The Selfish Case for Being Ethical | Eugene Cash
Eugene Cash, a Buddhist teacher, discusses the Noble Eightfold Path's ethical components: right speech, action, and livelihood. He argues that ethics are self-interested, promoting harmony and happiness, and that kindness can be fierce.
Deep Dive Analysis
11 Topic Outline
Redefining Virtue and Ethics for Skeptics
The Self-Interested Case for Ethical Conduct
The Fierce and Direct Nature of Kindness
Setting the Stage for the Noble Eightfold Path
Understanding Right Speech: Honesty, Skill, and Timing
Practical Exercises for Right Speech
Right Action: The Key to 24/7 Practice and Inner Harmony
The Good-Heartedness of Humanity and Realness
Right Livelihood: Technical vs. Holistic Understanding
Distinguishing Between Being Present and Presence
Motivation for Continued Practice on the Eightfold Path
6 Key Concepts
Virtue (Buddhist perspective)
In Buddhism, virtue is understood as being in harmony and alignment with the truth. It's not about following rigid rules but about doing what's needed and true in the lived moment, creating harmony with oneself and others.
Ethics (Buddhist perspective)
Ethics are about creating harmony with oneself and others in a way that works and is real. It's not always about 'doing the right thing' but doing what's skillful and appropriate, even if it means not stating the truth at an unskillful time.
Enlightened Self-Interest
This concept suggests that doing what is in one's best interest, in the most elevated sense, is a win-win proposition. Doing good for others ultimately benefits oneself, as we are all interconnected.
Right (in Eightfold Path)
In the context of the Noble Eightfold Path, 'right' means to come into accord with the truth or the Dharma. It signifies aligning with the way things truly are, which is seen as a path to freedom.
Mindful Speech vs. Right Speech
Right Speech is about being truthful, not lying, not being harsh, and not gossiping. Mindful Speech, a component under the Right Speech umbrella, involves being aware of one's body while speaking and listening, bringing a different orientation to reality and awareness of the other person's embodied state.
Presence (Buddhist context)
Presence is a subtle distinction from 'being present,' meaning to saturate one's consciousness with what one is aware of, becoming one with it. It points to a not-self experience, where one relaxes into a state of being 'one with everything,' beyond individual self-ego identity.
8 Questions Answered
These terms can be made attractive by understanding them as being about harmony and alignment with truth and what works in reality, rather than rigid moralistic rules. They are deeply self-interested because doing good for others ultimately benefits oneself.
Yes, being ethical is in one's self-interest because it aligns with truth and creates harmony. Acting unvirtuously stems from inner softness and a lack of real strength, leading to a lack of inner peace and inability to relax.
Yes, kindness can be fierce and direct. It is often more unkind not to be real with people suffering from delusion or greed, and skillful kindness may involve direct confrontation or even a 'whack with an umbrella' if it's what's truly needed for their benefit.
Right Speech means being truthful, not lying, not being harsh, not gossiping, and not being divisive. It also involves speaking at the right time and in a skillful, helpful, and kind manner, rather than blurting out truths unskillfully.
Right Action is considered key because we are always acting and functioning. It involves not taking life, not stealing, and not acting in ways that harm people sexually. Practicing Right Action 24/7 brings inner harmony and freedom, as acting from the heart is inherently beneficial.
Right Livelihood is about functioning in one's work in a way that brings more harmony to the world, aligning with what is freeing and truthful. It includes technical aspects like not making a living from killing or selling intoxicants, but also a holistic understanding of how one performs their job with heartfulness and maturity.
'Being present' refers to being aware of something in the moment. 'Presence' is a more subtle distinction, meaning to saturate one's consciousness with what they are aware of, becoming one with it, and relaxing into an experience that is bigger than the individual self-ego identity.
Eugene remains devoted because he believes 'it's not over' and there's always more to wake up to, learn, and discover. Freedom is not a destination but a continuous process of deepening understanding and awakening, which makes the path beautiful and continuously motivating.
26 Actionable Insights
1. Embrace Present Moment Fully
Engage fully with the present moment, as it is the only reality, making continuous practice enjoyable and spontaneous rather than exhausting.
2. Act for Enlightened Self-Interest
Recognize that doing good for others is ultimately good for you, creating a win-win proposition that encompasses everyone’s interest.
3. Practice Right Action 24/7
Since you are always acting, align all your actions with truth to bring harmony and freedom, turning every moment into a continuous practice.
4. Live Your Awakening Off-Cushion
Extend your spiritual practice beyond formal meditation by actively living your awakening in daily interactions and functions.
5. Understand “Right” as Truth
Interpret “Right” (as in Right Speech, Action, Livelihood) to mean coming into accord with the truth, which is a freeing principle.
6. Cultivate “Presence” Not Awareness
Go beyond mere awareness by saturating your consciousness and becoming what you are aware of, moving past individual self-ego identity.
7. Be Fiercely Kind and Direct
Practice kindness by being real and direct with people, especially those suffering from delusion or ignorance, as this is more genuinely helpful than just being “nice.”
8. Practice Flexible Ethics
Approach ethics not as rigid rules, but by doing what is truly needed and appropriate in the lived moment, even if it means not always blurting out the truth.
9. Cultivate Calm: Don’t Be Asshole
Achieve inner calm and relaxation by avoiding actions that harm or disrespect others, as this is a fundamental component of personal peace.
10. Do No Harm
Strive to do no harm to others, as this fundamental ethical principle is presented as a direct path to personal happiness.
11. Skillfully Communicate Your Needs
When dealing with difficult people, first identify what you want, then consider how to express it in a way they might be able to hear.
12. Practice Mindful Speech: Body-Awareness
Enhance communication by sensing and being aware of your own body, and the body language of others, while speaking and listening.
13. Speak Truth at Right Time
Ensure your speech is truthful, but also consider the timing and appropriateness, as sometimes saying the truth isn’t skillful or kind.
14. Align Livelihood with Harmony
Choose and engage in work that brings harmony, aligns with truth, and is freeing, rather than causing difficulty or harm.
15. Focus on How You Work
Beyond the specific job, pay attention to the manner in which you perform your work, aiming for mature, adult heartfulness.
16. Embrace Continuous Learning/Awakening
Recognize that the path of awakening is ongoing, with always more freedom, understanding, and discovery possible, which deepens the practice.
17. Pause Before Speaking
Before speaking, become aware of what you want to say, giving yourself the freedom to choose whether to express it or not.
18. Integrate Kindness into Conversations
For one day, intentionally try to say something kind in every conversation you have, observing how this reorients your speech.
19. Avoid Gossip for a Day
Experiment by refraining from talking about anyone not present in the room for an entire day to observe your speech patterns.
20. Practice Conversational Restraint
For one day, only initiate conversations when truly necessary, otherwise waiting for conversations to come to you.
21. Express Appreciation for Work
Make a habit of acknowledging and thanking people for doing their job well, even in mundane tasks, to spread positivity.
22. Relax into Awe Experiences
When experiencing awe or feeling “one with everything” in nature, consciously relax into that feeling to taste “presence.”
23. Re-read Foundational Texts Periodically
Revisit important books or teachings every few years, as your deepening understanding will reveal new insights.
24. Adhere to Basic Right Action
Follow fundamental ethical guidelines such as not taking life, not stealing, and not harming people sexually, for inner peace.
25. Practice Technical Right Speech
Engage in basic right speech by being truthful, avoiding lies, harshness, and gossip in your communications.
26. Practice Technical Right Livelihood
Adhere to the basic ethical rules of livelihood, such as not stealing or selling stolen goods, and avoiding harmful professions.
6 Key Quotes
Enlightened self-interest, doing what is in your best interest in the most elevated sense of the term self-interest, is a win-win proposition. Doing good for others is good for you.
Dan Harris
Kindness can be fierce. Kindness can be direct. It's much more unkind not to be real with people who are suffering from their delusion or their ignorance or their greed.
Eugene Cash
You compassionately smack them with your umbrella and give them all the love in your heart as you hit them. And it is, that's what's needed. And that's something about really waking up. Waking up is not about being good. It's about being real. It's about seeing what's true.
Eugene Cash
If we're really in the moment, more will come to us than just our usual ideas. There's more intelligence here than we know in each of us.
Eugene Cash
We're all enlightened until we open our mouth.
Eugene Cash
If you want calm, one huge component of it is don't be an asshole.
Dan Harris
1 Protocols
One-Day Right Speech Practice
Eugene Cash- Be aware of what you want to say before you say it.
- Think: 'Do I want to say it or don't I?' and recognize your choice.
- For one day, don't talk about anybody who's not in the room.
- For one day, don't start any conversation unless you really need to, otherwise wait for conversation to come to you.
- For one day, try to say something kind in each conversation you have.