What is the meaning of Buddhist ethics? And the criteria differentiating good and bad actions.

Ethics is from the Greek word ethos. The branch of philosophy dealing with values relating to human conduct with respect to the rightness or wrongness of certain actions and the goodness and badness of the motives and ends of such actions. When we talk about moral ethics then it means concerning with the principle or rules of right conduct and the distinction between right and wrong.

The criteria for deciding what action is wholesome and what action is unwholesome are if three kinds as follows: 1. the motivation of the action. 2. The direct effects of the action in terms of causing suffering or happiness. 3. The action’s contribution to spiritual development, culminating in Nirvana. The three possible motivating root of unwholesome action are 1. Greed which covers a range of states from mild longing up to full blown lust, avarice, fame seeking and dogmatic clinging to ideas, 2. Hated which covers mild irritation through to burning resentment and wrath. 3. Delusion or spiritual disorientation, the veiling of truth from oneself, as in dull, foggy states of mind through to specious doubt on moral and spiritual matters, distorting the truth or turning away from it and misconceptions such as that it is acceptable to kill animals as a religious sacrifice.

The opposites of these are the three roots of wholesome action.1. Non greed covering states from small generous impulse through to a strong urge from renunciation of worldly pleasures.2. Non hatred covering friendliness through to forbearance in the face of great provocation and deep loving kindness for all beings.3. Non delusion covering clarity of mind through to the deepest insight into reality.