Item 2 in Six Perfections
Ethical conduct
Avoid harmful conduct and cultivate responsible behaviour.
- Position
- 2
- Form
- Mixed formulation
- Obligation
- Context-dependent
- Wording status
- Translation
- Intended audience
- Bodhisattva practitioners, with wider ethical application
- Last reviewed
- 28 June 2026
Names and terminology
Canonical name: Ethical conduct
Source wording
Avoid harmful conduct and cultivate responsible behaviour.
Broader interpretation
Avoid harmful conduct and cultivate responsible behaviour.
Practical meaning
Avoid harmful conduct and cultivate responsible behaviour.
Ethical purpose
This principle is intended to guide conduct, character and relationships in accordance with the parent framework.
Variations across schools or traditions
Interpretation and application may vary across communities, translations and individual circumstances.
Criticism and difficult cases
This principle should be applied with attention to evidence, consent, equality, power, foreseeable harm and realistic alternatives.
Truth By Reason analysis
Avoid harmful conduct and cultivate responsible behaviour. Its ethical force depends on whether its application reduces avoidable harm and respects equal human dignity.
Ethical themes
Sources
- The Dhāraṇī of the Essence of the Six Perfections Mainstream secondary source