A summary of "Beyond Religion"

Abstract

This document is a humble attempt to summarize the extraordinary book Beyond Religion, the proposal of ethics for the whole world that the XIV Dalai Lama.

Introduction

Placing priority on material values do not stop all problems. Science have been very effective to find solutions to material problems, but it cannot provide foundations on personal integrity. In our mixed society we cannot adopt either a religious approach. Therefore, we need a secular ethics.

Part I: A new vision of secular ethics

1. Rethinking Secularism

Secular ethics must be based on two principles:

1. Shared humanity
2. Understanding of our interdependence as humans

2. Our Common Humanity

What we humans have in common?

1. Our body, ultimately stardust
2. Our conscious experience: pain and pleasure

3. The Quest for Happiness

There are two levels of satisfaction:

1. Sensory level experiences: wealth, health and friendship. But having all three do not guarantee happiness
2. Inner mental state: where we can experience the genuine happiness

Other factors contributing to happiness (based on scientific research): sense of purpose and connection with others.

4. Compassion, the Foundation of Well-Being

Humans need affection to grow up, and also in the adult life when we encounter difficulties. Our happiness not only appears when we receive, it is even more important when we give love.

There are two levels of compassion

1. Biological level: it is instinctive (ex: mother love)
2. Extended level: need deliberate cultivation

5. Compassion and the Question of Justice

Punishment can be conceived to benefit everyone, including the wrongdoer. Forgiveness is not forgetting; it helps to liberate us from the pain and gives a chance to peace.

Ethics must look at motivation. Pure motivation, to benefit others, makes actions ethically sound.

6. The Role of Discernment

We need discernment to ensure we take realistic choices. Although we can have rules, most cases are not black or white and we need to look carefully pros and cons.  Ultimately the good of bad of our action is about our motivation.

7. Ethics in Our Shared World

Ethics must apply to our personal and social life, developing a sense of global responsibility: there are wars, economic inequalities, etc.

Education should include exercises of attentiveness and cultivation of inner values. Need perseverance.

Part II: Educating the heart through training the mind

8. Ethical Mindfulness in Everyday Life

Ethical training proposed by the Dalai Lama is base on lojong (Mind training in Tibetan) providing of the Nalanda tradition.

There are three aspects or types of ethics:

1. Cultivating the right behaviour of the body, speech, and mind, retraining of harming others
2. Practicing virtue with other: being generous, charitable, and helpful. Praising others and rejoicing of their achievements.
3. Being altruist: it is not necessary to set a goal too high. We will use discernment to cultivate our altruism with heedfulness, mindfulness, and awareness.

9. Dealing with Destructive Emotions

Often emotional states are divided on pleasurable and painful. However the Nalanda tradition distinguish two types by another criteria: beneficial and harmful.

Destructive emotions undermine our wellbeing, and although they can have an evolutionary purpose, we must learn to handle them as they distort our perception of the reality.

There are five families of emotions: anger, attachment, envy (jealousy), pride, and ignorance.

We need to

1. Reduce their impact, understanding their causes, and learning how to use the antidotes (the positive emotions).
2. Develop enthusiasm to avoid our inner peace disturbed.

10. Cultivating Key Inner Values

The key values we must develop are:

1. Patience and forbearance: tolerance, forbearance, and forgiveness
2. Contentment: absence of greed. Poverty is not a virtue.
3. Self-discipline: must be voluntarily embraced
4. Generosity: there are four kinds; we must use discernment, having joy when giving.

11. Meditation as Mental Cultivation

• Develop ethics needs: cultivation of awareness and inner values
• Transformation operates with the three levels of understanding: hearing, reflection and contemplative experience.
• Analytical and absorptive meditations
• Cultivate the mind and the heart
• Create conditions: avoid procrastination, plan the practice, reflect on the benefits of practicing
• Meditations: focussed attention; present moment awareness; loving kindness and compassion; equanimity; rejoicing; dealing with emotions
• Success is realistic approach and perseverance