The chosen spiritual belief system to analyze and report on is Buddhism; several ethical points related to Buddhism will also be described. Buddhism is a system of beliefs based on the teachings of Siddhartha Guatama, an Indian prince commonly referred to as the Buddha, or one who is awake. Buddhism is a non-theistic religion; even the Buddha himself wouldn’t take credit for having special status or powers. “Ethics” in a particular belief system, is a moral philosophy or set of moral principles and rules of conduct that a group of people believe in and live by. In the Buddhist religion, the fundamental Buddhist teaching is the doctrine of conditionality. Everything is dependent on conditions. “He who sees the principle of conditionality sees the truth. One who sees the truth sees the Buddha” (Western Buddhist Review). Nothing has a fixed and final essence and this includes ourselves. Buddhism seeks to minimize any thoughts or actions that cause humans to suffer which is recognized in all facets of life. “The Buddhist work ethic and business and professional ethics would, ideally be closely tied to respect for the environment” (Buddha.net). The prior statement takes ethics in business to a higher level than just inter-personal relationships but also how the whole world and universe is affected by our actions.
Buddhism states that life is full of suffering which comes from desire. The ultimate goal of Buddhism is nirvana- the extinguishing of human desire and suffering. This is accomplished by seeking enlightenment to end desire, and thus end suffering. Since desire is inherent in human nature, this results in an effort to renounce the self and “awaken” to the truth of reality. Once a person has awakened, he or she is said to be “enlightened.” Buddhism was inspired by Hinduism which teaches intelligent indulgence in human desires. “Buddhism is considered a descendant of the hindu religion of northern India” (Major World Religions). The Buddha thought desire to...