The fantasy of a timless, universal Buddhist morality Barry Magid March 12th 2016

Pythagoras is said to be the first philosopher to apply the word cosmos to the universe as a whole. Previously it meant orderly, like battle lines in Homer, or decorative, like in women's jewelry. He said the universe had just such order. Foundational ideas of order can be found all throughout history and the history of philosophy. Where do we as buddhists stand in the question of universals and universal morality? Karma does mean cause and effect, but need that be tied to morality? Or do we just acknowledge we live in a world of ethical butterfly effects, where our actions cause ripples in every direction? With interdependence, Buddhism does return to "we're all in this together." But this manifests differently in different times and different places though. Or can we let go of our fantasy of a universal morality and experience?

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