Applications of Buddhist Ethics in the Daily Lives of Contemporary Theravāda Practitioners: An Analytical Study
KELASA1 DR. VIVEK KUMAR2
1Research Scholar Ph.D., Swami Vivekanand Subharti University, Meerut, U.P., India.
kelasadbu@gmail.com
2Assistant Professor, Supervisor, Swami Vivekanand Subharti University, Meerut, U.P.,
India.
Absract
This article investigates how present-day Theravāda Buddhist practitioners apply classical ethical teachings in their ordinary lives. Focusing on lay communities, it examines how core principles such as the Five Precepts, the Noble Eightfold Path, and the Brahmavihāras are interpreted amid the pressures of consumerism, digital media, and rapidly changing social structures. Using a qualitative, analytical approach, the study combines textual analysis of relevant Pāli sources and contemporary sermons with semi-structured interviews and limited participant observation in selected temples and urban meditation centres. Data are thematically analyzed to explore applications of Buddhist ethics in five key spheres: personal conduct, family and social relationships, workplace and economic life, consumer behaviour, and online activities. Findings indicate that practitioners do not simply imitate canonical ideals but creatively negotiate them, seeking practical compromises while maintaining a sense of moral continuity with tradition. Many rely on mindfulness, reflection on kamma, and guidance from monastics to manage ethical dilemmas involving speech, sexuality, livelihood, and technology use. At the same time, participants report tensions between ethical aspirations and structural constraints such as work demands, social expectations, and economic insecurity. The article argues that contemporary Theravāda ethics is best understood as a dynamic process of adaptation rather than as mere decline or secularisation. It concludes by suggesting pedagogical and pastoral strategies to support ethically engaged lay practice and proposing avenues for further research on the comparative and longitudinal aspects of Buddhist moral life. Such research deepens understanding of Buddhism as a living tradition and informs broader conversations on religion, ethics, and responsible citizenship in plural societies.
