and Wife behave towards Husband?
A husband, one should
honour and support his wife by:
1. He honours her in accordance with her
true status as a wife.
2. He does not disparage, criticize, undervalue, or belittle her.
He does not commit adultery with any other women.
4. He gives her control of,
and responsibility for all the household affairs.
5. He gives her occasional gifts of
jewellery and clothing. ;-)
wife supports her husband by:
1. Keeping the household clean, proper, and tidy.
all the relations, and friends of both family sides.
3. Not committing adultery with any other men.
4. Safeguarding any wealth that has been acquired.
5. Being energetic, and enduring in all her works.
4th direction: How should
friend maintains his friendships by:
1. He shares with them.
2. He speaks kindly to, and about them.
3. He helps them whenever needed.
4. He is constant,
trustable, and faithful despite their ups and downs.
5. He is
genuinely understanding, and sincerely good-willed.
Friends then reciprocate by:
1. Protecting their friend, when he is off guard.
2. Protecting their friend's property, when he is off guard.
3. Being a safe refuge, and shelter in times of danger.
4. Not desert or leave their good friend in times of need.
5. Respecting all their friend's family, and relations.
5th direction: How should
Employer behave towards employees, and the Employees towards employer?
Employer assigns the work in accordance
with the workers strength, gender, age, and abilities.
2. He pays them wages compatible with their work, and
fully adequate for their
3. He grants them deserved fringe benefits, and provides medical care in times of
4. He shares with them a portion of any special unexpected profits that may arise.
5. He gives them appropriate holidays, and suitable time to rest
after hard effort.
Employee helps the employer by:
to work before the employer.
2. Stopping the work after the employer.
3. Taking only what is given by his employer.
4. Doing the job well, and always seeking ways to
further improve on it.
5. Spreading a good reputation about the employer, and his
way of doing business.
6th direction: How should the
lay Buddhist behave
towards monks and nuns, and they towards him?
Lay Buddhist honours, and respects the ordained
1. He acts towards them with goodwill.
2. He speaks to them with goodwill.
3. He thinks of them with goodwill.
4. He receives them willingly.
5. He supports them with the four requisites of alms-food, robes, shelter, and
All Monks and nuns help the lay people by:
1. Protecting them from
all evil actions, which inevitably produces painful
2. Encouraging them in goodness, which inevitably produces
3. Assisting them in all worldly activities with kind,
and clever intentions.
4. Making known to them all the things they have not heard before.
deepening, and clarifying those things they already
6. Pointing out the way to heaven,
and teaching them the way to happy prosperity
here and now.
A constitution for Living.
Buddhist Principles for a Fruitful and Harmonious Life.
Ven. P.A. Payutto. Thailand. Buddhist Publication
Society 2007: BP 620S
make Harmony. On these golden Buddhist Life Standards: