Buddhist view of the conscience?

[wil]

Hmm, after thinking about this for a bit, I'll have to revise it to conscience can be programmed by conditioning. I seems like the interacting processes that lead to conscience are probably present within every being's mind.

Is conscience a pre or post thought, action, speaking occurence.

Or both?

Does our conscience actually affect our knee jerk reaction and then again affect our contemplation afterwords asking us to consider our knee jerk reaction?

If you live in the now... does conscience come into play?

 

[Sam Albion]

but, Wil, I don't think you (or me!) can ever truely live in the "now" -- our appraisals, good or bad, are ever reliant on what has come before... same too, for consciousness and the conscience... surely?

 

[Sam Albion]

and seattle has a point -- conscience is (the result of) programming... it may seem... positive, but... is it? Or, in fact, is it a fetter, in itself?

 

[earl]

Well, it seems Buddhists have long held that remorse-"kukkucca" is a healthy thing:
Roshi Hogen Berman Essays earl

 

[seattlegal]

and seattle has a point -- conscience is (the result of) programming... it may seem... positive, but... is it? Or, in fact, is it a fetter, in itself?

Is a toothbrush a fetter if you have lost all your teeth?

 

[Dream]

Somebody's paper attempting to found 'Rights' in Buddhist terms in order to clarify rights for Japanese Zen-Buddhists. It has a review of several attempts to found the concept of rights upon Buddhist principles. I don't know who the author is, but it looks worth skimming and speaks to the OP.

Zen Buddhism: http://blogs.dickinson.edu/buddhistethics/files/2010/05/Sevilla3.pdf

 

[Vajradhara]

can a conscience be found if one is not enmeshed within the thicket of pernicious views?

i wouldn't think so.

~v

 

[seattlegal]

can a conscience be found if one is not enmeshed within the thicket of pernicious views?

i wouldn't think so.

~v

...........

 

[Samana Johann]

Most importand for everyone who does not like to fall upward and one of the three AN 3.40: Adhipateyya Sutta — Governing Principles

Its also good to understand appamada in this sense which is mostly wrong translated, since many have developed upekkha rather of what should be made first.

The Practice in a Word, by Thanissaro Bhikkhu (1999; 3pp./8KB)
Appamadena sampadetha! — such was the dying Buddha's parting instruction, which has often been translated as "Practice diligently!" But a wider reading in the suttas reveals that that crucial word appamada has a far more nuanced and significant meaning. According to the author, the Buddha's real message was, "Don't be complacent. Watch out for danger. Protect the mind's good qualities. Don't let your guard down."

A printed copy is included in the book Purity of Heart.

Still it's a soft translation and in the Origin countries simlpy "Don't be conscienceless!"