Buhhist Sexual Ethics

Identify significant Buddhist sexual ethical teachings and analyse their effect on the lives of Buddhist.
The fundamental Buddhist’s morality is based on the principle of harming no others, thus showing compassion and respect for oneself and others. The ethical teaching of the Buddhism is significant as the teachings not only provide insights to life, how a person can work to achieve enlightenment, it also provides Buddhist’s sexual guide. These teaching do play a major role and have an effect on all Buddhist’s lives.
A core teaching of Buddhism is the Buddha’s eightfold path. According to the Buddha and the four noble truths, eightfold path is the only way to achieve nirvana. Thus the eightfold path plays an important role on both the Buddhism’s ethical teaching and the lives of Buddhist.   The second step of the eightfold requires one to have the right thinking. When right thinking is applies to sexual behaviour, it is seems to imply in many deep thoughtful levels. For example, it implies that one must engage in no pleasurable activities, including both masturbation and sexual pursuit with another person.   The idea of right thinking can further be related to both the fundamental teaching principle of Buddhism and sexual teaching ethics. The step right thinking involves one to follow the basic teaching, harming no others. In relation to sexual ethics, Buddhism tend to think that sexual activity have to potential cause harm to others, for example damage to marriage if it involves an extra-marital affair, which will harm the partner in the relationship.
Furthermore, the fourth step of the eightfold path states right behaviour. It has been stated as ‘do not destroy any living creature; only take what is given to you; do not commit and unlawful sexual act’. When right behaviour is related to Buddhist’s sexual ethics, it is implied that one should not undertake abortion or act rape. As both are considered as harming others, the practice of abortion involves in...