Hinduism

IMPORTANT VIRTUES
• Ahimsa (non-violence) – based on the concepts of atman and reincarnation.
• Mind and sense control – considered essential for any form of morality.
• Tolerance – necessary in order to deal with inconveniences in the performance of one’s dharma.
• Hospitality – demonstrating magnanimity, and the value of service (seva).
• Compassion – based on notions of atman, and the ability to feel for others as we feel for ourselves.
• Protection – an essential duty is to give shelter to others, especially those less fortunate.
• Respect – for all living beings and for the sanctity of all life.
• Wisdom – knowledge is contrasted with ignorance, the Hindu equivalent of the “good -evil” paradigm.
• Austerity – essential to gain wisdom in addition to mere theoretical knowledge.
• Celibacy – important for spiritual life. Only one of the four ashrams is permitted sexual gratification.
• Honesty – essential to build legitimate trust within relationships and to avoid self-deception.
• Cleanliness – includes external hygiene and inner purity; essential for brahmanas

VALUES

PROVERBS
• To eat or not to eat? Better not to eat – unless it’s the middle of winter (for then the digestion will be
strong).To go or not to go? Best to stay put – unless you have a call of nature, and then you must go!
• Better to have an intelligent enemy than a foolish friend.
• One should entertain neither enmity nor friendship towards an evil person; a piece of coal, when hot,
burns the hand, when cold, blackens it.
• When an elephant is in trouble, even a frog will kick him.
 • One who cannot dance blames the floor
• These six should never be given up: truthfulness, generosity, good humour, friendliness, forgiveness,
and contentment.
• Do not be despondent because of ill fate: there cannot be sesame oil without the crushing of sesame
seeds.
• Do not entertain thoughts of revenge unless you are capable of action – the chick pea hopping up and
down will not break the pan it is fried in.
• Self-praise is no praise.
• One who speaks of others’ faults in an assembly proclaims his own defects.
• Don’t listen to others secrets.
• Worship of elders is the root of humility.
• One should not argue with the intelligent, the foolish, friends, teachers, or the beloved.
• The wealth of learning cannot be stolen by thieves.

Buddhism
THE THREE TRAININGS/PRACTICES
• Sila: Virtue, good conduct, morality. This is based on two fundamental principles: The principle of
equality: that all living entities are equal. The principle of reciprocity: This is the "Golden Rule" in
Christianity - to do unto others as you would wish them to do unto you. It is found in all major religions.
• Samadhi: Concentration, meditation, mental development. Developing one's mind is the path to
wisdom which, in turn, leads to personal freedom. Mental development also strengthens and controls
our mind; this helps us maintain good conduct.
• Prajna: Discernment, insight, wisdom, enlightenment. This is the real heart of Buddhism. Wisdom will
emerge if your mind is pure and calm.
THE FIVE PRECEPTS
• Do not kill.This is sometimes translated as "not harming" or an absence of violence.
• Do not steal. This is generally interpreted as including the avoidance of fraud and economic exploitation.
• Do not lie.This is sometimes interpreted as including name-calling,gossip,etc.
• Do not misuse sex. For monks and nuns, this means any departure from complete celibacy. For the laity,
adultery is forbidden, along with any sexual harassment or exploitation, including that within marriage.
The Buddha did not discuss consensual premarital sex within a committed relationship, thus, Buddhist
traditions differ on this. Most Buddhists, probably influenced by their local cultures, condemn same-sex
sexual activity regardless of the nature of the relationship between the people involved.
• Do not consume alcohol or other drugs. The main concern here is that intoxicants cloud the mind. Some
have included as a drug other methods of divorcing ourselves from reality -- e.g. movies, television, and
the Internet.
THE EIGHTFOLD PATH
Panna: Discernment, wisdom:
• Samma ditthi: Right Understanding of the Four Noble Truths. Right View is the true understanding of
the four noble truths.
• Samma sankappa: Right thinking; following the right path in life. Right Aspiration is the true desire to
free oneself from attachment, ignorance, and hatefulness.
• These two are referred to as Prajna, or Wisdom.
Sila: Virtue, morality:
• Samma vaca: Right speech: No lying, criticism, condemning, gossip, harsh language. Right Speech
involves abstaining from lying, gossiping, or hurtful talk.
 • Samma kammanta Right conduct or Right Action involves abstaining from hurtful behaviors, such as
killing, stealing, and careless sex. These are called the Five Precepts.
• Samma ajiva: Right livelihood: Support yourself without harming others. Right Livelihood means
making your living in such a way as to avoid dishonesty and hurting others, including animals. These
three are referred to as Shila, or Morality.
Samadhi: Concentration, meditation:
• Samma vayama: Right Effort: Promote good thoughts; conquer evil thoughts. Right Effort is a matter
of exerting oneself in regards to the content of one's mind: Bad qualities should be abandoned and
prevented from arising again. Good qualities should be enacted and nurtured.
• Samma sati: Right Mindfulness: Become aware of your body, mind and feelings. Right Mindfulness is
the focusing of one's attention on one's body, feelings, thoughts, and consciousness in such a way as to
overcome craving, hatred, and ignorance.
• Samma samadhi: Right Concentration: Meditate to achieve a higher state of consciousness. Right
Concentration is meditating in such a way as to progressively realize a true understanding of
imperfection, impermanence, and non-separateness

Confucianism
ESSENTIAL VALUES
• Filial Piety: Respect for one's parents, filial piety, is considered the most fundamental of the Confucian
values, the root of all others.
• Humaneness: Another key value in Confucian thinking--the second leg of the tripod--is humaneness,
the care and concern for other human beings.
• Ritual Consciousness: The last of the three central Confucian values is respect for ritual--the proper way
of doing things in the deepest sense. The third leg in this tripod is that of li, ritual consciousness or
propriety. Li represents the forms in which human action are supposed to go on.
FIVE VIRTUES
• Ren: is the virtue of benevolence, charity, and humanity
• Yi: of honesty and uprightness
o Zhong: doing one’s best, conscientiousness, loyalty; and
o Shù: reciprocity, altruism, consideration for others, and Confucius’ early version of the Golden
Rule, “what you don’t want yourself, don’t do to others
• Zhi: knowledge
• Xin: the virtue of faithfulness and integrity
• Li: correct behavior, or propriety, good manners, politeness, ceremony, worship