At the very least, to be happy, to have peace of mind, you must be a good person. Your universe, in whichever way you wish to found it—whether your faith rests in God, religion, or evolution—is intrinsically moral.
The study of ethical behavior, with its social and legal implications, has filled volumes and preoccupied the best philosophical minds. However, it all boils down to one simple tenet: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Moral values are generally inherited from ancestry and culture, from education, and from good and bad fortune. Most people make moral decisions with the intent of some personal gain. We make ethical decisions with respect to the established laws of the society we live in. Rarely are judgments made after careful reflection with regards to unwavering moral principles.
We ordinarily make moral assessments and hold ethical standards with concern for the social consequences of our behavior. Even the guilt we feel from breaking the Golden Rule is mostly due to a fear of reproach.
But breaking the Golden Rule has more than just extraneous repercussions, from which you can distance yourself. This is because, as we have discovered, the mind is a Nothingness. That is, the ignorant mind becomes what it holds.
Every action is in effect a projection of an internal state. Meaning that we effectively become what we wish or do onto others. I call this the Red Rule of Morality: You do unto yourself what you do unto others. A Red Rule is one that cannot be broken.
It is the disregard for the Red Rule, which little by little, conditions our ultimate state of unhappiness.
From this we can see that not only do the major moral transgressions generate severe internal harmful states. But even seemingly inconsequential transgression, like envy, a slight of the eyes—or even the thought of it—will cause self-harm. It will over time dull and stain to some extent the wholesomeness and dignity of the Self.
This psychological reaction is what constitutes the true workings of Karma (Kamma in Pali). It is due to the nature of human consciousness, and it is therefore universal.
Thence, heedlessly, we create hell in our minds, here on earth.
The selfish person sees the world through the demands of the self, and others as mere instruments. This tragic person, who moves oblivious to the personal repercussions of his/her actions, is inadvertently scheming his/her affliction and undoing.
If we are mindful of our thoughts and actions, we can discern how our wrongdoings cause more harm to ourselves than to others.
This is a categorical imperative. That we must be good to others as a condition for our own happiness and sanity of mind.
We are always obligated to react in some manner in the presence of another—even no reaction is still a reaction. In the meeting of two minds, there is always an acknowledgment. There always a communication to one another, and always a psychological consequence to each other.
We know how it feels when we are greeted with a smile and kind words. It livens our mood, and we are predisposed to the same for others further on.
We also know how someone’s disdain or cold-shoulder can be disconcerting. It provokes us to a similar reaction or at least discourage us from showing kindness to others.
We should mindfully consider our actions, preferring always to be kind, considerate, and understanding of others. Then we will contribute to the well-being and happiness of others, ourselves, and society in general.
To cause suffering is not per se unwholesome, and it is sometimes a moral obligation. Suffering is part of our human condition and necessary for our healthy development. A good person acts with a clear understanding of what is benevolent and beneficial.
We all share an intuitive understanding of other’s feelings, emotions, fears, suffering, and joys. This is because we all share the same way of being conscious, and we grow up with each other. Despite cultural differences and life experiences, all rational beings have an appreciation of freedom, respect, and happiness. This is what informs our moral behavior: that we know how others feel.
By being kind to others, we become less egocentric, less self-centered. It is a giving. This immediately conditions our own pleasantness and happiness. When we are hurtful to ourselves and others, we immediately become uncomfortable and unhappy.
All unhappiness, all hurtful actions, all evil, all sins, result from ignorance of what brings about true happiness.
When being selfish and greedy, we are reacting to insecurity, to a fear of loss of self. When we are jealous, angry, hurtful, or prejudiced, we are reacting with aggression out fear of injury to our self.
The more tightly we grasp at a selfish world, the more fearful we become, the more hurtful we grow. The more harm we cause to ourselves and others, and the greater the suffering we will have to endure.
There are no happy villains.
With every “good morning,” every smile, every word of encouragement, we water the seeds of kindness in the hearts of others.
When we teach our children to be tolerant, respectful, and kind to others, we plant seeds of love in their hearts that last a lifetime.
When we respond to aggression with understanding, fairness, and composure, we heal our old wounds and add to the happiness and the peace of the world.
Truly, if there is any substantial meaning that is allotted to human existence, it must rest on a moral universe, on being a good person. Because nothing of value can be extracted from a world that is through and through Not-self.