Sīla

Ethical conduct, virtue, morality. In Buddhism, sīla (Pāli, equivalent to śīla in Sanskrit) is the foundation of all spiritual practice.

In the Noble Eightfold Path, sīla groups three factors:

• Sammā vācā — Right speech: not lying, not slandering, not speaking harshly, not speaking in vain
• Sammā kammanta — Right action: not killing, not stealing, not misusing the senses
• Sammā ājīva — Right livelihood: earning a living ethically

Sīla is not a repressive code. It is the condition for mental tranquility: one who acts with integrity generates no remorse (kukkucca), and without remorse the mind can settle into concentration (samādhi). Spiritual progress follows an order: sīla → samādhi → paññā.

In the Dhammapada, the verses on sīla are clear: virtue is not social convention but the natural foundation on which liberation blossoms.