Noah D:
Morality is not as technical or patterned as what happens in the mind during meditation. It requires more perspective or understanding in advance to set up a proper plan. Definitions need to be established first, then principles are created from those. Out of some basic principles, a strategy can be created. If you learn to understand the mechanics of happiness, you can create your own set of definitions, principles & strategy. There are some common misconceptions about morality:- It is not mappable. It is unique to each individual’s life. Any notion of “progress” in morality does not honor that everyone is different.
- It is completely separate from wisdom & skill in meditation. “Path” shifts or insight experiences have no connection to character traits or lifestyle.
- It is not worth separating from wisdom or skill in meditation. There is only one, central path. No need to make distinctions between trainings. “Path” shifts or insight experiences have a direct correlation with character traits and lifestyle.
- There are already lots of good morality resources out there that directly acknowledge the link between morality hacks & “path” shifts.
Thanks for posting Noah! Just to clarify, in the misconceptions piece you seemed to list all the options?
Personally I have a slightly different perspective - I think perhaps a debatable point here is whether a final higher morality can be trained, or if it is simply a matter of working through our inborn 'stuff'. I think a training approach as you have outlined here is obviously very useful - guidelines and antidotes for behavior are integral to traditional Buddhism, and what you have outlined here seems like a valuble pragmatic take on it. From an ultimate perspective however, I think
the perfection of morality is fundammentally based in insight.
On the path to enlightement - a pure perception beyond all conceptual mental filters, stripping away neurosis and confusion is what ultimately matters, while a moral life is not necesarily a training in its own right, but a support for the path. What use is it to overcome our mental blocks, but in turn impose upon ourselves a rigid system of moral action? However, how we act is inseperable from the life we live, and as such morality is truly essential in living a good life. Truly I do believe innate morality can be perfected ultimately only by removal, as enlightenment can only be obtained by the removal of confused perception. That said enlightement is just a step on the path toward moral perfection, and what's more the perfection of morality can only be known in a personal sense.
When we clear our minds of all delusion, when we take the final step, we enter into an ultimate state devoid of all self reference - a state of pure confidence and wholly spontaneous action yet paradoxically complete free will. Yet still we remain in the relative world, bound by relative constraints. Therefore, although choice is perfected, because it occurs in a relative basis no such ultimate perfection is observed. Which is a long way of saying no-one can recognize anothers enlightenment via strictly external signs, but also explains why ideals of relative enlightened perfection are unattainable.
I hope that makes sense! Also I can elaborate on the path post enlightenment if you're curious. Cheers!